Page 57 of Snowed Inn For Christmas

After I finished eating, I sat at the kitchen table and watched as Daisy played a round of Uno with my parents and Patrick in the living room.She knew the rules but had no problem changing them when it came to trying to defeat Uncle Pat.They were having so much fun that I hated the thought that someday soon, this would all end.My parents would go back to Florida.Patrick would return to his busy life in New York.And Daisy and me?I had no clue what we would do or where we would go, which was a bit unsettling.

“How are you doing?”Gage asked as he came and sat beside me, brushing his thumb over my knee as I had them pulled up to my chest.

“I’m okay, I think?”I looked at him and then rested my head on his shoulder to keep him from seeing my tears.“I killed someone.”

“I know, baby,” he said, wrapping his arms tightly around me.The warmth of his embrace was so soothing that it calmed me in a way nothing else could.“But you did what you had to.If you didn’t, he wouldn’t have stopped until you were dead.”

“I know,” I said, my voice trembling.“But I still can’t wrap my head around it.”

“What I can’t wrap my head around is where you got a gun to begin with.”

I pulled away slightly and looked at him with a grin.

“I...umm...Well, it turns out that your grandma liked more than shotguns.I found it when I was putting stuff away when Daisy and I first got here.It was in the closet on one of the shelves.I hope you don’t mind that I took it.”

“That makes sense.That was the bedroom she always stayed in after my grandpa died.I didn’t know she had anything other than the shotgun.But I’m glad it came in handy.”

“Me too.Your grandma saved the day once again.”

“When did she save it the first time?”

“When she opened the inn and created a magical place that made me feel safe.”I smiled, the warm memories washing over me.

“I’m glad you came here.”

“Me too.”

“There’s only one problem that we still have to deal with,” Gage said, his tone serious.

I shifted slightly so I could see him better.My heart raced as I tried to brace myself for whatever bad news he was about to deliver.

“What’s that?”

“I like it here.Coming back, I realized that I don’t want to sell it.I want to clean it up and renovate it so I can open it as an inn again.But there’s one thing that’s keeping me from being able to do that.”

My heart fluttered in my chest from the way he was looking at me.I was ready to pretend I was pain-free if it meant getting him alone so he could continue looking at me like that while doing sinful things to my body.

“I don’t want to be here and do this if you’re not here with me.I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning and go to sleep with you in my bed every night.I want Daisy to binge-watch movies with me while we eat popcorn and she paints my nails.I want a life with you and Daisy more than anything this world has to offer.Would you consider staying here and running the inn with me?”

I gasped as I smiled, my heart filled with more love for this man than I knew what to do with.

“I need to talk to Daisy first,” I said, pausing when I saw her head lift as she paused their game to look at us.

“Yes!My answer is yes!”she called, giggling as my mom’s head popped up above hers.“But only if Duke gets to sleep in my room.”

“Deal,” Gage said loudly, smiling as Daisy smiled back at him.

She pulled her arm down in victory while hissingYes!

“Well, I guess that’s settled then,” I replied with a laugh.“Our answer is, yes.We would love to stay and help you run the inn.”