Page 64 of Hale Yes (Highway to Hale #1)

CHAPTER FORTY

Finding my peace

Helix

Well, we finally found something Nicolette Bell isn’t good at… snow skiing. She warned me that she had only skied twice in her life, and one of those days had been spent in ski school with a bunch of kiddos. The other day had been spent falling down.

I thought maybe she was exaggerating. She wasn’t.

We hit the slopes on our third day in Aspen, though maybe “hit the slopes” isn’t quite the correct term here.

She fell over trying to put her skis on.

I helped her up, and she asked if I was going to kiss all her bruises later.

I told her of course and asked if she could try to fall on her pussy every time.

She laughed and threw her pole at me, which made her lose her balance and end up on the ground once more.

She did pretty well getting to the ski lift line, and I was encouraged, but as we waited our turn, she fell again. While standing still.

It only took one look at the misery on her face as I pulled her to her feet, and that was it. I kneeled down and immediately removed her skis. Then we rented a couple snowmobiles, spending the rest of the day riding and laughing together.

In the evenings, we cuddle on the private balcony or by one of the fireplaces in what I now think of as “our cabin.” Sometimes we go to a small bar we found and drink spiked hot cocoa with mounds of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. We’re in a really good place now.

I still feel the incessant need to apologize, but she shuts me down every time, reminding me that once a person is forgiven, you put past mistakes behind you.

And she’s right. Every time I apologized, it only brought up feelings of guilt inside me, which in turn made her feel guilty because I felt guilty.

It was a vicious cycle and didn’t allow for full healing.

The only problem is we’re now on day six of our vacation, and I still haven’t proposed. I keep thinking the right time will occur, and I’ll just know. Maybe I’m stressing too much over trying to make it perfect. I should probably just man up and ask the damn question.

We rented a two-person snowmobile this evening for a nighttime ride up a small mountain. Nicolette is behind me with her arms wrapped tightly around my middle, sharing my warmth.

I reach the top of the mountain and stop the vehicle, climbing off before helping Nicolette. She’s dressed in tight black waterproof pants and a puffy red jacket. Her curls stick out beneath her red knitted hat, and her smile is radiant and exhilarated.

There’s a small frozen lake here, but we don’t walk on it because we don’t know how thick the ice actually is.

Instead, we walk around the perimeter with her tucked beneath my arm.

There’s a nice coating of snow on the ground, and we’re surrounded by evergreens and a stand of aspens that only add to the feeling of seclusion.

“This mountain and lake are also included with the cabin,” I tell her. I’m still intent on buying this place for us.

“The cabin comes with its own freaking mountain?” she asks, incredulity coloring her voice.

“Yes, there’s quite a bit of acreage. The place was built with privacy in mind. The couple that owns it is getting older and have chosen to live full-time in Florida where it’s warm.”

Nicolette stops walking and turns to me. “You really want to buy this place?”

She looks so beautiful in the nighttime, her skin an almost ethereal blue with the moonlight beaming down.

“I do want to. Not to live permanently but as our own private getaway.” I pull her closer and kiss her forehead. “And one day we can bring our kids here. You can teach them to ski.”

She laughs and pinches my ass, though I barely feel it because I’m wearing thick pants too. “How many hypothetical kids are we talking about?”

“Five,” I answer without pause.

Nicolette raises a skeptical eyebrow. “And who do you think is going to birth these five children?”

“Well, since my beautiful wife will be the only one with that particular talent, I’m going to leave that up to her.”

“And what will you be doing while your wife bears your very own basketball team?”

I smile proudly. “I will have the esteemed titles of chief foot rubber and captain of the ice cream retrieval squad.” Nuzzling against her ear, I whisper, “I will also be commander of all orgasms.”

“Commander, huh? That sounds important.”

“The Orgasm Commander is the most paramount position I will hold. Would you like a demonstration of my skills?”

“So what… you’re gonna run some drills for me?”

“I’m gonna run my drill into you,” I promise, making her laugh. “Sorry, queenie, but you walked right into that one.”

And suddenly, I know. Now is the perfect time. We’re alone in a beautifully romantic setting. We’re happy and bantering, tossing out innuendos to make each other laugh. This moment is… us.

Unzipping the pocket of my jacket, I reach inside as I sink to one knee. Nicolette looks confused until she sees the distinctive Tiffany-blue box.

“Oh my god, Helix.”

I’m not sure if that’s an oh my god, Helix, this is the best thing ever or if it’s more of an oh my god, Helix, get up because you’re embarrassing yourself . But the bright joy in her eyes tells me it’s the former, and I press on.

Only… I forgot everything I was going to say. I’ve been going over it in my mind for what seems like forever, but in the moment, my brain can’t remember a bit of it. So I wing it.

“Nicolette Bell, I love you so much more than I ever thought myself capable.” That’s it, buddy. A strong start. Telling her you love her. Keep it going.

“We started as coworkers, and I was immediately attracted to your beautiful brain. But it wasn’t long until I fell even harder for your incredible heart. I love that we were friends first and built a foundation we could grow on.”

The aspens are behind Nicolette and slightly to the right, and the leaves blowing in the breeze remind me of something I learned back in college.

“You probably already know this, but a single aspen tree is only one part of a larger organism. The life force of it is below the ground, and the entire stand is considered a single organism. I feel like that describes how I feel about you. I’m no longer a single tree living on my own.

We share a life force, Nicolette. On the surface we look like two, but there’s something deeper, below the surface, that binds us together and makes us one. ”

My heart almost bursts when she smiles. “I love that you’re proposing with biology facts.”

I can’t hold back my chuckle. “You can take the nerd out of the lab…” Popping open the ring box, I see the reflection of the diamond in her wide eyes. “Nicolette Bell, will you allow me the honor of calling you my wife?”

She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand, and I panic that she’s going to say no.

“I know this may seem soon. We’ve only known each other for less than a year, but it’s been the best nine months of my life. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I promise to always put you first.”

I’m babbling. I know I’m babbling, and yet I can’t seem to stop.

“If you think it’s too soon, I can save the ring and wait a while. I understand you might need more time, and that’s perfectly fine. I’ll wait forever for you. Or if you don’t like the ring, I can get another one. Maybe I should have taken you with me to pick it out. That probably would have?—”

I’m silenced by her bare hand over my mouth. She apparently removed her glove sometime during my blabbering speech.

“Would you just put the ring on my finger already, Hale? I’m trying to say yes.”

“You are?” I ask, and she bites her bottom lip and nods.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Sliding that ring onto her finger gives me a peace like I’ve never known, and as I pick her up and kiss her on top of our mountain, I know I’ve found my forever.