“Penny for your thoughts,” Sylvie said as we pulled into the lodge’s driveway.
“Just thinking about how much my life has changed,” I said honestly.
“Any regrets?”
I looked at her, really looked at her. There were a million thoughts running through my head, but none of them were telling me I was in deep shit. None of those thoughts were telling me I was in trouble.
“None,” I said. “Not a single one.”
I was certain I was in for what would undoubtedly be the best Christmas Eve of my life. I realized that for the first time in thirty years, I was living exactly the way I wanted to be living. Even if it meant my father was going to disown me when he found out what I had done, it was worth it. Even if it meant walking away from everything I’d been raised to value, it was worth it.
Because Sylvie, her family, and this community gave me a sense of belonging and purpose that I had never felt before. That alone was worth any sacrifice I had to make.
Tonight was going to be perfect. And after Christmas, when the lawyers started calling and my father started demanding explanations, I would face whatever came next with the woman I loved by my side and the absolute certainty that I’d made the right choice.
CHAPTER 65
SYLVIE
We carried everything into the lodge, making multiple trips to unload all the supplies we’d picked up in town. Kent was quiet as we worked, his usual easy conversation replaced by a tension I could feel radiating off him in waves.
After we set down the last bag in the kitchen, he turned to me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I need to make a call.”
My stomach dropped. I knew exactly what call he was talking about, or rather, who he needed to call. His father. The conversation he’d been putting off since he’d made his decision to invest in the lodge.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, reaching for his hand.
He squeezed my fingers gently but shook his head. “No, this is something I need to do alone.”
I could see the weight of it settling on his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened with determination mixed with dread. I knew he was about to potentially blow up his entire relationship with his family, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to make it easier for him.
So I did the only thing I could. I pulled him down for a kiss, trying to pour every ounce of support and love I had into thatconnection. When I pulled back, I looked him straight in the eyes.
“I’m here when you’re done,” I said simply. “Whatever happens, I’m here.”
He nodded, his throat working as he swallowed hard. Then he turned and headed outside where he could have some privacy.
I watched him go, my heart aching for what he was about to face. But I couldn’t dwell on it. We had a party to prepare for, and standing around worrying wouldn’t help anyone.
I got right to work.
“Where do you need me?” I asked Brom and Stacy, who were both looking just a little frazzled.
“We’ve got three hours until guests start arriving, and approximately seventeen thousand things left to do,” Brom said.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a side of my brother I hadn’t seen in months. He was the guy that worked behind the scenes or took care of projects that didn’t require a lot of interaction with guests or anyone else.
The stress lines around his eyes had softened. For the first time in ages, he looked genuinely excited about something instead of just grimly determined to keep everything from falling apart.
Stacy’s hair was falling out of her messy bun. “He’s basically running in circles,” Stacy said.
“Put me in, coach,” I said with a laugh.
I was beyond excited. Tonight no longer had that dark cloud hanging over it. We weren’t dealing with the shadow of uncertainty about our future. I could honestly say it was the first party in the last couple of years that would not be operating under that dark cloud. This wasn’t our last Christmas at the lodge. It was our last Christmas before we stepped into the next phase of the lodge’s future.
None of us expected to be here next Christmas. We had all accepted it even if we didn’t truly want to believe it was coming.
The transformation in everyone’s mood was remarkable. Even Stacy, who’d been stressed about menu planning and kitchen logistics all week, had a spring in her step as she bustled between the main room and the kitchen, making last-minute adjustments to the evening’s dinner service.
