Queen, indeed.
She was the queen of the north.
The queen of his heart.
She tipped her head back and howled. The dogs joined with her, filling the air with the joyous sound. It was just like Julie to include the dogs in the celebration. Dropping his head back and closing his eyes, he let out a long, satisfying howl. When he finished, she gazed up at him, her mittens covering her grin. He pointed the camera at his face and brought his hand up like he spoke into a microphone.
“So, Julie Sparks, now that you’ve reached the North Pole, what do you plan to do?” He used his best impersonation of a reporter, which came out a weird mix of southern twang and uppity London accent.
She dropped her hands and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before forcing her expression to somber. “You know what? I think I want to dance.” She lifted one eyebrow, her smile turning saucy. “With you.”
Warmth radiating through his chest pushed the Arctic cold away. He carefully set the camera up on a chunk of ice, pointing toward Julie, then strode to her to dance on the top of the world. Picking her up, he spun her around so her legs flew out behind her. She half laughed, half cheered as she flung her arms out wide.
He slowed and pulled her as flush to him as two could get with layers and layers of gear on. Swaying to the chorus the dogs still sang, he pushed her hood back. Happiness radiated from her, bouncing off the snow and almost blinding him.
How could life turn around so quickly?
A month and a half before, he’d been resigned to live out his lonely existence in the bleak Alaskan wilderness. Now, the only person who had ever held his heart looked up at him with so much love in her eyes, it made his throat close and his nose sting.
“So now what?” He pushed the words through his dry throat.
“I don’t care.” She rose onto her tiptoes, her lips brushing his as she whispered, “As long as I’m with you.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that promise.”
He kissed her, not caring the world would watch on the video still recording. Not caring that the wind picked up and dropped the already frigid temperature even colder. Everything vanished except Julie’s soft sigh against his lips and the promise of a life full of love and adventure.