I looked around at the sight—the lights on the slopes set off by snowy trees along the edges, smiling faces and cloudy breaths from nearby laughter, the colorful mix of hats and parkas—before meeting Maddox’s eyes. “There are a lot of things worth staying in Legacy for. But the most important one is you.” I took a deep breath and repeated the words Alex had given me earlier, words I’d felt in my heart for a week but hadn’t been brave enough to speak aloud. “I love you. I want to stay here. I choose you over everything else.”
“Fuck, Adrian,” Maddox growled.
“Thank you for doing all this,” I said, my eyes burning a little. “I’ve never… I’ve never had anyone go to so much effort for me. I’ve never been picked like this before. It…” My throat was too full to continue, so Maddox pulled me in close and tucked my face into his soft scarf.
“You deserve to be picked, Adrian Hayes,” he murmured against my ear. “You deserve someone who’ll fight for you instead of running away and putting up walls to protect himself. Someone who’ll choose you publicly, loudly, without hesitation. And I will pick you every damn time. I promise you.”
I kissed him fiercely, sealing our connection, and let myself relax into his embrace as the lights across the mountain began their traditional twinkling pattern, thousands of tiny stars dancing across the slope in synchronized waves.
Despite being surrounded by all of Legacy and their cell phones, all I could see was the man beside me, snowflakes catching in his dark hair, his eyes warm with love and certainty.
“So,” I said at length, trying for casual and failing spectacularly. “What happens now?”
“Now?” Maddox pulled me closer, his voice rough with emotion. “Now we go home. Maya’s spending the night at Rosie’s, which means I have you all to myself. I’m going to make you my grandmother’s hot chocolate, we’re going to sit by the fire, and you’re going to tell me all about how we’re going to make this work.”
“And if I don’t have all the answers yet?”
His smile was soft and certain. “Then we’ll figure it out together. That’s what partners do.”
Partners.The word settled in my chest like a promise.
As we made our way to Maddox’s truck, my phone buzzed with notification after notification. I didn’t bother looking. I knew the videos of our mountain declaration were probably already spreading across social media, hashtag #Maddrian trending alongside #LegacyMontana and #RealLifeRomance.
“Your followers are probably losing their minds,” Maddox observed, nodding at the phone buzzing in my pocket.
“Let them.” I shrugged. “I’ve got more important things to focus on.”
Three hours later, we were curled up on Maddox’s couch, the fire crackling softly while snow continued to fall outside. I was wearing his old flannel shirt and nothing else, completely content to let him trace lazy patterns across my bare thigh while we talked about the future.
“Vic texted again while you were cleaning up in the bathroom,” I said, taking a sip of the promised hot chocolate. It was perfect—rich and warming, with just a hint of cayenne heat. “Turns out rejecting Solenne didn’t shut out other opportunities the way he expected after all.”
“Oh?”
“Three different companies want to partner with me on ‘authentic travel experiences.’ One of them specifically mentionedthat they’d love to feature small-town American destinations.” I grinned at his surprised expression. “Apparently, authentic is veryinright now.”
Maddox rolled his eyes, just as I’d known he would.
“And I may have mentioned that I happen to know an incredibly talented videographer who specializes in capturing real moments.” I shifted to straddle his lap, loving the way his hands immediately moved to my hips and bare ass. “Someone who could help me tell better stories.”
Maddox’s eyes darkened. “Is that so?”
“Mmhmm. Guy’s got great hands, too. Very… skilled.”
“Adrian,” he growled, but he was fighting a smile.
“What? I’m talking about your camera work. Your technical abilities.” I leaned down to press a kiss to his neck. “Your incredibly professional… equipment handling.”
“You’re impossible.”
“You love it.”
“I love you,” he corrected, and the simple certainty in his voice made my heart stutter.
“Good,” I murmured against his lips. “Because you’re stuck with me now. I’ve got a lease to break, a life to relocate, and a very important job interview to ace.”
“Interview?”
I pulled back to meet his eyes. “Sullivan Hardware needs a marketing manager. Someone to handle their online presence, coordinate with influencers, maybe even expand into content creation. I hear the benefits package includes access to the owner’s bed.”
