Page 50 of I Still Do

“You are more beautiful now than the day I met you.”

His sweet words had her feeling as though she were floating on a cloud.

He played with a section of her hair with his thumb and finger. “I was an idiot, you know.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I let you go in the first place.”

Cora shook her head. “We were both idiots.”

He cradled her face in both of his hands. “I’m so in love with you, Cora.”

Her heart felt as though it might burst. “I love you, too.”

He kissed her again, and Cora held onto the sleeve of his shirt as he put an arm around her waist to steady her.

A few moments later, he pulled back, a serious look on his face. “I do have one new regret, though.”

Her stomach clenched. Was he already second-guessing this change in their relationship? She prayed that wasn’t true, because after being reminded how amazing it was to be in his life, she wasn’t about to give that up again without a fight. “Oh? What’s that?” She took in a deep breath and held it.

“I regret that I didn’t swing by the store and get us a pumpkin pie for dessert.” His face was still serious except for that twinkle in his eyes.

She smacked him in the chest. “Not funny, Grey.”

“Too soon?”

“Oh, yeah.” She smiled and happily surrendered to another breathtaking kiss.

Chapter Nineteen

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Cora said with a laugh. Grey had surprised her with a day trip to Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine. She’d heard of the place’s amazing winter wonderland but had never been there.

After having to work Thanksgiving, her boss had given her a four-day weekend for Christmas. They were driving down to San Antonio Christmas Eve, but Grey insisted they should do something fun before then. He didn’t tell her where they were going, simply instructed her to dress warm, bring a coat and mittens, and started to drive.

Now, she stood in line to snow tube down a hill. She was getting close enough to see the packed snow on the lanes in front of them.

Grey put an arm around her and pulled her close so he didn’t have to talk too loudly over the crowd. “There were a lot of fun things we should’ve been able to do in Colorado but missed out on. Sledding was one of them, and this is the next best thing.” He grinned at her.

Five minutes later, it was their turn. They sat on their inner tubes in adjoining lanes. Cora raised an eyebrow and gave him a playful smile. “Race you to the bottom!”

The moment the tube began to slide, cool air whooshed past, tossing her hair. The ride ended much too soon as the tube came to a gentle stop.

Laughing, Cora stood, dusted her pants off, and picked up the inner tube again. “Nowthatwas fun.”

“Yes, it was.” Grey grinned at her. “You want to go down again?”

“Absolutely.”

An hour later, with a paper cup of hot chocolate in her hands, Cora settled onto a bench next to Grey. Despite the crowds, they’d managed to find a bench off the beaten path. The extensive ice sculpture display lit up the night while Christmas lights adorned the branches of trees all around them. This particular bench was situated beneath the high boughs of an evergreen. Even with people walking back and forth along the paths, Cora could imagine they were somewhere else entirely.

“Are you warm enough?” Grey looked at her with concern.

His attentiveness made her heart skip a beat. “I’m good, thank you. This was such a great idea, and a wonderful surprise.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He held his cup of hot chocolate, so far untouched, in one hand and sat silently for a moment. When he shifted, he reached for her cup and set both on the ground to one side of the bench.

Cora turned to face him, confused by his actions and missing the warmth of the cup. The cold air only held her attention for a breath or two until Grey withdrew a small box from the pocket of his coat.

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