Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
I bump his fist with mine, feeling like we’re a couple of teenagers again. “Text me in a few months. Let me know what you’re doing.”
He snorts. “Only if I’m out of the country.”
Someone calls his name, and he melts back into the crowd. I watch him go and look around at the party filled with cast and crew members.
“Are you looking forward to starting your new life?” Mom asks softly.
I didn’t even realize she was here. She never attends these. She’s so busy as the CEO that she rarely shows up. “Yeah, I am.”
“Good for you.”
I turn to her, taking in her red pantsuit and pin with the wreath on it. It’s old but still sparkles in the light. It was one of my dad’s last gifts to her. “There’s a guest bedroom at Hunter’s place. I’d love it if you’d stay with us.”
She waves a hand in the air. “Tell Hunter to give me those dozen grandkids then we’ll talk about me moving in.”
“Speaking of that, Ma Jolly, I have to get my girl home,” Hunter says coming to stand beside me and wrapping an arm around my waist.
My cheeks heat. “Hunter!”
My mom gives me a hug, and I stop to say goodbye to a few more people until finally, I’m back in Hunter’s truck with him. I don’t know what I’m doing with the rest of my life, but I have plenty of time to figure that out, and I will.
When he pulls into the driveway, it’s late and I stifle a yawn. He leads me inside where I see all the boxes from my apartment stacked in neat rows. “We weren’t planning on doing it until this weekend!”
“My brother helped me move them all. I didn’t want you to have to worry,” he answers.
I look around and take in the boxes, the glow of the Christmas lights, and the sight of the snow outside. Everything feels so magical.
“Bad idea?” He asks tentatively.
I shake my head and give him a big grin. “No, it feels so good to be home.”
Epilogue One
Hunter
The snowball lands against my back, cold and unforgiving. I spin around as it melts against my skin, turning into mushy rivulets that run down my bare back. I’ve been outside chopping firewood while Holly plays in the snow with the boys.
“You’re going to regret that,” I tell my girlfriend, who is giggling. She looks so happy ever since she finished filming the movie and came to live with me here in my cabin.
We’re in that weird time of year, between Christmas and New Year’s Day, where nothing feels quite real. It’s a lost week, a week when you can hide from the world without anyone noticing.
She giggles and darts behind a tree. My boys, who have become increasingly loyal to her, dart between the two of us. They plant themselves firmly in front of the tree, the pack growling loudly at me.
“Great, you’ve turned them against me,” I mutter.
“I can’t help it that they like me better,” she teases, sticking out her tongue.
I quickly roll a snowball of my own. I lob it toward the left side of the tree with ease.
My plan works as intended. The boys go after the snowball. She shrieks and runs to the right, which allows me to grab her in one quick motion. I spin her around, pinning her between the tree and my hard body.
She grins up at me, eyes sparkling. Affection and joy are written in every line of her face. “What are you going to do with me now?”
I start to say something saucy, then I notice her slight shiver and the blue tinge to her face. We’ve been out here for a while, and I didn’t even consider the fact that she’s still not used to these conditions.
“I’m going to take you inside and warm you up, little elf,” I tell her.
Then without waiting for her response, I pick her up and sling her over my shoulder. I carry her into my cabin. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to add her name to the deed. I’m just waiting for the Courage County municipal office to reopen after the holidays.
Inside the cabin, I peel her wet clothes from her body, and we share a warm shower. It’s more about caring for her than it is seeing her naked, although we do share a few passionate kisses.
By the time I help her out, the water has gone cold. But her skin is pink again, no longer mottled from the cold. She yawns, and my heart twists. I had no idea until I was on that movie set just how long filming days are or how physically grueling some roles can be.
She still hasn’t fully recovered yet. She told me it can take her two or three weeks between movies to start getting her energy back. I fake a yawn of my own, and she looks pleased.