"Yes," Gideon said softly. "Welcome to Montana, sweetheart."
Klaus gasped. "It looks like heaven."
Axel grinned. "I want to run everywhere."
Hilde pointed. "Trees!"
I rested my head against Gideon's shoulder and let joy bloom inside me, warm and enormous. Berlin had been gray rubble beneath our feet for so long. Now the world was wide and greenand full of promise.
Gideon murmured. "We're almost there."
I closed my eyes and whispered, "Thank you."
For saving us. For loving us. For giving us a sky to fly in.
When the wheels touched down, the whole plane shuddered, rattling through my bones. Klaus stirred against my side, Axel blinked sleepily, and Hilde yawned so wide her jaw popped. Gideon gave my hand a squeeze.
"We're here," he whispered. "Welcome to Montana."
Montana.
The word still felt unreal on my tongue, like a place out of fairy tales instead of somewhere I would actually step onto. Customs was quick—quicker than I'd expected. A few signatures, a glance at our papers, and a smile from a tired official who seemed charmed by the kids clinging to Gideon like ducklings. When we stepped outside, the air hit me like a revelation.
Fresh.
No coal dust. No smoke. No rubble. Just sky. Endless sky. A blue so deep it hurt my eyes.
Gideon inhaled like a man tasting home for the first time after a long exile.
He turned to us, grinning. "Alright. We've got two choices. Stay in the city tonight and rest…" His eyes moved to me, soft and warm. "Or we can make the drive to the ranch now. We'll get there before dark."
My heart stuttered. I leaned into him, my cheek brushing his shoulder. "If it's alright," I whispered, "I would love to meet your family."
His smile softened into something tender and a little mischievous. "Fair warning, they'll likely make us sleep in separate rooms until we're properly married."
I fought a grin. "I'm willing to take that risk."
He raised a brow. "Are you now?"
"Yes," I said, eyes locking with his. "Very willing."
He laughed—warm, rich, relieved—and kissed my forehead like he couldn't help himself.
He borrowed a truck from a man who greeted him with a hearty clap on the back. "Griffin! Back from saving the world, are ya? Take her for as long as you need." A wink toward me. "And who's this pretty thing?"
Gideon cleared his throat, cheeks turning faintly pink. "My fiancée."
The man whistled. "Well, I'll be damned. Congratulations, you two!"
I blushed, clutching Klaus's hand tighter. They loaded our luggage into the truck bed, then the children, who squealed with delight at sitting among the bags like it was the greatest adventure of their lives.
Gideon opened the passenger door for me with that old-fashioned gallantry he did so naturally,and when I climbed up, he shut it gently, almost reverently. He rounded the truck and got in beside me, thigh warm against mine, the smell of leather and dust and pine in the cab.
"Ready?" he asked.
I nodded. I was more than ready to start the next part of my new adventure. He took my hand as he started the engine. And the world opened.
Montana was… I didn't know a word big enough. It was wide. Endless. Wild. Alive.
