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“I’m just as lucky. And you’re welcome.” After giving me a kiss, Forrest loosened his hold on me and urged, “Go see your friends.”
So, that’s what I did.
I gave him one more smile, turned, and walked toward my friends, my heart feeling so full of love for the man who’d changed my whole life and the family he’d given me in the process.
EPILOGUE
Forrest
Nine months later
“Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Keep going all the way to the end.”
Daisy zipped past me, where I was waiting at the juncture of several trails. We were back at Keystone Mountain Ski Resort, and we were enjoying our first day out riding together.
Having gotten off the lift just a little while ago, the two of us decided we wanted to have our first ride down any trail to be the one we’d met each other on a year ago. I thought it was perfect.
Since she was still a little skeptical of going too fast, I’d urged Daisy to start making her way down the trail ahead of me. She agreed it was the best option. And when I thought she’d gotten far enough ahead of me, I’d thought it was time to make my way down.
As it turned out, I hadn’t given her quite enough time, because before I knew it, I was making my way past her. I’d ridden the trail down a bit farther until it split off into several different trails.
That’s where I’d been waiting for her to catch up. She had just done that, and I wanted her to try to maintain her speed as she made it down the remainder of the trail.
There was the slow spot coming up, and despite having explained to her last year how she needed to maintain her speed, I already knew she was going to slow herself down. She didn’t like to go too fast, even if it was on a relatively level part of the trail.
Fortunately for me, that was going to be perfect for what I had planned.
I took a deep breath, watched her as she continued to make her way down the trail, and followed behind her as she reached the bottom, where it leveled off. Then I couldn’t stop myself from grinning from ear to ear as she did just as I had expected and turned onto her edge to slow herself down.
God, I loved her.
It had been one year to the date that I’d met her, and it had officially been the best year of my life.
I managed to find a way to appreciate the six weeks we’d been separated from one another after we left here last year. Those weeks taught me just how much she meant to me, and how much I needed her in my life. I’d even gotten to the point where I found myself grateful for those first few weeks of being back together right after she’d arrived—beaten, bloodied, and bruised—in Steel Ridge.
At the time, when I was going through it all, it had felt like torture. But I could look back now and understand that it was all part of our story. Those trying times were part of what would make us stronger together.
I didn’t often think much about those moments now. I didn’t like to recall the time I’d been without her, and I certainly didn’t have the desire to reminisce on the day I nearly lost her. Thank God those doughnuts came home with us and fell out of her hand. I shuddered to think what could have happened to her if she hadn’t bent down to pick them up when she did.
Despite those hurdles we faced early on, we were here now. The last nine months had been nothing short of amazing.
And today, being back in the place where it all started, I was ready to make it official. Daisy was about to make it perfect for us, too.
Just as I had suspected would be the case, Daisy slowed herself down far too much. Without the speed to propel her forward on the level terrain, it was no surprise she was barely moving.
The closer I got to her, the more I slowed myself down. And at precisely the right moment, I reached out for her, grabbed hold of her, and urged her forward with me around the bend.
Then I brought us to a stop on the side of the trail, so we wouldn’t block the way for anyone coming around too quickly.
I unstrapped one of my boots, and Daisy did the same before she lifted her goggles and pulled down the face warmer in front of her mouth. “Are we recreating our initial meeting?” she asked.
I settled my own goggles on top of my helmet and removed the material covering my face before I answered, “Don’t you want to? I thought it might be romantic.”
She smiled at me. “You’re always romantic, Forrest. I’m not sure slowing me down to this point was the wisest move on your part.”
“But then, how would I make it better?”
“Make what better?”
