“Watch it. You’re about to be featured prominently and often on that wall. I’d consider a haircut.”
Leo gasped teasingly and pressed the palm of my hand to his lips. “I’ll have you know, this haircut scored me a two-year contract with a winter sportswear catalog. The sweater I wore had rave reviews, and it wasn’t because of the fiber count.”
“My apologies to your adoring fans.”
“Don’t apologize to yourself. I forgive you.”
My grin widened as Leo tilted my chin up to chase it away with his mouth.
“I think the snow stopped,” I said. I glanced out the window, feeling a beautiful peace fill my heart. My snow curse was broken. The wind had stilled, the clouds parting to reveal a bright moon. A blanket of snow glistened under its light.
Leo didn’t even bother to look. “No, it didn’t. You’re officially snowed in until I say otherwise. We might be here for days. Weeks.”
“A month at least. It was a terrible storm.”
“Dreadful. We may never dig ourselves out.”
I pressed another kiss to his lips. “It’s almost midnight. Merry Christmas, Grayson.”
“Merry Christmas, Bennett.”
Epilogue
Leo
“Have I ever toldyou how much I love this mattress?” Sage stretched like a cat, and I pulled her closer, nuzzling my face into her neck. Our feet tangled together, my body wrapped around hers. I was a man obsessed.
“You have. I remember it vividly. Among other things.”
Sage chuckled and ran her fingers through my disheveled hair. “Well, as much as I adore it, and have plans to return pretty much exclusively, we can't stay in it all day. It's Christmas, and we have plans.”
“Plans to shovel? Because one of your magical storms basically shut down Cold Spell. Sorry, sweetheart, Christmas is cance—”
Her hand slapped over my mouth. “Don'teversay those words. And don'teverunderestimate the magic of Christmas.”
Never again.It was impossible not to believe after I'd received everything I'd ever wanted this year. And the greatest gift of all was the incredible woman lying in my arms. I'dnever look at snow the same way again. Every flake, every storm would remind me of her. Luckily, I owned a ski resort.
Sage rolled out of bed and shuffled to the window. She pulled back the heavy curtain and waved her arms like she was unveiling the world's most elaborate ice sculpture.
“See. That's the fun of mystical blizzards. All the snow. None of the cleanup. The roads are clear and the power's back on. Get dressed. We're having lunch with my parents.”
I should grieve the end of our snowed-in experience, and a part of me wanted to close the curtain and pretend, but I'd never had a true family Christmas before. While the Bennetts had their quirks, they cared about each other. If I was given the chance to earn even a little of that, not even a mountain of snow would keep me away.
“Do you think your dad will teach me how to make his famous quiche?” I asked over my shoulder as I turned the handle on the shower.
Sage poked her head into the bathroom. “Be careful what you wish for. My dad will be so excited you want to learn, the two of you will be wearing matching ‘kiss the cook’ aprons next Christmas.”
“Is that a promise? Because I’m my most attractive while wearing an apron with a witty catchphrase.”
“Not according to my spell book. Less is more.” Sage winked, and somehow, I fell even a little more in love with her.
After a quick shower and calls to the staff, wishing them a happy holiday with orders to stay home and enjoy a few daysoff, Sage and I walked through the empty lobby on our way to her parent's house.
Sage slowed as she approached the counter, finding a white envelope with a strange logo stamped on the outside.
“That wasn't there last night, was it?” she asked, lifting the envelope and turning it over to study the emblem.
“No. Who's it from?” I peered over her shoulder as she warily removed the folded parchment.
