Page 136 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

It was time for Christmas breakfast, then there would be presents, but for Jonas, it was time for the rest of his brand-new life to begin.

EPILOGUE

JONAS

Three years later

Jonas stood at the viewpoint that overlooked Elk Lodge, the first snow of the season having blanketed the area in a dusting of white powder.

“Is everything ready?” Jonas asked Gabe, who looked to his wife Anna for confirmation.

Anna tapped through a list on her tablet before nodding. “Everything should be set. I’ve got drones flying taking video of the resort from all angles. They’ll sweep around to catch the far end of what was the Blue Diamond. As soon as you do the ribbon cutting, the greatly expanded Elk Lodge will be open for business,” she practically shouted, making Gabe chuckle.

“I swear, my wife is way more excited about all the PR she’s done for Elk Lodge than she ever showed working for my software company,” Gabe told them and Anna smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

“Marketiq never really needed my help, babe. You created a primo product.”

“And you sold it for how much?” Chase asked, joining the growing group.

“None of your business,” Gabe said, wrapping his arms around Anna and pulling her back to lean against him. His hand landed on Anna’s growing belly, and she smiled up at him.

The last three years had been exciting, and the Elkin family had grown with little Elin born first, followed by Tana and Chase’s son, Trevor, and then baby Ashley, who was due in March.

Chase was still enjoying his job as sports director, and Gabe shut down his California office in favor of switching most of his staff over to remote work. His developers were happier, and they had the option to work out of the Las Vegas office. Gabe split his time between Vegas and here at Elk Lodge. Anna became highly sought after for her social media magic, so she tended to pick and choose her clients.

Anna had used Rachel’s photos all over social media, and Rachel now had a waiting list of clients. She’d recently expanded her studio to include a larger gallery. Susan Lincoln had won her senate seat and found herself divorced from husband number two. After Elin was born, she’d reached out to Rachel, but it had been tense.

There were shouts from below, and Jonas watched a large group of people get out of several SUVs.

“Looks like the gang’s all here. Come on, let’s go say hi.” Chase led the group down the hill to meet up with the arriving party.

“Go on, I’ll be right there,” Jonas told them. He watched his brothers and their families jog down the hill to embrace the Dentons and their wives.

“Don’t you want to say hi?” Rachel asked as she joined him. “You haven’t seen them since Amelia got promoted to director at Grayson, and she’s looking fit to pop. Jules said that Josh almost canceled, he was so concerned about her flying until her doc gave her the go-ahead. She keeps threatening to keep him out of the delivery room if he doesn’t lighten up.”

Jonas laughed, wrapping his arms around Rachel and kissing the top of her head. “This is their first child; I’m cutting him a lot of slack, given how overprotective I was when you were pregnant with Elin.”

“Don’t remind me. You kept trying to feed me. I was so happy when both Chris and Mara blocked you from FaceTiming them all the time for cooking suggestions.”

“Well, all you wanted to eat was that horrible cereal and tacos. Of course I was going to try to get you to eat something healthier.”

Holding hands, they walked back to the lodge entrance. Gabe had stopped in front of a bench with a plaque on it, commemorating both Richard and Elin Elkin. “I wish she could be here for all this. The expansion of the resort, the expansion of the family.”

After Elin Elkin passed, it had been Rachel’s idea to install a friendship bench visible from his grandmother’s apartment, and the brothers often met out here, spending a quiet moment together.

Rachel squeezed his hand. “She’s here. Both of your grandparents are. And if she could say it, she’d tell you how proud she is of you for everything you’ve accomplished. Of all of you.”

It had taken more than a year for the purchase of Blue Diamond to go through and then several more months to get all permits required for the renovations. Jonas’s grandparents had long ago drawn up dream plans should they ever have the chance to buy the property, and the brothers had managed to make most of it a reality. The boutique resort would cater mostly to private groups, and thanks to both Chase’s and Chris Denton’s connections and Anna’s social-media savvy, they had a waiting list before the place was scheduled to open.

“Elkin! Get in here. We’re all waiting for you,” Mitch Denton shouted at him. Jonas raised his hand in a wave.

Leaning down, he kissed Rachel. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you. For keeping me sane. For not letting me get too overbearing.”

“Elkin!”

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