I lifted my head to look at him, confused. “For what? Please don’t tell me you’re thanking me for sex. I mean, you’re welcome, but still.”
“For choosing me,” he said simply. “For trusting me with all of this. Your family, your dreams, your body. For letting me be part of your life.”
Tears filled my eyes. “You’re not just part of my life, Kent. You’re my life now. You and this place and the future we’re building together.”
He kissed me softly, a gentle press of lips that somehow conveyed more emotion than all our passionate kisses combined.
“I know I said it before, but I need you to really hear this,” he said seriously. “I don’t regret anything. Not the investment, not walking away from my family, not losing access to my trust fund. Being here with you, right now, is worth more than all of that combined.”
“Even if things get hard?” I asked quietly. “Even if the lodge struggles or we hit rough patches?”
“Especially then,” he said firmly. “Because we’ll face it together. That’s what matters.”
I snuggled closer, breathing in his familiar scent and marveling at how quickly he’d become essential to my existence. A month ago, I didn’t even know Kent Bancroft existed. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Just how crazy this all is,” I admitted. “How fast everything happened. How different my life is now compared to a few weeks ago.”
“Good different or scary different?”
“Both,” I said honestly. “But mostly good. Really, really good.”
He tightened his arms around me. I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head. “Get some sleep,” he murmured. “We have a busy day tomorrow with all those guests to feed.”
“Mmm, don’t remind me,” I groaned, though I was smiling. “We’re going to be running around like crazy people trying to make sure everyone has a perfect Christmas morning.”
“And we’ll be amazing at it,” Kent said confidently. “Because that’s what your family does. You make people feel welcome and cared for. It’s your superpower.”
His words made my heart swell with pride and love. He saw the value in what we did here, understood that hospitality wasn’t just about providing a service but about creating meaningful experiences for people.
“What about you?” I asked sleepily. “What’s your superpower?”
“Apparentlynotmaking beds,” he said dryly, making me laugh.
“You were pretty terrible at it,” I teased. “Brom said your corners kept popping off.”
“Hey, I got better,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not ready to go pro yet, but I’ll get there.”
I giggled against his chest, feeling lighter and happier than I could ever remember being. Even with all the uncertainty about the future, even with the challenges we’d inevitably face, everything felt right in this moment.
“Kent?” I said softly.
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lull me toward sleep. Tomorrow we would have to be up early to serve breakfast to a lodge full of guests.
But right now, wrapped in Kent’s arms, everything was perfect.
I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, dreaming of Christmas mornings and full lodges and a future that looked brighter than anything I’d ever dared to imagine.
The last thought I had before sleep claimed me was the greatest Christmas gift I’d ever received was him. And unlike the material presents that would be unwrapped tomorrow morning, he was a gift that would last forever.
CHAPTER 72
