Chapter 9 - Christmas Morning
The blizzard had burned itself out by dawn, leaving the sprawling landscape of Denver buried under three feet of pristine, blindingly white snow. The morning sun broke through the heavy gray clouds, casting a dazzling golden glare across the frozen Rockies and turning the Marriott parking lot into a glittering winter wonderland.
Inside Room 412, the chaos of Christmas morning had officially begun.
Luke was sitting cross-legged on the king-sized bed, frantically ripping open the wrapping paper of a massive electronic fire truck I had somehow managed to have delivered through a 24-hour concierge service at 3:00 AM. Violet was sitting next to him, happily chewing on the shiny red ribbon of a plush gray stuffed elephant that matched the one she had carried on the plane.
Cassandra sat in the armchair by the window, holding a steaming mug of hotel coffee, watching the children with a soft, misty-eyed smile playing on her lips.
I walked over, handing her a fresh pastry I had picked up from the lobby cafe, and leaned against the window frame beside her.
"Merry Christmas, Cass," I said softly.
She looked up, her green eyes shining in the morning light. "Merry Christmas, Damon. I still can't believe you’re here."
"Nowhere else I'd rather be," I said, watching Luke accidentally drive his new fire truck off the edge of the mattress and burst into giggles.
My phone—which I had retrieved from my coat pocket and left powered on for emergencies—vibrated softly against the nightstand. I glanced over at it. A text message notification from an unknown number lit up the screen: Board accepts your resignation. Settlement finalized. You walk away clean with your personal trust intact.
I didn't even bother opening it. I flipped the phone face down, letting the screen go dark for good.
Cassandra reached out, her fingers brushing against mine on the windowsill. The tension of the last twenty-four hours, the ghosts of our broken past, and the frantic corporate madness of my old life seemed to melt away in the warm, cozy quiet of the hotel room.
"So," Cassandra smiled, tilting her head up to look at me. "What’s our next move, Mr. Prescott? Do we stay in Denver, or do we pack up those twins and head back to Portland?"
May you like
I looked at Luke crashing his fire truck into a pillow, then down at Violet holding her elephant high in the air, and finally into the eyes of the only woman I had ever truly loved.
"Wherever you want," I said, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. "As long as we're going together."
