CHAPTER18
Kyleigh
Liam couldn’t have been any sweeter. He didn’t seem to mind at all that I was looking at my laptop as we rode side by side in the limo. I couldn’t bail on my responsibilities just because we were going away for the weekend.
Wherever he was taking me, I could tell it wasn’t in Boston from how long we’d been driving. As I finally lifted my eyes and looked out the window, I saw a vast number of trees covering the slopes of huge mountains. Still staring out the window, I said, “They are…beautiful.”
“They’re called the White Mountains. I’m sure you can see why,” he said.
“Snow.” I turned to him and said, “You’re bringing me to see snow?”
“I am. Morgan mentioned to me that you’ve never seen it in person. She also mentioned that she and Shaun have a private log cabin that no one was using right now. It is stocked and waiting for us to get there.”
I looked back out the window and said, “I…I don’t have anything to wear. I mean…it looks really cold out there.”
He laughed. “All taken care of. If you hadn’t noticed, I packed two suitcases - one for me, one for you.”
“You don’t have my clothes, so how did you manage that?” I questioned.
He raised his hands and said, “Before you accuse me of being controlling again, Morgan did some shopping for our trip. She guessed on your size and what you would need. Don’t worry, she did the same for me.”
I shook my head. “Morgan really wanted me to see snow before I went home.” I told her I wasn’t interested.Guess she really thinks I shouldn’t miss it. Well, I did say Liam could surprise me, so I have only myself to blame.
Liam looked so pleased with himself that I didn’t have the heart to tell him how much I dreaded getting out of this nice toasty limo. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. It’s not like we were going skiing or anything. “Does the cabin have a fireplace?” I asked, hinting that I wanted to be inside.
“It does. And a jacuzzi out on the deck, too.”
“Outside? Wouldn’t it be frozen?” I asked.
“The water is hot - the air, not so much. You’re going to love it. And finally, we will see the moon and stars again. That’s something I’ve missed since we’ve been in Boston,” he said. “Even being here makes me miss home. I love visiting the city, but I grew up in the country. I guess it’ll always be where my heart is.”
“I know the feeling,” I said. “Boston has its charm, but it doesn’t feel like home. Even though Shaun and Morgan live outside the city, it is still too crowded for me.”
“Then this is exactly what we both needed, don’t you think?” he asked.
I already had what I needed. You.He didn’t understand. I was appreciative of his effort, because in his own way, he was trying to show me how much he cared. But there was a part of me that couldn’t help but feel as though I still wasn’t being heard. I hate snow. Why won’t anyone believe me? But he was right about one thing, we needed this last time to be memorable, because it was going to be all we had. Memories. “Thank you for doing this,” I smiled.
“You’re welcome. Did you finish your assignment?” I nodded. “Good, then let’s put that laptop away and enjoy the view, because we’re almost there.”
I closed the computer and slipped it into the leather bag. Then I reached out for his hand and said, “I’m sorry I’ve been so distracted when you went to all this trouble. But honestly, I was getting stressed and burned out. You are right. I needed this mental break. I should’ve picked up on that when you told me I was rattling off medical terms in my sleep.” There was such a thing as studying too much.
“You didn’t miss anything except trees. And we’re going to be seeing plenty of them from the cabin.”
“Do you ski?” I asked, hoping he said no.
“Absolutely. Not in Ireland, but I travel to Aspen with my friends at least once a year.”
“I’ve never been,” I said.
“I’ll take you,” he replied.
“That’s okay. I don’t think I want to attempt skiing. With my luck I’ll twist or break something,” I said.
“That’s alright! There’s plenty to do besides ski in Aspen.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Drink, eat, and shop,” he said.