“We come back again soon, bella.” Alesso pulled me into his arms and I smiled against his chest, enjoying the sound of his thick accent and the smell of his rich cologne. “I like your Nick.”
“Me too.”
“Give her up, Alesso. It’s my turn,” Mom said.
Rolling my eyes, I gave him one last squeeze, then let my mother smother me before her crew departed for the airport and returned to Italy. We’d had a wonderful week with them, and despite my mother’s attempts, their visit hadn’t ruffled my feathers. I was sad to see them go.
Every night for dinner, Nick and I had gone to their chalet. Samuel had gone all out experimenting with the local foods, and every meal had been delicious.
Mom, Frannie and I had spent a lot of time visiting. They had listened intently to stories about my students and my worries for Mason Carpenter.
Alesso had instantly taken to Nick. He’d been enamored with how much Nick knew about the mountain trails. Each night, Nick had drawn him a map for his next morning’s snowshoeing adventure.
Frannie had a packed agenda for the trip. Every afternoon, the group had explored the area. They’d soaked in the hot springs, strolled downtown and even drove over to Bozeman to visit a whiskey distillery.
And one afternoon, the four of them had surprised me with a visit to my classroom. I was not the only one who loved Alesso’s accent. The kids had practically attacked him. They’d peppered him with questions about where he’d come from and why he’d sounded different.
Yesterday, we had all enjoyed a Saturday traveling through Yellowstone. Frannie had arranged for us to take a private snow coach to Old Faithful for their last excursion in Montana. I had never visited a national park before and the experience had been like none other.
The landscape was spectacular. Glittering snow had blanketed the hills. Hot pools and small boiling streams melted the valleys. We’d spotted elk, buffalo and a token grizzly bear in the open fields between evergreen forests. Old Faithful, named for its predictability, had been right on time. The geyser’s water had sprayed tall and white against the cloudless blue sky.
The next time Mom visited, we were planning on going again.
“Stay safe, Emmeline,” Mom said before one last hug.
The only shadow on an otherwise perfect week was Jess’s update about the break-in. No vehicles had passed the downtown stoplight’s camera and he was out of leads.
Nick had arranged for my door handle to be repaired and deadbolt locks put in on all the exterior doors. He was also installing cameras around my home and property. But the added security did little to erase my fears.
“Are you going to call your father?” Mom asked.
“No. I thought about it but decided against it. I trust the local sheriff. He’s doing all he can and the last thing he needs is Father sticking his nose into the investigation,” I said.
“All right, dear. If you think it’s for the best,” she sighed.
“I’ll be fine.”
Her head swiveled to Nick and then back to me before smiling. “Yes. You will.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too. Call me next week.”
As my family drove away, Nick pulled me into his side. I concentrated on breathing in the fresh mountain air so I could fight back tears.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m glad they decided to buy that chalet. It will be nice to see them more often.”
Luckily, the chalet that they had rented was also for sale. Mom and Alesso had immediately jumped on the purchase, and within a month, the place would be theirs. After they built a home on the property for Frannie and Samuel, they would be back for an extended stay.
“What do you feel like doing today?” For the first time in weeks, we had no plans. No six-year-old birthday parties. No family visitors. No Montana explorations. Nothing.
So I had the perfect answer to his question. “You.”
Two weeks later, I was rushing to the spa to meet Gigi and Maisy for our girls’ night. Maisy had postponed our original date because Coby had been sick, and unfortunately, they’d rescheduled for a night where I wasn’t going to be good company.
Tomorrow was Nick and my anniversary and it was consuming my headspace.
I sank into a massive black chair between Gigi and Maisy and plastered a smile on my face. Maybe this was just what I needed to get my mind off Nick.
And ten years.
I had been legally married to a man for ten years and had only spent months in his presence. How could I possibly act normal tomorrow? I considered faking sickness and hiding out in the motel.
“Emmeline? Are you okay?” Gigi asked. She had been visiting with Maisy while I’d been lost in my own thoughts.
“Oh. Yes. I’m so sorry. I’ve been an unfocused mess all day.”
“Want to talk about it?” Maisy asked.
“That’s okay. I hate to burden you both with my trivial problems.”
“That’s what friends are for. Besides, we’re out of juicy gossip. Spill,” Gigi said.
This was probably the best place as any to get advice. “Did Nick tell you how we met and got married?” I asked.
“Some of it but he probably left out all the good stuff,” Maisy said.
Twenty minutes later, they knew the whole Vegas story.
