Page 90 of Wild Promises

“Eli wants to put everything in writing regarding the ownership of the lodge and resort, especially now that Walker might have a daughter. He doesn’t want there to be any question that each brother, including Walker, is considered a co-owner. Besides, I already cleared it with Eli and Oliver. They have it covered.”

“If you’re sure. It feels like we’re playing hooky.”

“We have something very important that we need to do this weekend.”

Tori turned to face me. “I’m looking forward to it.”

We bundled up and then walked down the stairs of my apartment for what I hoped was the last time.

I’d already arranged for the walls in our new house to be painted and the furniture we’d picked out to be delivered. I hadn’t told Tori that the house was ready to move in because I wanted it to be a surprise. And I needed Mother Nature to work with me so that we could take a carriage ride.

At the bottom of the stairs, the horses dug into the snow with their hooves, snorting so that their breath was visible in the cold air. When one grunted, Tori’s gaze lifted from her feet. “Why is there a horse and carriage in our parking lot?”

“I wanted to take you for a ride. We weren’t able to do that during the winter festival. I didn’t want you to miss out.” I’d already talked to Eli and Oliver about getting some time during the next festival to spend it with Tori. I was invested in the business, but there was a balance that we all needed to find with our new home lives and work.

My new neighbor Terry held the reigns of the horses and waited while I helped Tori into the seat. When she was coveredwith the blanket, Terry stepped down, handing me the reigns. “They’re all yours now. Take care of them.”

“Thank you for letting us borrow them for a bit.”

“My son will stop by with his snowmobile later to take them home.”

I was lucky that Terry’s property was adjacent to our new house. It made borrowing the horse and carriage convenient for everyone.

When it was just us, I snapped the reigns like Terry taught me, and Tori lifted her hot chocolate mug to her lips. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“We’re just getting started.” I directed the horses down Main Street. The streets were empty because the snow was falling heavily. A few people came out of their houses or pushed their faces against the windows to watch us go by.

Wreaths hung on the light poles, and there was a decorated tree at the town center. The town had a magical feel to it.

“Where are we going?” Tori asked once we cleared the downtown area.

“I can’t tell you. It would spoil the surprise.” I’d worked hard to get the house ready for us to move in without telling Tori about any of my plans.

When we reached our lane, the trees were wrapped in white twinkling lights, just like I’d envisioned when we toured the house initially. And as we cleared the trees, our new home came into view. I’d had the outside of the house painted a fresh white with black shutters. Each window held a small wreath with a red ribbon. It was like something out of a story book with the snow coming down.

I stopped the horses parallel with the porch.

I got out and moved around to Tori's side of the carriage. I’d text Terry and let him know he could collect the horses and carriage. “Are you ready to move into our new house?”

Her eyes shone. “We can move in today?”

“Everything is ready for us.” There were a few pieces of furniture we’d have to figure out what to do with, but I’d bring over everything else later.

The fridge was stocked, the shed filled with wood, and I’d bought a generator. I was prepared to get snowed in for the weekend, and I couldn’t think of a better person to spend my time with.

I attempted to help her down, but she fell into my arms, making us both laugh.

When her feet hit the ground, she said, “I can’t believe you did all of this.” The snow fell around us. “We’re not done yet. I have a few more things to show you.”

Tori’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure how you managed this without me finding out.”

I laughed. “I had a lot of help.”

She pulled me down to kiss me. Her lips were cold and tasted like chocolate. I couldn’t wait to test out the new bed we’d picked out for our room.

I unlocked the wooden door and pushed it open. The wreath on the door swayed with the motion. Inside, it smelled like gingerbread.

“You baked?” Tori asked as she stepped inside.

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