He grabbed my suitcase and slid his other arm around my waist, leading me toward the entrance of the lodge.
“That’s alright. We can just get the rest of your stuff in a few days when I come home with you to meet your parents for Christmas.”
My eyebrows shot up. “The rest of my stuff?”
“You are staying here, aren’t you?”
“You-you definitely want that?”
He shrugged. “The lodge has been kind of a mess without you.”
I shoved him in the side, causing him to laugh. “Yes, Florida. I want you to stay here. I’m kind of a grumpy asshole when you’re not around.”
I beamed up at him before pausing in our tracks.
“Wait, you want to meet my parents?”
He smirked. “Well, I do already have a ticket.”
Epilogue
The soundof a car horn blared outside.
“Geez, I’m coming, I’m coming!” I yelled as I exited the front door of Giles’s blue bungalow.
Technically I still lived in the apartment above Bev’s garage, but I spent ninety percent of my time here. Eventually, I’d officially move in, but it had only been seven months since I’d relocated to Key Ridge permanently.
I skipped down the driveway, grateful my ankle injury had left no permanent damage. Giles was even trying to convince me to get back on the ski hill next season.
“I will not take my eyes off you this time,” he had promised.
I raced the rest of the distance to the passenger side door of Erin’s blue jeep and climbed inside.
“Took you long enough,” she said before throwing it into drive and taking off down the street.
“What’s the hurry? It’s not like the hike is going to go anywhere,” I teased.
She glanced at me and back to the road before letting out a fake laugh. “Totally, I know. I just..I just don’t want the parking lot to fill up.”
I raised my eyebrows. We always went hiking together on Sunday mornings, but she was being a little jumpy today for some reason.
“Coffee?” I offered her my travel mug.
She shook her head. “I’m good. I’m already feeling jittery.”
“I can see that, weirdo.”
She ignored me and turned up the radio. The throwback Taylor song distracted me and had us both belting out the lyrics at the top of our lungs out the open windows.
Gravel crunched underneath the wheels as Erin pulled into an almost empty parking lot.
“Good thing you rushed us. It’s packed.”
Erin laughed awkwardly before jumping out of the car and walking straight to the trailhead. “Come on, let’s get moving.”
My forehead crinkled in confusion as I raced to catch up to her.
The hike she had picked this week was a short one. Just one mile uphill with an amazing view at the end. You could see the ski hill and the entire town.
