Page 168 of My Merry Mistake
The peace and calm my life so desperately needed is right here, and I’m more comfortable taking it now than I ever was before. I owe that to him, I think.
We drive through the darkness as the sun becomes a hint in the sky, and after several minutes, Finn slows down near a small, wooded lake at the back of the property.
“Hunter’s lake,” he says. “The best place to watch the sunrise.”
At first, I think that’s the actual name of the lake—but then I put two and two together that this place must’ve been special to his brother. And now it’s special to Finn.
By proxy, that means it’s special to me.
He shifts into park, pulls two more blankets from behind the seat, and leads me to the bed of the truck, where a big, open sky stretches above us. We’re surrounded on all sides by nature, and the peace of the quiet, magical, brisk Christmas morning seeps into my bones.
He spreads a blanket across the bed of the truck, then helps me up. He sits with his back to the cab, and once I’m situated in front of him, he wraps his arms around me, and we tuck the other two blankets around our bodies. We watch in silence as the sun breaks through the clouds, casting its golden, glorious light over the blue-tinged land in front of us, glimmering off the water. I wonder what life on this ranch would be like.
It’s a strange thought, and not one I’ll entertain, but being here is a reminder that there’s beauty everywhere if you slow down long enough to see it.
I don’t want to rush anymore. I want to see it all.
“My favorite spot on the ranch,” Finn says quietly as the pink and orange meld together behind a few scattered winter clouds.
“This is the quiet place you told me about,” I say softly, only now remembering. “The place on the ranch even your brothers haven’t found.”
“You remember that?” He looks at me.
I keep my eyes on the sky. “I guess I paid attention more than I let on.”
“I knew you liked me.” I hear the smile in his voice as we both go quiet.
“It’s amazing,” I say, filled with awe.
“Happy Christmas, Hart.”
I look up at him. “Happy Christmas,Brookie,” I say quietly.
He kisses my forehead so tenderly that I mentally kick myself for waiting so long to let him love me.
“I didn’t get your present yet,” he says.
I smile as I watch him thread our fingers together, so content I could fall right back to sleep in his arms.
“Iamyour present,” I say.
He laughs softly and kisses the top of my head. “So, when can I unwrap it?”
I bark out a laugh, because ofcoursehe’d go there. I smack him across the arm, and he squeezes me close, his smile fading. “Best gift ever.”
As the sun rises on a new day, I feel something inside me shift. Our first full day as a couple.
I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling—a new and different feeling—hope. And while a tiny part of me is still cautious, mostly I’m focusing on everything I have to look forward to.
And I can’t wait to see what happens next.
We return to the house and find delicious Christmas chaos. Everyone’s awake, still in pajamas, drinking coffee, and helping arrange a big Christmas breakfast. The entire scene makes me imagine my life with Finn—a life that goes against everything Ipredicted and planned for myself—and what I see isn’t even a little bit scary.
It’s good.We’regood.
After breakfast, they exchange gifts, which results in an epic, balled-up wrapping paper war, and in the midst of it all, Finn disappears outside for a few minutes. When he returns, he’s carrying what looks like a large wooden sign. At the sight of him, the room falls quiet, and even I’m curious what he’s up to.
He clears his throat, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. “I thought a lot about what I wanted to give you all for Christmas this year.”
