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I’ve seen photos of the Mohonk Mountain House before, an all-inclusive resort tucked away in the Catskill Mountains. But I never dreamt of going there. As a kid, money was always tight, even more so once my dad passed away. And on my teacher’s salary…
Well, my salary is more Holiday Inn than exclusive resort.
As we approach the resort, my mouth drops again. The photos don’t do this place justice. It’s so much bigger than I imagined, this enormous Victorian Castle-like building perched on a glistening lake, surrounded by trees still clinging to the last of their fall foliage, the mountains stretching off in the distance.
“Cash, this isamazing.”
I must say it a dozen times as we make our way from the car to the reception area, and then to our room.
The valet is impeccably polite, guiding us through the resort, serving as almost a tour guide for us. When he hears it’s my first visit, he beams at me. “You’ll love it here. And there’s so much to do. Hiking, the spa, the indoor swimming pool, the restaurants—and it’s been so cold, they opened the skating rink early.”
“Skating!” I’m bubbling over with excitement; now I’m the one on Christmas morning. “I haven’t been skating in ages.”
Cash kisses my cheek, his eyes sparkling. “We can go this weekend. And remember, I have that pond on the edge of the property. As soon as it freezes, we can go skating at home.”
“I forgot about that.” A vision flashes into my head—Cash and I skating together, holding hands, drinking hot chocolate…
“Are you planning out a Hallmark Christmas movie scene in your head?” Cash is looking down at me, his lips twitching.
I blush. “Maybe.”
“That’s okay, I don’t mind.” Then he dips his head, his mouth near my ear. “But I hope we can do more than have one chaste kiss at the end of the movie?”
Well. That is onething about Hallmark movies. They aren’t exactly steamy. “Yes,” I whisper back to him. “We can take it up to an R rating.”
We come to a stop and the valet announces, “Here we are. The Mountain View Suite.”
And we walk into the nicest hotel room—sorry, resort suite—that I’ve ever seen. My legs actually go a little wobbly, and I clutch Cash’s arm to steady myself. “Cash,” I gasp. “This is too much.”
Cash nods to the valet, handing him a large stack of bills. Once the door shuts, Cash hugs me to him. “It’s not. Not for you.”
“But—“ I wave my arm around the room. “Look at this place.” We’re in an actual tower, with windows giving a panoramic view of the mountains around us. There’s a gorgeous sitting area, flanked by a carved wooden fireplace with a crackling fire. And stairs… “There’s asecondfloor?”
“Yes.” Cash loops his arm around my waist and leads me upstairs to the bedroom. A humongous bed looks out through even more windows with an even more impressive view.
We walk out onto one of the balconies and stare out at the mountains. From this height, in a tower up in the mountains, it feels like I can see for hundredsof miles.
“We don’t have anything planned except reservations for dinner,” Cash explains. He wraps his arms around me, protecting me from the crisp mountain air. “Whatever you want to do—there’s hiking, ice skating, a spa, an indoor pool—or if you just want to relax in the resort, that’s fine, too.”
I can’t believe he did this for me.
It’s not the money. Even though my instinct is still to tell him it’s too much, I know Cash can afford this easily.
But he thought of thisplace, a perfect trip away from everything; he took the time off from his weekend conference calls and volunteering at the station just to surprise me. To do something he thought I’d love.
“I loveit, Cash.”
Something else almost slips out too. Just one changed word, but so much more meaning.
Can I say it to him? Is it too soon?
Am I in love with Cash?
The truth is, I have been for years.
But does he feel the same way?That’sthe important question.
“I’m so glad.” Cash nuzzles my head, pressing soft kisses there. “I just want you to be happy.”
