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“Let’s get you inside and warmed up, and I’ll pull up the weather report.”
“What good is that going to do us? They didn’t call for this.” I can hear the frustration in her tone.
“Surely by now, they know what’s up. Come on.” Lacing her fingers with mine, I push open the door and lead her inside. Together we peel out of our clothes, and I stoke the fire, adding wood. “I’ll make us some hot chocolate.”
“Thanks, Con,” she says, taking a seat on the couch, covering her lap with a blanket. “Hey, Rory.” I hear her say before I disappear into the kitchen.
I can tell she’s talking, but with the noise I’m making, I can’t hear what she’s saying. The cabin is huge, and the distance between us is what we need, what I need. I almost kissed her. I almost crossed a line that we wouldn’t be able to uncross. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into me. Grabbing the can of whipped cream from the fridge, I add a healthy amount to both mugs and carry them into the living room.
“Hey, Con’s here, hold on. I’ll put you on speaker.”
I hand her a mug as she places her phone on speaker, setting it on the couch. I take the other cushion. “Who we talking to?” I ask, taking a sip of my hot chocolate.
“Hey, brother,” Grant says.
“What’s up?”
“How’s the weather?”
“Shit. It’s still snowing. We have about two feet out there now.” There’s no use in hiding it from him.
“Oh, no,” Aurora says.
“I haven’t checked the details, but I’m sure it’s going to be fine.”
“We’re here, and we’re going to stay on top of it. Hopefully, it stops soon, and the roads can be cleared,” Aspen tells them.
“Have you seen any trucks?” Grant asks.
Aspen looks at me and bites her lip. She knows the answer. “No. Not yet. Ours isn’t passable. But you know, as soon as the snow stops, they’ll be all over it. They always are.”
“Yeah,” Grant agrees. He knows this is how things go, but I get it. He’s getting married to the love of his life, and he wants it all to go off without a hitch. It’s just immediate family, and I have no doubt my parents and brothers will do whatever it takes to get Aspen and Aurora’s parents here as well as the rest of the family. We will have a wedding. It just might look a little different than they originally had planned.
“Too early to stress just yet,” I tell them.
“Keep me posted?” Grant asks.
“You know it.”
“Thanks, brother. Aspen, thanks for being there. Both of you. We appreciate you taking care of things.”
“Not much we can do right now.”
“But you’re there,” Aurora tells her. “We know firsthand what’s going on. That means so much to us. Thank you both.”
“We’ll keep you posted.” After a round of goodbyes and promises to keep them updated, we end the call.
“Is this wedding going to happen?” Aspen asks, biting down on her bottom lip.
“Yeah, it’s going to happen. We might not have the caterers and the decorators to do their job, but I promise everyone will be here, and we will have a wedding.”
“How are you so sure?”
I sigh. “This is going to sound conceited, but it’s the truth. Money. My family has the means to get everyone here, even if we need to do it by chopper. The wedding will go on. It just won’t be the one they planned.”
“Oh, thank God.” She’s genuinely relieved. Not a single flinch when I mentioned our family’s money. That does nothing for my need to kiss her. She’s different from anyone I’ve ever met. Most women’s eyes light up when I mention my family and money. Not Aspen. She’s just worried about her sister getting the wedding of her dreams.
“I’m going to go see if I can figure out what’s wrong with the water heater.”
“You need me to come with you?” she offers.
“I should be fine. Be right back.” Making my way to the basement, I open the door for the mechanical room. Reaching for the light, I flip the switch but it doesn’t come on. Pulling my phone out of my pocket to use as a flashlight, I look around. I don’t see any water on the floor, so I don’t think there’s a leak. I know last time this happened, the breaker had tripped from a power surge. On the other side of the room, I reach the circuit panel and flip the breaker. The lights come on and the water heater makes a gurgling sound. Hopefully, we will have hot water soon.
“How did it go?” Aspen asks once I’m back upstairs.
“Good. I’m pretty sure the circuit breaker was tripped. Should have hot water soon.”
“You’re a rockstar.” She smiles at me, and I feel like I’m ten feet tall.
