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I tilted my head to look at him. “I’m pretty good right where we are right now.”
“Me, too.”
Chapter Eleven
D
ean
Jenna had fallen asleep easily, but I’d done some last-minute texting, double-checking everything was set up for the day ahead.
By the time she woke up, I’d showered, changed, and had brunch waiting. We’d eaten and settled in the living room with one of the board games for a marathon gaming session. She was going to call around the repair shops the next day and see if someone could come by and look at her vehicle.
We’d gone through half a round of Monopoly when I heard the jingling of bells outside and stood up, discreetly checking my watch. I held my hand out to help Jenna off the couch.
“What are you up to?” she asked skeptically as she stood up, her hand comfortable in mine.
“One last surprise.”
“I don’t believe the word last for a minute. What are you doing?”
“Just follow me.” I pulled her gently along, unable to keep the smile off my face. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction to this—it was the one thing I could think of that would make everything right…and probably make saying goodbye one of the hardest things I was ever going to have to do. I stopped myself from mentally going down that path. I wanted to enjoy, savor every minute we had left together.
At the front door, I got her jacket and helped her into it. She eyed me carefully and zipped it up before stepping into her boots. I handed her hat over then pulled my borrowed parka on, added my boots, and made sure I had my phone in my pocket before we stepped outside. I shut the door loudly behind us, the sound echoing around us. I grabbed my beanie from the pocket of the jacket, where I’d left it after our little snowball fight. Darn thing was still damp in a few spots as I pulled it on.
Even from there, I could see the horse and sleigh waiting patiently in the driveway.
Her hand went over her mouth, and she turned to me. “Dean…”
I waved her ahead. “Thought we’d go for a little ride.”
“I can’t believe you.” Her voice was soft. If I hadn’t seen the condensation in the air, I would have thought I was hearing things. “I should be used to saying that, but yet I’m not, you just keep surprising me.”
The driver greeted us with a smile and stepped down. “Welcome!”
“Hi.” Awe still rang in her voice. She stopped by the horses, stroking the side of one’s face gently.
“Merry Christmas,” I greeted.
The driver helped Jenna into the shiny black sleigh first, and she sat down with wide eyes as the thick fur blanket was set over her lap.
He turned to me. “The destination?”
“Still the same.” I had texted him all the info last night the second I got it myself. I’d texted for confirmation that morning, and nothing had changed. It was all a go. I just needed to get Jenna there.
And I would.
Hence the sleigh and horses. The easiest way to get there. I didn’t want to risk snowmobiles—they could run into trouble, leaving us stuck somewhere. We’d had more than enough of that.
I climbed up beside her, and she lifted the fur blanket up for me before setting it back down over us.
The driver handed me a large thermos. “Hot chocolate, extra whipped cream.”
Jenna grinned at me like an excited little girl who’d gotten a pony for Christmas. “You never fail to surprise me, you know that?”
“Inkling.” I grinned at her, and a moment later, we were off, the bells on the sleigh jingling loudly. I’d told the driver to take the scenic route, let us enjoy our time together.
The snow had slowed to a flurry here and there. I wrapped my arm around her, and she leaned her head on my chest as we made our way slowly through the streets. I could smell the mix of her shampoo and her perfume as she wrapped her arm around me. The roads were still covered in a ton of snow, but some spots had been cleared enough to make it easier for the horses. I could see the occasional tire tracks, but it didn’t look like many people were going significant distances in a vehicle just yet.
