Page 140 of Isla

I'm a nervous wreck for the first ten minutes of the drive, but Noah expertly navigates the snow-covered hills, and I quickly become more comfortable. Sensing my anxiety, Henry drapes his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. At the same time, Dylan grabs my hand, threading his fingers through mine, and squeezing tightly. I relax, enjoying the gorgeous scenery as we climb higher into the mountains. After about thirty minutes, we pull into the parking lot of a tiny chalet made of giant logs, a cafe sign hanging above the red door and about a foot of snow covering the roof.

"Ready for the best breakfast you've ever eaten?" Noah asks, opening our door and ushering us inside the tiny building. He seats us at a large corner booth and then disappears into the kitchen, returning with an adorable woman with rosy cheeks and gray hair pulled back into a neat bun.

"This is my wife, Elena," Noah announces proudly. "She doesn't speak English, but she will make you the best breakfast and cafe-kreme you've ever had." He grins broadly, then retreats back into the kitchen with Elena, presumably to help her make our food.

The coffee comes out first.I sneak two sugars into mine, and it's hands-down the best coffee I've had in my entire life. About ten minutes later, Noah and Elena reappear, their arms laden with dishes: yogurt, granola, all sorts of breads, jams, butters, spreads, various cereals, cheeses, soft-boiled eggs, and a bowl of fresh fruit. It's like girl-dinner for breakfast, and I'm obsessed. Once they've laid everything out, Elena heads back to the kitchen while Noah drags a chair over to our booth and sits down, a mug of steaming hot chocolate warming his hands.

"Would you like some suggestions for things to do while you're here?" he asks, spreading a healthy slab of butter on a slice of bread.

"Please!" I exclaim, drowning a croissant in chocolate hazelnut spread.

"There's a train with a glass ceiling called the Glacier Express. The ride is beautiful during the winter months," he begins, taking a giant bite of his bread.

"We love trains," Theo murmurs, glancing over at me, his eyes dark. I hide my smile behind my mug, trying not to blush.

"There are numerous resorts that offer every imaginable winter sport. I can drive you to Interlaken for kayaking, curling, and hang gliding. Or there's a complex high in the mountains called Glacier 3000, with dog sledding, glacier hikes, and a suspension bridge between two mountain peaks. There's even a hot air balloon festival in a couple of weeks."

Elena comes out of the kitchen with a large box in her hands, and Noah grabs her a chair, placing it beside his. She sits, resting the box in her lap, listening to our conversation. When there's a lull, she nudges Noah with her elbow and gestures to the box as she talks to him. His blushes, and looks up at us bashfully.

"I apologize for this, as it may be considered inappropriate, but she insists. Elena's family has a custom of making a blanket for newlyweds. When she heard I would be your driver for three weeks, she insisted on making one for you. It's made from sheep's wool. She spun, dyed, and then knitted it just for you."

Elena hands me the box. I carefully pull at the tail of the brown velvet ribbon and slide off the top, unveiling a thick wool blanket knit with variegated yarn in shades of purple, green, and brown. It reminds me of the highlands in the summer, when the heather cascades over the hills. It's absolutely beautiful.

"Thank you, Elena, it's exquisite," I smile at her, hoping she understands.

Elena nods, grinning, then turns back to Noah, saying something while gesturing toward us with her hands.

"She wants to make sure I tell you this blanket is to bring you luck with conceiving. You place it on your bed until you have a babe, and then later, you can use it to keep your babe warm."

"Ah!" I carefully fold it back into the box and shove it into Henry's hands, ignoring his idiotic grin. The guys slide out of the booth so I can stand and hug Elena tightly.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Elena." She bobs her head, patting me on the shoulder before heading back into the kitchen.

"What do you say, kids? Ready to get on with your honeymoon?" Noah asks, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yes, sir," Henry says enthusiastically, tucking that infernal blanket under his arm. And then it dawns on me. I didn't take my birth control last night. Did Charlie even pack it? Jesus fucking Christ.

Noah bundlesus into the cable car, then steps back onto the platform and lifts his hat, waving as we're whisked up the mountain. We stand huddled together for warmth, speechless as the breadth of the mountains comes into view. They're magnificent. The thought of flying down the trails on a snowboard sends a thrill down my spine.

"I think Theo was right," Dylan says, his cheeks pale. "I will happily sip hot chocolate down in the chalet while you guys risk your lives on these mountains."

I grab his hand, pushing up on my toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"What if all I want to do the next three weeks is you?" he murmurs.

"I think I can handle that," I laugh, kissing him on the lips this time.

We're scrambling to offload seven minutes later, dragging our suitcases out of the cable car and onto the platform.

"Isla?"

I turn to find a person bundled up in so many layers that I can't tell if they're a man or woman.

"Hello! I'm Josephine. You can call me Jo. It's nice to meet you. I'm from the resort." Before I can say anything, Jo grabs two of our bags and carries them toward a sleigh attached to the back of a snowmobile, her boots crunching in the snow. We grab the rest of the luggage and follow her, stacking everything in a compartment behind the sleigh.

"Hop in! It's about a ten-minute ride from here. There are blankets in the sleigh to keep you warm!" As Jo fires up the snowmobile, we pile into the sleigh, and she drives us into a winter wonderland. We drive through the town, passing by snow-covered cabins and churches before climbing into a pine forest where everything sounds muffled, like that hush right before a storm. She cuts the engine as we pull up alongside a beautiful a-frame cabin, silence covering us like a thick blanket.

"Here we are! Your home for the next three weeks!" Jo struggles through the snow to get to the back of the sleigh. "The main lodge is just up this pathway if you decide you'd like to eat meals with the other guests." She gestures up the path to a large building perched on the mountainside.

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