Thank you for making our wedding day extra special.
Tony and Frank Hirsch
Season’s Greetings from Mr. and Mrs. Anderson!
P.S. We can’t stop staring at these gorgeous photos.
People out here are so freakin’ sweet, and I’ve been treated so warmly at every wedding I’ve photographed. It was a learning curve at first. I was used to capturing people on sunny beaches, framed by bright blue ocean and palm trees, so I had to adapt my style. But now I love taking photos all around Crave County, from Cherry Hollow to Winterdale. Outdoor weddings in the colder months are my favorite. Those photos always come out looking magical.
I wasn’t expecting to get many clients when I first moved out here. I was worried about it, but Ivan reassured me. He said we’d be fine with the money from the rental cabin and his firewood sales, encouraging me to take my time. For a while, I only had a couple of bookings here and there, but I earned some loyal clients. They would tell their friends to book me, and things just kept snowballing from there. Word of mouth goes a long way in a small town like Cherry Hollow.
I’m opening the last card when I hear my husband’s heavy footsteps striding toward me from the kitchen. I look up, smiling when he sets down a steaming mug on the coffee table beside me. He always makes hot chocolate just how I like it—loaded with marshmallows and cream.
“Thank you,” I say, taking a deep sip as he sits beside me on the couch. He finally bought a new one to replace the tiny two-seater we had before, but that doesn’t stop us squeezing up together.
“Who’s the card from, sugar?”
I scan it with a smile. “Thorne and Aria. They wish us all a merry Christmas.”
Ivan grunts. “Surprised they kept their hands off each other long enough to write a card.”
I laugh. He’s not wrong. Every time I see our neighbors, they seem to have their hands all over each other.
“You’re not exactly one to talk,” I tell my husband with a pointed smile.
“Touche.” He leans in to kiss my cheek, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Can’t help it, sugar. You’re so damn beautiful. And you look sexy as hell carrying my baby.”
His words send a thrill of delight through me, and I melt against him, savoring the feel of his strong, burly chest. Ivan only seems to get hotter with age. His gray hair and crow’s feet make him look even more rugged and mature, and I still can’t believe I get to call this gorgeous mountain man my husband.
As we cuddle, North trots into the room and takes up his usual spot by my feet.
“Was wondering where your guard dog had gotten to,” Ivan murmurs with a low chuckle.
North has been my furry white shadow ever since I got pregnant. He follows me around the house, ready to protect me at a moment’s notice. It’s a job he takes very seriously.
“Just wait until Hope gets here,” I say, taking another sip of hot chocolate. “I bet he’ll never leave her side.”
Ivan grunts in agreement, resting a hand on my belly. Baby Hope is due to arrive any day now. The doctor said she’d be here by the end of the year, and it’s already Christmas Eve. My hospital bags are packed and ready by the door, waiting to go at a moment’s notice. Ivan has been gritting the roads near our cabin, making sure they’re safe; Thorne and Aria are on standby, ready to take care of North when the time comes; Maddox and Sophia have been coming over to check on me often, bringing us all the baby stuff that little Holly has outgrown.
I feel so lucky to have all this support around me…but I won’t pretend I’m not nervous. Becoming a mom is the biggest responsibility I’ll ever have, and I’m desperate to do a good job. It’s scary, but most of all, it’s exciting. I can’t wait. After nine long months of anticipation, I’m so ready to meet our little girl.
“Not long to wait now, princess,” Ivan says.
“I know…it’s crazy to think that we’ll leave here, just the two of us, then come back as three.”
Ivan smiles. It’s something he does a lot now. His forest green eyes are always twinkling, the weight on his shoulders lifted.
A few months after we moved in together, I encouraged my husband to see a doctor about his leg. He wasn’t crazy about the idea. He told me he’d had enough of hospitals for a lifetime, but he agreed for my sake. They ran some scans, and he ended up having an operation to remove the screws from his thighbone. The main rod stayed in—it was too important to remove—but taking out the screws was a game changer for Ivan. They’d been digging into the surrounding tissue, inflaming his muscles and causing the worst of his pain. The metal rod still aches in winter sometimes, especially on really cold days, but Ivan says it’s only a fraction of what it used to be. I can’t even remember the last time I saw him wince.
Life is good.
Heck, better than good…it’s amazing.
With a deep sigh of contentment, I drain the last of my hot chocolate and close my eyes, resting my head on Ivan’s shoulder. Suddenly, I hear North jump up from his spot. He lets out a whine, nudging his head against my belly.
“What’s wrong, boy?” Ivan asks, reaching out to pat his head.
North is restless, pawing at the couch like he’s trying to tell me something.
