Lounging next to him on the double reclining chair was Betzy. Minutes ago, she’d yawned, stretched, and rolled onto her side to face him. It had been enough to get his pulse to rush. But when she rested her head on his chest, trickled her fingers down his bicep, and looped one of her legs over his, Sawyer could only think of her. Of that kiss they’d shared in the front room. It hadn’t been the only kiss they’d shared over the week.
The candy cane kiss, egged on by Duke dangling the mistletoe, was only the beginning. Throughout the days that followed, Betzy’s siblings had taken turns showing up with the mistletoe at odd times. They’d even passed the sprig on to Lilly and let her wave it over them as they were lounged before the fire one morning.
Overall, they’d kissed exactly six times since they arrived, but only one of those was shared when the two were alone. Only one had been initiated by them—not Betzy’s family. And before they left the cabin, something they planned to do first thing in the morning, Sawyer wanted very badly to repeat that moment.
He needed to know what fueled her on that morning. Needed to know if she’d give in to another moment of passion, when the two of them were alone.
He waited for the movie to end, tuning in to the soft rhythm of her sweet breath. At last the credits rolled. Matthew carried a sleeping Lilly out of the theater while Link held onto his mom’s hand, galloping all the way to the exit, which was right beside his and Betzy’s seat.
“Tell them goodnight,” his mom Emmy said.
“Have a good sleep, Sawyer and Betzy,” the kid said.
“You too,” he said in return.
“She’s out, huh?” Claudia said as she came up behind the small group.
“Yeah,” Sawyer answered. “I’ll wait until everyone clears out, then I’ll get her back to her room.”
“I’m sure you will,” Duke mumbled as he headed toward the exit as well.
Zander gave the back of Duke’s head a slap from behind.
“Goodnight, all,” Camila said while snuggling into James.
“I’ll wait until you all clear out of here to turn the lights out,” came Lorraine.
He’d been wondering where she’d gone off to. Sawyer peered against the gray glow of the screen to see the woman standing beside a switch.
“Go ahead and shut it off,” he said. “I think we’ll stay here a bit longer before heading back.”
“Alright then,” she said. “Suit yourself.” The room went black save the light pouring in from the hallway. Zander held the door open, allowing everyone to filter out one by one.
Once Lorraine took her exit, Zander peeked his head into the theater. “Night, man. Night, Betz.”
“Night,” Sawyer said. And then the room went black.
Betzy hadn’t said goodnight to Zander in return, but Sawyer was almost positive that the rhythm of her breath had changed. Was she awake at last?
Maybe this was his chance to tell her how he really felt.
The mere thought caused a flare of firecracker heat to pop and jump in his chest. He exhaled a jagged breath, ran a hand up the length of her back, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Of all the kisses he’d kept track of over the days gone by, he hadn’t counted those. It simply felt too natural to kiss her forehead after he’d straightened her beanie cap out in the snow. Or to press a kiss to her silky cheek while she strung dried apple rings for the tree’s garland. He’d spent the last week of his life loving Betzy the way he wanted to.
Of course, if he knew she could be his—really his—there’d be no stopping him during the late nights that had him aching to step over to the bedroom beside his, tap on her door, and see if she wanted to join him for another fireplace rendezvous.
“Betzy,” he whispered under his breath. “I want you in my life, for real.”
Her breath stayed steady and paced. He considered saying the next words that poured into his mind.This has been the best week of my life. When I propose to you, I want it to be for keeps. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.
His pulse shot into super speed at the very thought. Speaking those words out loud was a risk. One that had magnified with each passing year. If Betzy knew how deep his feelings went, and she didn’t feel the same, she might panic and call the whole thing off. And then what would his chances be?
And just why in heavens name did he have to turn into that traumatized twelve-year-old boy each time he considered telling her how he felt?
But the answer was clear—Sawyer had let that rejection drive him for more than half of his life. Where Betzy was concerned, he’d done everything he could to become a man she couldn’t walk away from. But there was no guarantee.
In fact, what he’d really done, by living the last ten years of his life hoping to impress Betzy and her family, was create a dangerous scenario, one that would leave him hopeless if she didn’t feel the same.
