I don’t want this night to end.
He presses a soft kiss to my forehead, his arms wrapping around me as we catch our breath, our heartbeats slowing but still in sync. I rest my head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, the warmth of him, and I smile, feeling a sense of peace settle over me.
“So,” he murmurs, his voice a soft rumble in the quiet. “I think we just started our own Christmas tradition.”
I laugh, tilting my head up to meet his gaze, my fingers tracing lazy circles on his chest. “Sex in Santa’s workshop, I think I’m okay with that.”
He grins, brushing a kiss over my forehead, his arms tightening around me. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me now, Ivy. Naughty List and all.”
I arch an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Are you saying I can expect more naughty behavior in the future?”
“Oh, you can count on it,” he says, his voice dark and playful, his fingers tracing a line down my spine, sending a delicious shiver through me. “And I plan on giving you plenty of reasons to put me on that list every year.”
I laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him close for another kiss, savoring the warmth, the strength of him, the sense of belonging that fills me. This is where I want to be, with him, building something real, something solid, something that’s ours.
Outside, the snow continues to fall, blanketing Copper Mountain in silence, but inside, there’s only warmth, laughter, and the quiet certainty that we’ve found something worth keeping, worth fighting for. And as I look up at him, seeing the way he’s watching me, his gaze soft and unguarded, I know that this is only the beginning.
We stay like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, lost in the magic of the moment. And as we start talking, planning, dreaming, I feel a thrill of excitement, knowing that this Christmas is only the start of all the ones to come. Because with Cole by my side, I know I’ve finally found my home on Copper Mountain.
Epilogue
Cole
The lights from Copper Mountain’s New Year’s Eve celebration glow against the fresh snow, casting a warm golden hue over the town square. I walk hand in hand with Ivy, her laugh ringing out as she pulls me toward the ice rink set up in the center of town. She’s dressed in that Mrs. Claus costume she insisted on wearing, complete with a fur-trimmed red skirt and black boots that look damn good on her. I can’t help but grin, shaking my head at the way she’s pulled me into all this holiday cheer. And hell if I don’t love every second of it.
She nudges me, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”
“Just trying to decide if you’re on the Naughty or Nice list this year,” I tease, adjusting the Santa hat she plopped onto my head about an hour ago. “Because from where I’m standing, it’s looking a lot more like the former.”
She smirks, tugging me toward the rink. “I’m sure I could say the same about you.”
We step onto the ice, laughter echoing around us from families and kids racing in circles. Ivy clings to my hand, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright as she glides beside me. For someone so light on her feet, she’s not exactly steady on the ice, and every now and then, she stumbles, sending a shiver of heat up my spine every time I catch her.
“You know, if you’re going to hang onto me like this,” I murmur, pulling her close, “you might just end up on the Naughty list.”
“Oh, is that so?” she challenges, a playful glint in her eye. “What would it take to end up on the Nice list then?”
I lean in, brushing my lips just beside her ear. “Maybe another year of putting up with me. Think you can handle that?”
Her laugh turns soft, her fingers tightening around mine. “I think I can manage. But you might need a few more Christmas miracles to really win me over.”
“Miracles, huh?” I pull back just enough to look at her, her breath clouding the cold air between us, her lips parted in a smile. “Maybe I’ve got one more up my sleeve.”
Before she can respond, I drop to one knee on the ice, keeping her hand in mine. Her eyes widen, and the laughter fades into something softer, more vulnerable. The sounds of kids cheering and the ringing of bells fade until it’s just her and me under the lights.
“Ivy,” I say, my voice a little rough as I stare up at her, feeling the weight of everything she’s given me, everything she’s brought back into my life. “You’ve changed me. You took a man who thought he didn’t need anyone, who’d closed himself off from everything, and you showed me what it means to really live again. I can’t imagine a single day without you, and I don’t ever want to.”
Her hand trembles in mine, her breath catching as she stares down at me, her eyes shining. I reach into my coat pocket, pulling out a small ring I’d been holding onto since Christmas Eve, waiting for the perfect moment.
“So what do you say, Ivy?” I ask, my voice low, steady. “Will you marry me and make every Christmas, every New Year, a little bit brighter?”
There’s a heartbeat of silence, then she nods, her face breaking into a radiant smile. “Yes,” she breathes, her voice barely a whisper before she’s pulling me up and into her arms. “Yes, Cole, a thousand times yes.”
The crowd around us bursts into cheers, and I slide the ring onto her finger, feeling a sense of rightness settle over me as I hold her close, her laughter mingling with the sounds of celebration. Knox and Perry are clapping from the edge of the rink, and Pope and Ruby give us approving nods, Ruby wiping her eyes with a grin. All around us, the townsfolk who’ve watched me resist this woman’s holiday cheer are now clapping, cheering as she throws her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss that’s sweet and slow, filled with promise.
As we skate off the rink, Ivy’s arm looped through mine, she glances up at me, a mischievous glint in her eye. “So,” she says, tugging me closer, “how about we start planning next year’s Naughty or Nice contest? This time, we do it together.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “You really don’t take a break, do you?”
