She placed her hand on her chest as she leaned farther into him. Jake wrapped his arms around her front, tangling his hands with hers. They moved around the waterfall and glacier for a while, then eventually moved a few miles beyond it. They landed at a romantic lodge that Jake had purchased, not just for the night but for them.
For them, forever, he hoped.
The helicopter landed in front of the lodge, and Jake was quick to help her hop out. She was looking around at the lodge, the lights dazzling beyond them and a little alcove close to the cabin where a roaring fire had already been started. After the pilot helped them place their bags inside, he soared away, and they were finally left alone.
Casey looked adorable in her hat and gloves and his coat, which was at least three or four sizes too big. Jake took her by the hand and began walking toward the alcove near the blazing fire.
“Did you want some wine?” he asked.
She nodded, still smiling with delight. They arrived at the stone fireplace, and Jake guided Casey onto the soft heated bench seats. He kissed her forehead and helped her settle in, removing her boots so she could place her feet near the flames. The seat backs were high and curved, the electric heat moving through her entire body.
“Mmm, Jake,” she groaned as he held her socked feet briefly.
He grinned at her, then gave her feet a loving squeeze before placing them down. He stood, the beautiful colors above still flashing like a surreal dream.
“Red or white?” he asked.
She looked at him, gazing briefly at the lights dancing around him.
“Surprise me,” she whispered.
Jake gave her a wink before going inside. The lodge was stocked to the nines with food and every choice of wine and booze anyone could fathom. He chose a vintage white from Casey’s birth year, hoping it would bring them good luck.
He touched his pocket just before picking up the wine glasses. The box seemed to throb inside his pants. He breathed in deeply, centering himself before returning to the blissful scene.
Casey was sitting pretty, her feet exposed, and her toes fluttering in front of the roaring fire. She had removed her hat and gloves as the heating pads calmed her. She gazed up at the sky as lilac purple and goblin green swayed with the black beyond.
Jake was starting to get nervous as he handed Casey her wine glass, their fingers brushing lightly. She smiled at him, so sweet and lovely. He sat beside her, and she placed her legs on his lap.
“What are we drinking to?” Casey asked.
Jake was at a loss for words for one of the few times in his life. He wondered if he had done things in the wrong order. Should he have saved the wine for later?
But the look on his beloved’s face assured him. So he leaned forward, watching as extraordinary shades of light twinkled in her chocolate eyes, blended flawlessly with the tangerine licks of the fire before them.
“Here’s to love,” he said boldly.
Casey’s smile melted away briefly, but her eyes softened. Jake began sweating, not because he was wearing a hefty coat and was surrounded by heat and fire, but because her hesitation made him waver. He couldn't live without her; he knew that for sure.
When her smile grew back, and she clinked their glasses together, Jake felt his hope return.
“To love,” she said proudly.
They drank their wine, with Jake shooting it back in one shot. He needed it for his nerves and tried to center himself as Casey giggled.
“Casey,” he said, holding her feet in his hands. “I wanted to bring you here because it was, and will be, important to me to show you how I feel. But I have something I need to tell you and ask you.”
Casey drank her wine tentatively, her chest heaving with anticipation.
Jake breathed out hard before continuing. “I told you I loved you before, and I meant it. I don’t feel the need to repeat myself, but I wanted to show you with this.” He gestured toward the night sky. “With the wine, the lodge, the helicopter, it’s a way of showing you how much I love you. But none of it would mean anything without you by my side.”
He swallowed hard, wishing he had something to drink again.
“If I somehow went flat broke tomorrow, it wouldn’t matter. If I had you, I know I would be happy. And that is saying something. I used to think that money could buy me happiness, buy me everything I ever needed, but I know that isn’t the case now. My love for you means more than anything I could buy.”
Casey finished off her wine and placed it down in front of her. She moved her feet from his lap, took his hands, and leaned forward. Everything he needed to see was prancing in her eyes.
“Jake, I’m in love with you,” she began. “I was so, so terrified to say it, to admit that I have something to lose. But there’s no point in living if you are being cautious all the time. You make me want to live.”