Page 121 of One Foggy Christmas
“Slow it is.” I nod.
“I mean,slow,” he reiterates.
“Got it.”
“I guess we better get dressed, then. I have a full day planned for us.”
I salute him. “Yes, sir.”
But as I run upstairs to change, I can’t help but feel excited.
Nash is putting his heart on the line for me one last time.
NASH
“What wasyour favorite thing we did today?” I ask Sadie as we sit in a lit-up pub in Zermatt village, sipping warm spiced wine.
“I mean, how can I not say the Gornergrat Cog Railway? The ascent to the viewing platform and the view of the Matterhorn were incredible, not to mention the unparalleled views of the Swiss and Italian Alps.” She glances out the window. “But then you have the postcard-perfect, snow-covered village and this delicious gooey cheese fondue. Right now has to be an honorable mention, doesn’t it?”
“So what you’re saying is you liked it all?”
“Yes!” She uses her stick to pick up another piece of chicken and dunks it into the cheese before bringing it to her mouth. “Mmmm. Thatsh good.” Her words are muffled by the food.
I smile as I watch her, amused by everything she does. I still don’t understand how I ended up in the middle of Zermatt, Switzerland, with Sadie by my side. I was hesitant this morning when she said she wanted to give us a try. Not because I’m notinterested but because I didn’t know if I dared put my heart through the loss again.
She’s the love of my life. How could I not risk it all?
If we take things slow, and she decides I’m not the one, maybe it won’t hurt as bad as the first time.
So, slow it is.
But I can already see a shift in her by the sparkling way her eyes look back at me. How she reached for my hand as we walked along the cobblestone streets today. She smiles like there’s no other person she’d rather be with.
All of that was missing last year.
And though I’ve never stopped loving her, I’ve also never felt this way before. An excitement of something new and magical lingers between us, intensifying feelings to another level. And if this works out, I think we’ll end up stronger than we were before.
“What was your favorite part today?” she asks when she’s done chewing.
“I don’t know. Ask me tonight when it’s all done.”
Her brows lift in a teasing way. “What plans do you have for tonight?”
“I’m thinking we stay in, maybe try out the Jacuzzi with a bottle of wine, then lie on the bed under the glass ceiling and look at the stars.”
“I thought you wanted to take things slow.”
“I never said anything about touching. We’re just two people hanging out.”
“Dating,” she corrects with a smile. “We’re two peopledating. And I love your plan for our date tonight. I think we should start immediately.”
“Don’t you want to finish your fondue?”
“Check, please!” she jokes as a signal she’s ready to leave the pub.
I scoot my chair back and stand, reaching my hand out to her. She slips her fingers into mine, letting me pull her to her feet. I hold her coat while she stuffs her arms through, then I tug her beanie down so it covers her head more fully.
“You’re all set.”
