Ryder pulls me close, and we sit in silence, the weight of tomorrow settling over us both. The cabin feels smaller suddenly, more intimate, as if the walls are drawing in to hold just the two of us and this fragile hope.
“Whatever you discover tomorrow,” Ryder says quietly, his lips against my temple, “you won’t be facing it alone.”
I lean into him, letting his certainty become mine. “I know.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ryder
I wake sometime in the night to find Laney still in my arms, her breathing soft and even against my chest. The cabin is quiet around us; the storm outside finally gentled to soft whispers of wind and snow.
Tomorrow changes everything. Tomorrow she’ll call her father and learn the truth about her childhood. Tomorrow the roads might be passable. Tomorrow reality intrudes.
But right now, in this moment, everything is perfect.
She shifts against me, and I realize she’s awake too.
“Can’t sleep?” I murmur.
“Too much thinking.” She tilts her head to look at me, her eyes reflecting the flickering fire. “I’m worried about the phone call. Wondering what I’m going to say. Thinking about how my whole life might be different by this time tomorrow.”
I tighten my arms around her. “Scared?”
“Terrified.” She’s quiet for a moment. “But also… hopeful? Is that crazy?”
“Not crazy at all.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “That’s brave.”
“I keep thinking about what you said. About him maybe waiting twenty years for this call.” Her voice cracks slightly. “What if you’re right? What if he’s been hoping I’d reach out all this time?”
“Then tomorrow you give him the best Christmas present he could ask for.” She’s quiet for so long I think she might have drifted back to sleep. The weight of what’s ahead settles between us—not heavy, but significant. I run my fingers through her hair, feeling her relax against me. She lets out a shaky breath and burrows closer.
“Tomorrow’s going to change everything, isn’t it?”
“Some things,” I agree. “But not this. Not us.”
The last of her tension melts away, her body softening into mine. Her breathing deepens, evens out. We lie in comfortable companionship, listening to the wind outside and Hamlet’s snoring.
“Whatever happens tomorrow,” Laney says quietly, “I’m glad I’m not facing it alone.”
“You’ll never have to face anything alone again. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
She shifts to kiss me—soft and sweet, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. When we break apart, she settles back against my chest with a contented sigh.
“Merry Christmas, Ryder.”
“Merry Christmas, Sunshine.”
I hold her as her breathing slowly evens out, and she drifts back to sleep. Tomorrow will bring whatever it brings. But tonight, we have this—peace, promise, and the certainty that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.
Outside, Christmas Eve snow continues to fall, transforming the world into something clean and new. Inside, I hold the woman who’s become my whole world and let myself believe in the magic of love and home and family. This isn’t the end of anything. It’s the beginning of everything.
Chapter Seventeen
Laney
Duchess wakes me on Christmas morning, snuggling into my chest as I pull her close to me, her purr reverberating in my sternum. I keep my eyes closed a moment longer, breathing in the peace of the cabin—pine from the garlands, the scent of woodsmoke, and underneath it all, something sweet and warm drifting from the kitchen. Pancakes. On Christmas morning. With our limited supplies.
My throat tightens with unexpected emotion. Flour dusts Ryder’s green forearms, and he’s humming something that might be a Christmas carol. This thoughtfulness—making Christmas morning special despite everything—fills me with affection.