“What a jackass!” Gigi yelled. “You know, Nick told Jess and me about what happened, but he definitely gave us the abbreviated version. Now that I know the whole story, the next time I see Nick he’s getting a smack in the head.”
I laughed and genuinely smiled for the first time all day. It felt nice to have her on my side.
“So why have you been a mess today?” Maisy asked.
“Tomorrow is our anniversary. It feels weird to celebrate and I don’t think Nick even remembers. He’s been completely normal all week and hasn’t mentioned a thing or brought it up. Which is actually making it worse. What should I do?”
“You guys are finally back together! You have to do something. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Go out to a nice dinner, maybe? No, the theater! That’s where you guys had your first kind of date, wasn’t it? How perfect! Go there,” Gigi said.
“You can’t listen to her,” Maisy said. “She’s become a hopeless romantic since meeting Jess. You should have seen her before they got together. Like, totally content without a man in her life. Now she’s on a mission to make sure her friends are all set up.”
“She might be right,” Gigi muttered.
“I’ll think about it. Thanks for listening,” I said.
Even though I wasn’t any closer to sorting out my head, it was nice to share my burdens with friends. Besides, if Nick and I just spent a normal night together, it would be better than the last nine anniversaries.
This anniversary, I could at least have sex with my husband.
“Nick!” Rowen Cleary shouted from her desk. The kids were supposed to be tracing the letter T but now they were all staring at Nick in the doorway.
“Hey, kids,” Nick called. “Are you guys learning a lot today?”
“Yeah!” they all shouted in unison.
“Hello, class,” Rich called, following Nick into the classroom.
“Hello, Mr. Garcia,” they said in chorus.
“What’s going on?” I asked Nick. “Is everything okay?”
He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, which elicited a chorus of “Ohhs” and “Ewws” from my class. “Everything’s great. Mr. Garcia is taking over for the rest of the day. You’re coming with me.”
“What? Why? Is this about the break-ins?”
“Nope.”
“Ms. Austin, would you mind running through your lesson plan with me? I’ll try to keep on track until you get back Monday.”
“Oh, sure, Mr. Garcia,” I said and outlined the rest of my Friday afternoon lesson plan.
“I think I can manage. You two have a nice weekend,” he said before Nick dragged me from the room and to his truck.
“What’s going on, Nick?” I asked after fastening my seatbelt.
“Patience,” he said.
His cavalier attitude was annoying and I hated secrets, but nothing was wrong. He wouldn’t be so smug if there were a problem. “Is this why you insisted on driving me to work this morning? So you could kidnap me?”
“Yep.”
“Another one-word answer. Do you think you could string a few more of them together and actually respond in a full sentence? Preferably one where you tell me what’s going on?” I asked.
“Enjoy the suspense, Emmy.”
I frowned as butterflies started flying in my belly. This had to be about our anniversary, right? Why else would he be trying to surprise me?
I despised surprises and the angst that came with them. Nervous energy made me queasy, not excited. I was the type of person who read the last chapter of a book before the first, just to make sure it had a happy ending.
My stomach swirled as Nick drove out of town. After a few miles of highway, he pulled off and onto a dirt road that cut through an open field. The snow on the ground had started to melt but there were still large patches of it in the dips and curves of the plains.
“Nick.” I gasped when he turned past a grove of trees and I realized our destination.
In the middle of a large clearing was a hot-air balloon tethered to the ground. The balloon was made of red fabric with large orange and yellow suns patterned into the center row. The pilot was standing in the basket, monitoring the burner.
Nick parked the truck and leaned over the center console, kissing me lightly on the lips. “Happy anniversary, Wife.”
“You remembered?” I asked. “I wasn’t sure if—” I started but couldn’t continue. My nose started to burn and I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t cry.
This was so romantic. Nick hadn’t just remembered our anniversary, he’d gone all out to surprise me with something special.
“Worth the wait?” he whispered.
“Yes.” I nodded before pressing my lips against his.
The kiss I laid on him was rough and desperate. My hands were threaded into his beard as my tongue took over his mouth. When we were both breathless, I leaned away and whispered, “Happy anniversary, Nick.”
“Now I need a minute before we can leave.” He grinned. “I doubt the pilot wants to fly me around with a hard-on.”
“It would probably be best if you saved that just for me.”
“Only you, my sweet Emmy.”
We sat with our foreheads pressed together for a few moments until he pulled away. “We need to get bundled up. It’s going to be cold as fuck up there,” Nick said. “Clothes are in the backpack.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were floating.
