Page 23 of The Mountain Man's Christmas Bride
And yet, she is my dream come true.
Snow drifts outside the barn,coming down slowly and making the perfect backdrop to our winter wedding.
“Have I told you yet how beautiful you are, wife?” I ask, staring down at my wife.
Before today, calling her my wife hadn’t felt right. Like I didn’t have the right to say it when I hadn’t given her everything she deserved.
But now, it feels right. Deserved.
She is mywife. Not just in secret, but loudly. Proudly. And I am her husband. No lie, no pretend.
Just truth for our entire family and community to see.
Sage’s cheeks flush, turning a dark pink as she grins. “Only eleven times now,” she replies, cupping the back of my neck as I swing her into a gentle, swaying dance. “But have I told you how handsome you are, husband?”
A chill rolls down my spine at the possessive way she says it. And I fucking love it. “You could say it again,” I murmur, leaning towards her. “Or save it for the honeymoon.”
“I don’t know if staying in the cabin for two weeks really counts as a honeymoon.” Her lips purse as she looks me up and down, already sensing something is off. “What did you do?”
I shrug, spinning us around the dance floor. “Let’s just say our plans have changedslightly.”
“Rhett…” she warns.
“You mentioned you wanted to go on a cruise,” I say, grinning at her widening eyes. “So, how about two weeks sailing out of Seattle to see Alaska, catch some whales, and do the whole rail journey you’ve talked about?”
Sage is only shocked for a moment before she’s up on her tiptoes pressing a kiss to my lips. “I love you,” she murmurs, kissing me hard again. “How did you evenknow?—”
“I listen,” I tell her quietly, noticing the tears in her eyes as she pulls back. “I’ve always listened. And I can already guesswhat you’re thinking. But you never have to worry when you’re with me.”
Every so often, especially now that we’ve settled into our new lives together, I see the darkness of her trauma from Scott flicker across her expression. Usually when she doesn’t think I’m watching or paying attention to her. It’s her wondering whether any of this is real, whether she even deserves it. The longer we’re together, the more I realise just how badly he tried to break her—and just how strong she really is.
Sage communicates some of her insecurities with me now, but I’ve come to read her well enough that I don’t need to be told when she’s thinking back to what she’s gone through.
But to my surprise, she just shakes her head, the smile still firm—though maybe a little watery—on her lips. “I am so, so lucky to have you,” she says, hand moving from the back of my neck to my cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I ask, the music slowing and other dancers joining as the night winds down. I’m pretty sure Axel and Delilah have headed off with River, and the rest of our guests are starting to clear out. In the distance, I spot the wedding coordinator with her husband, Foster Sterling, dancing in the back corner. Nearby is one of our neighbours on the mountain—and our only witness to the original courthouse wedding we had—Lydia Sterling and Cade Abernathy.
“For being my saviour,” Sage whispers, the words taking me by surprise. I meet her stare, notice the tears once again filling her eyes.
“Oh, princess, you’ve got it all wrong,” I murmur, dropping my forehead to hers. “I didn’t save you.”
Sage snorts. “I don’t know,” she says, a half-smile pulling at her lips. “You’re the one who walked into my life and saved me from my stalker ex, Rhett. You’re the one who showed me thatI could have better. Without you, I might have given up. I could have gone back to him. But you…you reallysavedme.”
I kiss her lightly before replying, tears lodging in my throat. “If it weren’t for you, I would still be a shell of a man. That’s why I say you saved me, Sage Hayes. Because without you, I’d be nothing. You escaped him—and I know deep down you never would have given into his demands. You were done, and I could see that strength shining through on the night we met. It was a strength I so desperately needed. I neededyou.”
Sage shakes her head before kissing me, tongue dancing with my own. I pull her in closer, suddenly wishing we were alone and not in the middle of our reception.
Around us, the guests still hanging around clap and cheer, which pulls Sage away from me. Her cheeks shift from pink to deep red as she rests her forehead on my shoulder.
“As soon as we get to our cabin,” I murmur, low enough for only her to hear, “I’m going to resume that and do a hell of a lot more to you.”
Sage makes a sound in the back of her throat. “I’m looking forward to it,” she replies, giggling. “And I really, really can’t wait for our honeymoon. You got a balcony, right?”
I chuckle. “Already making demands, wife?”
“You have to get used to it,” she replies easily, looking up at me with a smirk. “Happy wife, happy life. Remember?”
“Oh, yes.” I steal another quick kiss. “And I am about to make my wife a very, very happy life.”
