‘Hey, girl,’ I said, sidling up to her, hand on my phone. ‘So, this is pretty fucking nice? That Thanksgiving dinner was unreal. You’ve set a bit of a high bar though.’
She shrugged, her expression so happy and contented that I almost welled up on the spot at the thought of what was coming.
‘It’s just a big Sunday roast, really, isn’t it?’ she admitted, smiling as I laughed. ‘But I know this time of year is a bit rough for Cole. And Lil . . .’ She trailed off with a glance at her cousin, now talking animatedly with Clara. ‘So, yeah, I just wanted to make it special for them. And you.’
She took one of my hands.
‘This is more than I ever thought could happen,’ she said, holding my gaze fiercely. ‘This is the family I choose. I can’t believe I got this fucking lucky, to have you here too. It wouldn’t be right if you weren’t.’
I drew her into a tight hug, tears already starting.
‘First off,’ I said, pulling back, my hands on her shoulders. ‘You’re a bitch for trying to ruin my make-up.’ She chuckled, reaching out to gently wipe under my eye. ‘And secondly, if we weren’t in love with cowboys, I would be happy to just be here, with you. I know you never got your gay awakening,’ I added, both of us smiling at the other. ‘But you’ll always be my first love, in every sense.’
‘Same,’ she whispered, holding me tight again. ‘Thank fuck Lil swung the work visa situation.’
I nodded, a shiver of excitement at the thought of all the plans for the creative retreat slowly coming to life, combined with my growing tattoo waitlist here in Jackson. With my London flat sold and the studio wrapped up, there was nothing left but good things on the horizon.
‘Although thereareother means to getting more permanent visas and green cards,’ I murmured, waiting for her to let go, her eyes suddenly wide.
‘What?’ she began, sudden, fierce excitement brewing.
I shook my head, grinning, holding up a hand.
‘All in good time,’ I promised, my own excitement deep down, knowing what I had planned for Jesse tonight. ‘But first, I’ve got something to show you. C’mon.’
She trailed behind me as I headed out, giving Jesse a wink and mouthing, ‘Two minutes.’
In the hallway, I gently urged Lottie ahead of me towards the back door and the porch beyond. It was golden hour, the waning sun tinting the valley a molten bronze, the snow glistening on the trees and rocks.
‘What . . .?’ she began, but I shooed her to the door, prepping my phone.
‘It’s outside. Brace yourself,’ I said, her puzzled smile so fucking precious that I almost reached out and squeezed her again.
Opening the door, letting the cold wash over me, I held up my screen to capture every second.
‘Seriously, what’s . . .’ she began; then, as what Cole had set up became obvious, her hand went to her mouth, covering it.
The huge fir tree ahead, snow weighing down the branches nearest the house, was strung with fairy lights. A small path, lined with pillar candles and storm lanterns, led to the base of the trunk.
Cole stood there, utterly fixed on her, his expression as it often was – in perpetual disbelief at his luck that Lottie was his, that she loved him back just as much.
He gestured to her to walk over, and I captured the glow of the lights reflected in the fabric of her dress as she passed under the canopy.
Before she reached him, Cole went down on one knee. I moved around to the side, my own heart in my mouth; I didn’t want to intrude on the words, but I captured her expression as Cole asked her, his voice low and rough, to be his wife.
Tears beginning, hands still over her mouth, Lottie nodded and knelt down right in front of him, taking his face and kissing him, the tears brimming as he returned the kiss.
I could barely see the phone screen, now just hoping they were in shot as Cole pulled out the ring box and opened it. Lottie’s eyes grew wide as she saw it. He took it out, taking her left hand and gently slid the ring onto her finger.
My hand, now unsteady from my own emotion, held still just long enough to hear her say yes and to see Cole’s raw joy, the way his smile lit his whole face.
‘You fucking knew, the whole time,’ she cried as she hugged me a minute later, staring at her finger in disbelief while Cole grinned at us both.
‘You’re not the only sneaky motherfucker, you know,’ I chided her, drawing her back onto the porch and handing her over to Cole. ‘Now, go tell everyone. I need to wrestle with a huge bottle of champagne.’
Barely an hour later, celebrations well under way, Jesse took my hand.
‘This way,’ he said, smirking as he took us out, grabbing both of our jackets and hats off the rack. ‘You’re gonna need these.’