It was magic.
Nick had been right, the air was sharp and cold. But it didn’t matter. The happiness in my heart kept me warm.
The beginnings of spring were starting to show. Green buds were coming to life on the trees and wildflowers were in bloom. Rivers and streams were rushing with water from the melting snow. The Jamison Valley was alive with new life and color.
“This is amazing,” I told Nick.
After an hour ride, the hot-air balloon pilot set us down in another open field across the valley. Nick was up to something else because not far from our landing pad was my Jeep.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing or do you plan on continuing this torture?”
“Torture. I like making you squirm.” He winked.
We said our good-byes to the pilot and took off on the next part of Nick’s surprise. The sun was setting and the sky was alight with vivid color.
Nick drove through a maze of gravel roads until we started up an incredibly steep hill. When the Jeep plateaued, we faced a wooden A-frame chateau built into the side of a mountain. The large front windows were a golden beacon.
“Are we staying here?” I asked, not even trying to contain my excitement.
“Yeah. Rented it out for the whole weekend.”
“Wow,” I whispered.
Nick pulled me inside so I could explore while he brought in our bags and the groceries he’d stashed in the car. The interior of the house had a similar feel to Nick’s cabin. Rich woods mixed with rough stone. Cozy furniture. Enormous fireplace.
“You like it?”
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” I said. “Do you want a drink before dinner?”
“Yeah. I’ll start cooking in a few,” he said.
“Okay. I’ll get you a beer. Did you bring wine?” I asked.
“Is your name Emmeline Austin?”
That meant yes.
I smiled and walked to the kitchen, where an abundance of food items was resting on the counter next to two bottles of my favorite wine.
Nick was a romantic. Some of his declarations over the last few months still took my breath away. But this was beyond my wildest dreams.
While Nick bustled around in the kitchen cooking dinner, I relaxed in front of the fireplace and enjoyed my wine. Delicious smells filled the house, and by the time we were seated at the table, my mouth was watering.
“You made me salmon?”
“I made sure to ask Samuel how you liked it before they left.” Forking off a flaky bite, a moan escaped my throat when the flavor burst on my tongue.
“Good?” he asked.
“Amazing. You’ve outdone yourself. And Samuel.”
We ate mostly in silence, both content to enjoy the meal and the peaceful setting.
“I’ll clean up,” I offered.
Part of our nightly routine was Nick cooking and me cleaning the dishes. He must have suspected that I’d volunteer because when I walked into the kitchen, I came to a stop at the sight of two wrapped boxes sitting on the island.
Why hadn’t I gotten him something? I should have known he would remember our anniversary. Nick remembered everything from Las Vegas. Obviously, the date hadn’t slipped his mind. Instead of searching for the perfect gift, I had been busy doubting him.
“I didn’t get you anything. I should have. I’m so sorry,” I blurted.
“I don’t want anything. All I need is you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. Taking the plates from my hands, Nick set them aside and went to the boxes.
“You shouldn’t have. The balloon. This house. Now gifts? This is too much.”
“Whatever your heart desires, Emmy. That’s what I’ll give you. If you want a quiet weekend together, it’s yours. You told me a while back you wanted to go on a hot-air balloon ride. Done. I’ve got nine missed anniversaries to make up for and I promise to do it.”
My vision blurred. I wanted nothing more than to have those nine years with Nick back. To go back to Vegas and start over. But that wasn’t possible.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.”
“Don’t thank me. Just be happy.”
“I am.” I nodded. “Can I open them?”
“This one first,” he said, handing me a rectangular package. I knew by its weight and shape, Nick had gotten me a book.
“This is for our first anniversary. The traditional gift is paper,” he said.
I carefully unwrapped a tattered yellow book. When I examined its worn cover, my eyes stared at it, unblinking. Nick had bought me a first edition of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, my favorite book. It had to have cost him thousands. Thumbing through its yellowed pages, I inhaled its unique musty smell.
“Oh, Nick. This is incredible! Imagine where it’s been, who’s read this before me? I love it. Thank you!” I hugged the book to my chest.
“How’d I score with that one?” he asked.
“Off the charts.” I smiled.
“Good. Next up. Ten years,” he said. “Tin or aluminum. But the more modern gift is diamonds. So I designed you something with all three.”
