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We all stared at Carmella, our respective drinks that we’d ordered from Raul held in the air while she spoke.
“I’m thankful for my family and for my work family. That’s you guys.” She winked. “I’m thankful that Sky doesn’t hate River anymore and that River might actually settle down with a nice girl.”
“Oh my God,” I breathed out before taking a sip of my wine.
River kissed my cheek, completely unfazed. He loved the attention.
“Me next,” Chad chimed in, and I held my breath, hoping he didn’t say something inappropriate. “I’m thankful that you guys don’t hate me after everything I said and did last night. And I’m thankful for ice cream and all the women it’s brought into my life.”
“What does that mean?” Stacy asked.
“You don’t want to know,” I said before rolling my eyes.
The other two pilots basically said that they were thankful for a good meal and that they didn’t have to spend the holiday with their wives, pretending to like their cooking, and their in-laws. It was a shitty thing to say, but not really surprising. I felt like I’d seen and heard it all in this industry, and it had only been three years.
“I’m thankful I finally know the truth,” Stacy said without elaborating further. Everyone else was in the dark, but not me or River. “Your turn, Sky,” she added.
I looked around at the table, unsure of how much I wanted to share with the newcomers, but this had been my idea in the first place, so I couldn’tnotparticipate.
“I’m thankful for the snowstorm. It forced me to stay in this hotel instead of going home. Without it, I’m not sure this would have ever happened.” I glanced at River, and if I was going to say more, it didn’t matter because he started talking.
“I’ve never been more thankful for a storm in my life. Or for Chad being an asshole and hitting on Sky last night and making me see what I’d been denying for so long.” He pointed at Chad, who raised his glass in acceptance of what he took as a compliment.
“I’m thankful for adjoining rooms.” He gave me a wink before eyeing Stacy. “And women who are willing to listen and forgive. I’m thankful for our job. The people we get to meet. The places we get to go. But mostly, I’m thankful that my enemy has now become my lover.”
He leaned down and started kissing me at the table, which erupted into cheers.
Oh my God, we’re a freaking book trope.
When River broke the kiss, everyone was grinning, drinking, and digging into their meals.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Sky.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, River.”
“To Ocean and Star,” Chad said, his glass held high in the air.
Even though no one else at the table, except Carmella, knew what the hell he was referring to, they all repeated the cheers anyway.
“To Ocean and Star!”
I looked at River, who said the toast at the same time I did and smiled before taking a sip of his beer. Normally, I might have been worried or a little scared at how fast things seemed to be moving between us, but for some reason, I wasn’t. And River didn’t seem to be either.
Which should have been weird as well, but instead, it all felt right.
“After we eat, I’m taking you outside to play in the snow,” River whispered in my ear.
I looked down at my clothes. “I’m not dressed for snow.”
“No, you’re dressed like we’re back home. We never get snow in Florida,” he said.
I realized this was more for him than it was for me. He just wanted an accomplice or someone to go with him.
“Fine, but when your fingers fall off and you can’t fly the plane anymore, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You’d never let anything like that happen to me,” he said, and in that moment, I had to agree that he was right.
The same way he’d protected me last night from what he deemed was a threat, he knew that I’d do the same for him. Me against the snow. I could see it now. I’d blow on it until it turned into water. Snow was no match for me and my hot breath. Try to hurt my man, and I’d melt you.
