Page 43 of Christmas With The Broken Mountain Man
"But then I realized something." She looks up at me, eyes clear and certain. "Running from Greg was what brought me to Whisper Vale. But staying? That's about you. About us. About the life we're building together."
Hope swells in my chest. "Are you saying...?"
"I'm saying yes, Mason." She cups my face in her hands. "Yes, to staying. Yes, to us. Yes to whatever comes next."
I kiss her then, there on the snowy ridge with the valley spread out below us. It feels like a beginning, like a promise, like coming home.
"I love you, Destiny Brooks," I whisper against her lips.
"I love you too, Mason Walsh." She smiles, radiant as the sun on snow. "Now and always."
We make our way back to the cabin as dusk falls, the forest transforming around us in the fading light. Christmas lights twinkle in the windows of our home, and it is our home now, undeniably, irrevocably.
Inside, we warm ourselves by the fire, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon the way my mother used to make it. Destiny curls against my side on the couch, her head on my shoulder, her new ring catching the firelight when she moves.
"Best Christmas Eve ever," she murmurs, voice drowsy with contentment.
"Just wait until next year," I promise, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "And the year after that. And all the years after that."
She smiles, snuggling closer. "I'll hold you to that."
As night falls completely, we drive to Tom and Kelsie's cabin for Christmas Eve dinner. Their place glows with holiday cheer, twinkling lights strung along the porch, a massive wreath on the door, the scent of vanilla and cinnamon wafting from inside.
"There they are!" Kelsie exclaims when she opens the door. She hugs us both, ushering us inside. "We were starting to think you got lost in a snowbank."
"Or distracted," Tom adds with a knowing smirk, clapping me on the shoulder.
Dinner is a festive affair, prime rib, roasted vegetables, Riley's famous yeast rolls. Jax and Riley joins us, along with a few other close friends. There's laughter, stories, the comfortable camaraderie of people who genuinely care for each other.
I watch Destiny throughout the evening, how she fits seamlessly into conversations, how her laugh mingles with Kelsie's, how she belongs here, with these people, with me. The realization settles in my chest like a warm stone.
"You two seem good," Jax comments as we stand by the fireplace after dinner. The others are in the kitchen, packaging leftovers and organizing dessert.
"We are." I take a sip of whiskey, savoring the burn. "Better than good."
"The ring?" he asks, nodding toward the kitchen where Destiny is showing Riley her new jewelry.
"A promise. For now."
Jax nods approvingly. "Smart. Give her time to settle in, find her footing."
"Exactly." I swirl the amber liquid in my glass. "But eventually..."
"I know that look," he says with a laugh. "You're already planning it, aren't you? The proposal."
I can't help but smile. "Maybe."
"Well, when you're ready, let me know if you need help. I've been told mine was pretty memorable."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Later, as we drive home through the snowy night, Destiny reaches across the console to take my hand. "Thank you," she says softly.
"For what?"
"For sharing your friends with me. Your home. Your life." She squeezes my fingers. "I spent so long feeling alone, even when I was with Greg. I'd forgotten what it feels like to be part of something."
I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "You're part of me now. Part of us. That's not going to change."
