Liam

 

This wasn’t just a date. It was what I hoped was the first night of the rest of our lives. Bells had no idea, but I’d put a lot of work into tonight, and so had a few others.

I was unsure how she would react. I was pretty sure tonight would go down in one of two ways:

1) Really fucking epic.

Or

2) Giant ass failure.

I was really praying it would be number one.

It wasn’t a lie when I said we needed to date more. We needed more simple times, more time to just be a couple. We spent far too much of our time together trying to survive and climbing over massive obstacles.

It hadn’t been easy. But it was proof. Proof we belonged together and could literally overcome anything as long as we had each other.

Even so, nerves bunched inside me, twisting my stomach and filling my head with scenarios of how badly this all could end. I was used to taking risks in my life. I mean, To the Extreme was my motto. Yet it was a lot different to take professional risks than it was to take personal ones.

The sky was dark when we stepped out of the staff quarters and onto the snow. Night skiing was in full swing. The mountain was lit up with large lights, and the ski lifts were all running.

All of them but one.

“Outside?” Bellamy asked as I led her over the snow toward the ski runs. “You know I can’t snowboard right now.”

“We aren’t going boarding.”

People skied past. T-he scent of snow tinted the air, and the energy of the mountain gave me some courage.

Bellamy’s steps faltered when we drew closer. “Oh no,” she said. “Is that lift broken? Do you need to look at it before we do whatever you have planned?”

I smiled. “It’s not broken.”

She wrinkled her nose. “It’s not?”

I shook my head. “It’s reserved.”

“You can reserve a ski lift…?” She wondered, then realization lit up her eyes. Her kissable lips formed a small O. “For us?”

Bellamy stopped and leaned her head back, staring up at the lift and reminding me of the day I’d met her eight years ago.

Slipping my hand around her waist, I stepped close. “This is where it all began for us, remember?” I spoke low. “I figured this was the perfect place for it to continue.”

“Continue?” she echoed.

“What do you say, Bells? You up for a ride?” I held out my hand, mimicking that day long ago. “I’ll hold your hand.”

A knowing and bittersweet smile graced her face. The white ball on the top of her knit cap bounced when she nodded. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”

I helped her into the seat, then sat beside her and made sure she was secure. Blowing out a nervous breath, I lifted my hand and signaled to the guy I had working in the lift booth. The car jolted a little when it lifted but quickly smoothed out.

We held hands as the carriage went up and up until we were suspended over the snow and trees, not quite part of the sky, but not low enough to be part of the ground.

“It really is an incredible view,” she observed and laid her head on my shoulder.

“Makes you feel like anything is possible up here.”

“Mmm.” She agreed and gazed out over the treetops.

As the chair continued up the mountain, we left behind the night skiers as we traveled toward the black diamond run.

“You closed down the run, too?” she asked, noting the giant lights were off up here and people weren’t skiing.

“There’s a private party up there tonight.”

“A private—” Her words cut off when she gasped and sat forward.

The chair rocked, and I anchored my arm around her tightly. “Easy.” I reminded her.

“Look!” she said, not even hearing. She pointed below, and I smiled.

“What is that?” I asked, even though I knew.

“Someone lit up the black diamond run with…” She leaned out a little farther, and I pulled her back. “Is that candles?”

“They’re in big jars,” I informed her. Both sides of the trail (near the top) were lined with candles.

She gasped again, looked at me, then hurried to glance back down. “Oh, it’s beautiful!” she murmured, watching them flicker below. “Is that for the private party?” she asked, still staring as we moved over them. “I didn’t know you rented out ski trails.”

“We don’t,” I said, reaching into my coat.

“Then what’s that for?” She puzzled, finally looking away from the view at me.

“It’s for you,” I said, holding an open velvet box between us,

Bellamy put her hands to her mouth, her blue eyes going wide.

“You’re the only girl I’d shut part of this place down for,” I said, gazing into her eyes. “You’re also the only girl I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Her stare dropped to the box and the ring nestled inside. Her hands fell away, and she whispered my name.

“Marry me,” I said. “Put this ring on your finger and never take it off.”

She reached over and gripped my thigh. Her other hand lay on my wrist.

“You want me to marry you?” she asked.

I laughed, but it was because I was so damn nervous. “Oh yes,” I said, swallowing. “From the minute I saw you standing beneath the lift, looking terrified but determined, it was always you. No one else could ever come close to you. I loved you then, I love you now… and I even loved you all the years in between when I thought I’d lost you. Don’t be the girl who got away, Bellamy. Be the girl who stays.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I hoped that was a good thing.

“Will you marry me?” I asked again, just so she was totally clear.

A low sob broke from her lips, and she nodded. “Yes. Yes, of course I will marry you.”

I let out the breath I was holding and plucked the ring out of the box, then pitched the empty velvet over my shoulder.

She gasped and watched it fall from the sky. “Liam!”

“We don’t need that. I won’t be returning this,” I quipped, feeling much more confident.

“What if I don’t like it?” she asked, sassy.

I paused. Well, shit. What if she didn’t like it?

Her giggle floated around, her hand over mine. “I was kidding. I don’t care what it looks like. I love it.”

“If you don’t—”

She made a sound and cut me off. “Can I see it?”

I held it up between my fingers so she could see the diamonds.

“It’s a snowflake,” she whispered, gazing at it. “How in the world did you find an engagement ring in the shape of a snowflake?”

I made a sound. “I know people.”

“It’s gorgeous,” she said, still gawking at it.

I gestured for her hand, and she tugged off her gloves and held her left one out. With the ring poised to slip over her ring finger, I paused and looked up. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for making me the happiest man alive.”

She nodded and made some sounds I hoped were happy, and I slipped the thin silver band over her finger.

The center of the snowflake was a two-carat round diamond, and all the other diamonds that clustered around it to make it into a snowflake were of smaller size. I was shocked the jeweler I called made it so quickly, but, hey, being Caribou royalty definitely had its perks.

“I know it’s not really a traditional style…” I began, nerves taking over again. “But, ah, snow is kinda my thing, and given where we live…”

“It’s perfect.” Bellamy held her hand out and studied the way the snowflake gently lay against her finger and sparkled. “It’s the only snowflake that will never melt.” She looked up and smiled brilliantly. “I love it, and I love you.”

I lifted my head and let out a loud whoop into the sky. Then I kissed her.

She pulled back first, gazing down to the ring and then over the side of the chair. “You did all that down there? You put out all those candles?”

“I had some help.”

“I can’t believe you did all that just to propose to me.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that wasn’t for the proposal.”

She wrinkled her nose. “It’s not? Then what’s all that for?”

I smiled. “That down there is for our wedding.”