Corium Ever After by C. Hallman

Author:C. Hallman [Hallman, C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bleeding Heart Press
Published: 2023-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Quinton

I couldn’t imagine a more idyllic Christmas Eve scene than the one that greets us when we reach the restaurant. Nestled high in the mountains, it’s surrounded by trees whose white lights dance in the wind. The biggest tree of all sits directly in front of the restaurant, decorated in what have to be thousands of red, green, and gold lights. Snow covers the building’s roof, smoke rises from the chimney, and the scene inside is warm and inviting. In other words, perfection.

“It looks like something you would see on a Christmas card,” Aspen murmurs, beaming as she looks up at the enormous tree. “It’s beautiful. I could stand here and admire it all night.”

“A nice idea, but maybe we should get inside before we freeze to death.” It will look a lot better once we’re inside, where it’s warm. And she’s the one wearing a dress—I can only imagine how cold she must be. We walk inside, and instantly, the warmth from a nearby hearth begins seeping into my bones.

The inside of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and draped in pine boughs that fill the air with a scent that will always bring Christmas to mind. I reserved us a table by the front window, knowing Aspen would want to admire the scenery.

“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” she asks with a soft smile as we take our seats.

“I know you, and I know what makes you happy.”

“You make me happy. Just you. And being here together, the two of us, means everything. I want to make sure you know that. Even though things got kind of emotional there for a little while, I would rather be here with you than anywhere else.”

It’s as close to a miracle as somebody like me will ever experience, looking across the table and seeing all my love reflected back at me. “That’s exactly how I feel.”

“So I guess you don’t want this little gift I got for you.” She pulls a small, wrapped box out of her purse and slides it across the table. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. I know we said we’d wait until we got back to the lodge, but I wanted to give this to you now.”

“You know you didn’t need to do this.” Honestly, I have everything I could ever want or need.

“Please. Like I’m going to let a holiday pass without buying you something. Go ahead, open it.” She’s practically bouncing up and down in her chair, so it’s not like I could deny her.

I pull out a sleek, elegant watch and smile at her. “I love it.”

“I found it down in the village at one of the shops. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to see it on you.” I indulge her by removing it from the box and placing it on my wrist, where it does provide a nice finishing touch against my suit. “Oh, it looks so nice.”

“It really does, but then you have good taste.”

“Well, I guess I do.

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