“Do you think you’ll ever get married again?” It was a question he’d always wanted to ask, and not even necessarily in the context of their relationship. He just had a genuine interest in Sarah’s hopes and dreams for the future.
“Absolutely. I want a partner, and a father for Laney. I really did love being a wife. But the next time around, I want to be with someone that views having a wife as a blessing, not as something that ties him down.”
How anyone could ever view Sarah as a burden was unfathomable to Lance. It just further solidified the fact that Darren was not the right man for her.
Lance paid the check several moments later, then glanced at his watch, noticing they only had ten minutes until the gondola would shut down for the night. If they hurried, they’d still be able to make it in time.
He helped her into her coat, holding the shoulders so she could slide her arms into the sleeves. Taking her hand felt like the most natural thing in the world. His thumb rubbed against the back of it, feeling her soft skin.
“Thank you so much for tonight, Lance.” She followed him through the restaurant’s doors and onto the walkway. Snowflakes fluttered from above, landing delicately on her cheeks and nose. “It was exactly what I needed. Would youbelieve I didn’t even check my phone until after dinner to see if Holden had texted or called?”
“You didn’t need to because I did on my way back from the restroom earlier. Said everything is going great and that they were heading to the store to get more s’mores supplies. Apparently, they’d already eaten their way through the first batch.”
Sarah froze in place.
“I’m kidding. Holden knows better than to load Laney up with too much sugar. Or he should since I reminded him to take it easy on the sweets.”
“Really? You told him that?” Her eyes sparkled under the moonlight.
“I just pointed out that she’s only two, and to avoid too much sugar, especially before bedtime.”
Sarah’s smile widened with every word Lance spoke, giving him hope that he’d struck the right balance and not overstepped.
“Thank you for doing that. I know I tend to get a little overbearing when it comes to things like that, but in so many ways, she’s still a baby in my eyes.” Sarah gave his hand a squeeze, a silent thank you. “So, who’s got Tahoe tonight?”
“Nana Jo, but I can’t say she’s thrilled about it. I also got a text from her saying she’d ‘momentarily misplaced him,’ only to discover the little guy curled up on a bundle of straw in Doodlebug’s stall.”
“Oh goodness! I can only imagine the kind of trouble those two could get into.”
“Don’t even have to imagine it, because they’ve already done it.” He shook his head, laughing. “Poor Nana Jo.”
“I think she likes the excitement.” They walked toward the gondola and filtered into line.
“Idefinitelythink she likes the excitement. If it gets too quiet on the ranch, Nana tends to create her own kind of ruckus.”
As they settled into their cabin and began the leisurely descent back to the parking lot, Lance kept Sarah close, reminded of the nervous energy she had felt on the way up the mountain. Surprisingly, she seemed completely at ease now. Not a hint of anxiety crossed her face when the gondola swayed gently, even bouncing slightly as the cable adjusted. And when Lance tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers in a long, lingering kiss, any remaining tension melted away, replaced by a serene calm that mirrored their peaceful surroundings.
In the quiet of the gondola, Lance held tightly to this moment and to Sarah, fully aware that the most spectacular view wasn’t outside the window but sitting right beside him.
CHAPTER 19
Today was the day. As in thebigday, the one Sarah had been preparing for over the last several weeks.
She’d arrived early at the Snowdrift Inn, right after she’d watched the sun rise from the back of Lance’s truck, cup of hot chocolate cradled in her hands, a contented smile playing on her lips. It was the fourth sunrise they’d shared this week, mostly because it was the only time that they could coordinate their schedules. Busy didn’t even begin to describe things, but Sarah knew this was a season, and soon enough they would have more time for each other.
As far as she could tell based on her to-do list, she’d checked every line item off. From the gift bags placed in each guest room that included notepads and pens, along with snacks and bookmarks, to the breakfast menu she’d gone over with Sterling multiple times, to the additional activities she had arranged for her writers, it was all good to go.
Dahlia had stopped by around seven-thirty on her way to open up the library for the day.
“It’s go time, girl.” She took Sarah’s shoulders into her hands and gave them an encouraging squeeze like a coach ready to puta player in the game. “So exciting! Your first guests should be arriving soon.”
Sarah was well-aware. She’d gone over the travel itineraries so many times, she had practically committed them to memory. The first author to arrive would be Sally Bringsworth, a psychological thriller writer based out of the Napa Valley whose debut novel hit the New York Times Bestseller list at number eight. Sarah had met many authors over the years, but none that had achieved so much success right out of the gate. She couldn’t wait to meet the woman in person and hopefully hear her inspiring story firsthand.
By the time Dahlia left, it was close to eight. Sarah could hear the coffee pot rumbling in the kitchen as it percolated, so she popped her head in to check on the innkeeper and see if he needed any additional last-minute assistance.
Sterling looked up to meet Sarah’s gaze. “Hey there. Can I pour you a cup?” He took the handle to a porcelain mug withSnowdrift Innprinted in pretty blue on the side. “Just put a fresh pot on.”
“I don’t think I should risk the caffeine buzz, but thanks. I’m too jittery as is.”
