Page 48 of Ice Melts

Luca lifted his cup of Espresso in a toast. “My congratulations.”

Travis grinned, pulling Sarah close. “She said yes.”

Tatum squealed, jumping up to hug them both. “Of course she did!”

Months later, Married

Sarah woke to the smell of hot cocoa, the golden glow of early morning light streaming through the frosted windowpanes. The fire in the stone hearth had burned low overnight, leaving only embers glowing beneath the fresh logs Travis had added. The warmth of the thick blankets wrapped around her made it tempting to stay curled up in bed forever, but she could already hear soft movement in the cabin.

She stretched, her fingers brushing against something cool and smooth.

Her ring.

A slow smile spread across her lips as she lifted her hand, turning it slightly so the diamond caught the light. Married. The word still felt foreign, but it also felt right.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Travis stood in the doorway, a steaming mug in each hand, wearing sweatpants and a thick thermal shirt that clung just right to his broad shoulders. His hair was still a mess from sleep, his cheeks slightly pink from the cold.

Sarah sat up, brushing her hair from her face. “Please tell me one of those is for me.”

He grinned and handed her a mug. “Extra cinnamon, just how you like it.”

She took a careful sip, sighing happily. “You reallydolove me.”

He smirked. “Figured you’d catch on eventually.”

She couldn’t fight her grin. “What’s got you up so early?”

Travis sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. “The snow. It’s perfect outside. Fresh, untouched. I was thinking…” He paused, then grinned. “I challenge you to a snow fort battle.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “A battle?”

“Yep. Forts, snowballs—the works.” He took another sip of his cocoa, eyes twinkling. “Unless you’re scared?”

She set her mug down with exaggerated care. “You do remember that I spent an entire childhood alongside you, right? You want a snow war? You’re going down.”

He laughed. “That’s the spirit. Get dressed, Cooper. We’ve got some serious snow to conquer.”

The snow was thick and powdery, untouched except for their footprints as they crunched their way toward a clearing near the lake. The morning air was crisp and bright, the sky a perfect winter blue.

Sarah immediately got to work shaping a wall of snow, patting it down with gloved hands to pack it firm. Across from her, Travis was doing the same, except he was piling his snow absurdly high.

“Oh, come on,” she called. “That’s cheating.”

Travis grinned, tossing a handful of snow into the air. “It’s called engineering.”

Sarah huffed but kept working, knowing she’d make up for it when the battle began.

A few minutes later, their forts were built, and the first attack was launched—by Travis, of course. A well-aimed snowball hit Sarah square in the shoulder.

She gasped. “Oh, it’s on now!”

She retaliated with a quick throw, nailing him in the side. He laughed, ducking behind his fortress and scooping up more ammunition.

For the next ten minutes, they pelted each other with snow, dodging, ducking, and laughing so hard Sarah nearly fell over.

Finally, Travis held up his hands. “Truce?”

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