Bekka’s delight was obvious, shining from her face, even as she clung to Marissa’s hand.
“Woo hoo!” She held Bekka’s hand, and shouted into the wind, enjoying the ride. “Feels safer than the gondola did, right? Way more fun.”
“Well…the gondola got fun, Mari.”
Wicked girl!
“It was memorable for sure.” She stuck out her tongue. It was absolutely a top ten in her book.
“It was more than that, Mari. It was magical. I loved how you made me fly.”
Bekka hadn’t been the only one on cloud nine that afternoon.
The snow whizzed by as they went up and over a little hill and the whole valley opened up for them. “Look at this view.” She loved this place. The more she saw, the more she fell in love with it. And with Bekka. She was completely taken with the idea of staying here, with Bekka and all of this.
“I want to be here, with you, next Christmas,” Bekka stated.
She searched Bekka’s eyes, as if they could confirm what she already knew, then nodded. “I’m thinking Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving too.”
“Arbor Day, St. Patrick’s, Labor Day. I’m in.”
“When the hell is Arbor Day?” She laughed as the sled took a corner and sent them both sliding.
Beks was almost in her lap, curves pressing into her, soft and warm. Perfect.
Their driver turned around again as the sled slowed down. “I usually drop people off near town, but you’d have a little bit of a walk to get to Conifer Avenue. Would you rather I take you around to the ski lodge?”
She looked at Beks. “What do you think, pretty?”
“I think that would be perfect. Do you mind? It’s a ride.”
She got a wink and a tip of the white hat. “My lady’s at the lodge. I’ll pick her up there and bring her home.”
This really was a woman’s town.
“You want to do that reading for me when we get back? I guess we need to pack. Maybe I’ll get one more dip in the hot tub.” She needed to call Laney and see about getting Poe here and her apartment…
“Do you want to go back to New York with me?”
She blurted that out before she gave it real thought.
“Yes.” Beks didn’t even hesitate. “We can decide where to go together from there.”
Just like that. Yes. We. Together.
“Are you sure? I kind of have to close things up there and figure out what to do with my apartment, get Poe…it’s okay if you don’t.”
“Yes. My apartment will be fast, and the rent’s not near like yours. You first, then decisions, then mine. Fair?”
She nodded, smiling at the idea of showing Beks the fun parts of New York. “Okay. Yeah. Thank you.”
“Of course. I love you. It’s a thing.” Beks bounced on the seat, expression pure joy. “Merry Christmas Eve! I love you!”
“Merry Christmas Eve, Beks.” She would never have Bekka’s outward joy, but she felt it inside. “I love you too.”
“Good. Good, we’re going to be…we’re going to have so much fun.”
The sleigh stopped almost directly in front of the lodge, just across from it where everyone kept their skis. “This is it, ladies. I hope you had a great time.”