Page 62 of Snowed in With My Small Town Billionaire

People went into the bedrooms they had been sharing at the lodge, and packed up the belongings they had brought to the building with them, and then headed to the cabins. Those were a little trickier because they were still packed with snow. The tunnels that led into the cabins had been snowed in a little. Darren, Lucas, Sawyer, and Joseph helped everyone safely get into their cabins, pack up, and carry their belongings to the car.

“I think that we should be tipped for this service,” Darren joked. “All I need is a jaunty uniform, including the cap or a fez, and I’d pass for a bellboy.”

“I’m sure they would be glad to tip you,” Lucas said. “Take off your stocking cap and go around to each person asking for loose change.”

They laughed at that. The mood had lightened a lot since Oliver’s announcement and even silly jokes were funny.

Everyone cheered when a snow plow pushed its way into the parking lot followed by the ambulance. Sawyer met the paramedics inside.

“He’s got a major infection. I think that he’s in significant danger of sepsis or a blood infection. His toes started to turn purple, although, thank goodness, it hasn’t spread. He started with a tib/fib fracture. I set the bones and put a splint on them. He’s been getting five-hundred-milligram tablets of amoxicillin twice a day. We ran out a day and a half ago,” Sawyer reported. “He’s had a steady temperature of a hundred and two degrees. Zaid has been able to hold down broth and oatmeal the last couple of days and we’ve kept him hydrated.”

“Roger that,” one of the paramedics said. “We’ll radio for a helicopter to meet us and take him to Denver or Colorado Springs.”

They quickly, but gently, lifted Zaid onto the stretcher and took him out to the ambulance. They hit the lights and siren and headed down the mountain as fast as they safely could. The roads might have been cleared of the snow, but the pass would be extremely slick.

Gwen stood next to Sawyer and watched them go.

“You saved his life. You did a lot to save all of us,” Gwen said. “I still think that you need to add a leotard and cape to your wardrobe.”

Sawyer grinned. “I’m going to pass on that. Can we talk in the library?”

She looked at him quizzically. “Sure.”

He shut the door and then took a deep breath. “I know it’s only been a short amount of time since we’ve been reacquainted, but during this time, I fell in love with you. Gwen Cooper, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

26

C H A P T E R

Gwen

Gwen was stunned. This was the moment she had been dreading.

“Sawyer, I love you so much. I fell in love with you, too. But I can’t marry you. You know how my father is. If I marry you, he’ll make sure that I never see Mom and Brent ever again. Mom is one thing because she is an adult and can make her own choices. But Brent is just a little boy and it would devastate him. I’m so sorry.”

He nodded and Gwen thought that she saw tears forming in the back of his eyes. “I understand,” he said, hoarsely.

She stood on her toes and brushed a kiss across his lips before running out of the room. Gwen felt his eyes on her as she left. She wanted more than anything to turn around and tell him that she would marry him.

How could I do that, though? How could I choose Sawyer over my own family? How could I do that to Brent?

With tears streaming down her face, she ran past Lucas in the hallway.

“Gwen, what’s…” he started to say.

She didn’t hear the rest of it, because she ran outside of the house. Gwen walked past the cars and into the deep snow, staring off into space. Her heart and soul were shattered. Nothing hurt more, though, than seeing the look on Sawyer’s face.

Samantha, Maddie, and Emilia joined her.

“We’re fixing to leave now. I wanted to give you my number so we could stay in touch,” Samantha said. Gwen hastily wiped her eyes and handed Samantha her phone.

“I would like all of your numbers as well,” she sniffed.

Maddie looked at her and touched her arm. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“Sawyer asked me to marry him.”

“Isn’t that a good thing,” Samantha asked.

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