The hotel was nestled on the edge of the mountain plateau, and I guess I hadn’t really paid any attention to the direction his room faced. The entrance had been on the side facing the hospital, but his room was in the back. It overlooked the big drop off the side of the mountain, down into the valley, and then into Ashford itself. It was an even better view than Dr. Sutton’s place. And the snow was piled so high that it covered almost everything. The whole town was blanketed, and it was beyond gorgeous.
“Wow. That is an amazing view.”
“I thought so,” he said. “I lucked out with this room. Poor Carl has a view of a snow-covered dumpster.”
I laughed and took the coffee he handed me. It was warm and smelled like caramel creamer. I took a sip even though I knew it would burn my lips. It was worth it.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Don’t thank me yet. Let me get your breakfast first.”
Ian went back to the dresser and dished out two plates, each with a scramble and some bacon on them. Bringing them over, he sat on the bed with me, facing the window. We ate in relative silence for a few moments, aside from the groans of delicious food first thing in the morning coming from both of us.
The snow was piling high on the mountain as we finished our plates and put them aside, linking hands as we sipped on our coffee. For this tiny moment, nothing could bother me. It was a tiny piece of paradise, one that I never even thought could exist.
Sure, I knew that someday I would find someone I wanted to spend time with. At least I hoped I would. But the feeling of complete satisfaction, the comfort and happiness that came from just being in the same room as Ian in this moment, it was so incredible. It was somehow more real than anything else in my life. Everything else leading up to this was in some way less real, almost like a trailer that played before a movie. This was what I was waiting on. This was what people bought a ticket for. The main attraction.
“So, I have a question,” Ian said, breaking the quiet after a while. “And I want you to be completely honest with me, but know that no matter what you say, I won’t let it ruin this time we have here.”
“Okay,” I said, feeling like the question that had been on my mind since he asked me to join him was coming. I was ready. Oh, God, I was ready.
“Would you want to see where this goes? After all this?” he asked as he motioned to the window. “When the snow is done falling and they plow the roads again and can get us out of here, do you think you will want to make a go of this? For real?”
“Yes,” I said, not even hesitating.
“Really?”
“Yes,” I said, a smile stretching across my face so wide I thought it might break. “I know we barely know each other, but I can’t get enough of you. Something about… this”—I motioned between us both— “feels right. I want to see where it goes.”
“Good,” he said, breaking out into a wide smile of his own. “Because I do too.”
We linked hands again, and I got closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder as we continued to watch the snow. It was flurrying and settling on the ground quickly, building on the roofs of houses and businesses in the distance at an amazing speed. This was going to be one heck of a storm when it was all said and done. Hawk was going to be putting his truck to very good use.
“You know,” I said, “I have a place in Ashford just a few miles down the road. When the storm is over and we can get down there, you could stay with me.”
“My job is in Virginia. Are you sure you’d be okay with me being a bum for a little bit until I could get in with a company down here?”
“I think we could make that work,” I said. “I make more than enough money. You could stay with me for a bit and figure out what you wanted to do, and then if you wanted to get a place of your own or move back to Virginia, whatever…”
“You would be okay with that?” he asked. “Because I’ve been thinking about starting my own company. But I don’t want to compete with my boss in Virginia. Starting one out here would be perfect.”
“Sure,” I said, “I even have friends that might be able to help you with connections. There’s a few of them I would love you to meet. They are super sweet people.”