Inside a small, square box sat a simple banded ring. The circle was made with rose gold, inlayed with metal stripes. I assumed the silver threads were tin and aluminum from Nick’s preface. The metals in and of themselves were unique but with the diamonds in the center, this ring was one of a kind.
A wave of rough-cut diamonds was inverted into the band. The gold above the gems was jagged, like mirrored mountain ranges, with the jewels beneath the surface.
“You designed this? It’s . . . I don’t know what to say,” I whispered. Nick’s talents never ceased to amaze me.
He took the ring from my hands and placed it on the ring finger of my right hand. I was glad he hadn’t gone for the left. He had already bought me a ring for that hand. I hadn’t told him that I still had our wedding rings. Until I knew what our fate would be, those rings were staying a secret.
“Yeah. Thought it would be kind of cool to have the diamonds below the metal. Kind of like how you’d find them in a mine. You like it?”
I nodded. “Love it.”
“Off the charts?”
“Out of this world.” As I admired the ring on my finger, I thought about all of the things I should have gotten Nick. A John Wayne movie collector’s set. A new pair of snowshoes because his were getting old. A new flannel shirt to replace the one I had borrowed with no intention of returning.
“I wish I would have gotten you a gift.”
Pressing his lips to my temple, he chuckled. “An anniversary blow job wouldn’t go unappreciated.”
I licked my lips and got to work. When I was done, he hauled me up to my feet.
“Out of this world.” He smiled.
We did the dishes and Nick shuffled me into the master bedroom for anniversary sex that did not disappoint.
“Thank you for a wonderful day,” I whispered to Nick lying next to me. Abandoning our normal position, we were facing each other, inches apart. A sheet was thrown over his legs and I had it pulled to my chest.
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too.”
“It sure beat my normal anniversary ritual,” I teased.
Nick winced and his face tightened. “I’m so sorry, Emmeline,” he whispered. “I am so fucking sorry. It eats at me. I’ll never make it right.”
Reaching out a hand, I gently stroked his beard. “Is that what today was about? The surprise. The gifts. You were trying to apologize?”
“No. Maybe a little,” he said. “I wanted it to be special for us this time. Ten years.”
Ten years.
We hadn’t been married for ten years. Not the type of marriage I wanted anyway. Today had been wonderful but it felt like our first anniversary, not our tenth. I wanted a diamond anniversary with the man who had slept by my side every night for a decade. Not months.
This was exactly the reason why I wanted us to get divorced.
But first Nick needed to stop punishing himself.
“You have to forgive yourself. Nothing you can do will change what’s happened.”
“How can I forgive myself when you can’t?” he asked.
I already did.
Somewhere along the road, my brain had caught up with my heart. I had forgiven him. I was over his leaving me in Vegas.
Did I like to think about it? No. Did talking about it sting? A little. But that was all residual feeling. Any resentment or anger I had felt toward Nick was gone.
I had finally moved past it.
“I do forgive you.”
Confusion replaced the pain on his face. “You do?”
I nodded. “I don’t need big surprises and fancy gifts. I know you regret what happened in the past. We both need to let it go and stop bringing it up. Let’s just be us now. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s just be us.”
I didn’t like the space between us, so I shifted to my other side and waited for Nick to pull me into his chest.
“My dad always went all out for Mom on their anniversary,” Nick said into my hair. “Every year she’d flitter around the house, anxious to see what he’d done for her. I loved that he did that. At least once a year she got to see how special she was. I promise to cool it on the gifts, but I can’t promise I won’t do the surprises. It means something to me. The big show. I want that for you.”
I kissed his arm closest to my lips. “I can live with that.”
We slept curled together until the next morning when Nick woke me up and dragged me into the kitchen.
“What do you want for your birthday breakfast?” Nick asked.
Remembering it was my birthday was impressive. In Las Vegas, I had only mentioned it in passing, so either he had a steel-trap memory or he’d recently snuck a peek at my driver’s license.
I suspected the former. My man was smart. Either way, I was going to enjoy being spoiled.
“Were you going to make me a cake today?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then cake, please.”
“It’s going to take a while.”
“That’s okay. I want to read my book,” I said, snagging my first edition from the counter. Two hours later, he interrupted my reading and handed me an enormous piece of cake.
“Funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting?” I yelled. “How did you know it was my favorite?”
“I called your mom.”
A huge grin spread across my face. He was good.
“Thank you,” I said. My mouth was full of cake so it came out more like “Fane oo.”
Laughing, he went back to the kitchen, likely to get a breakfast not made entirely from sugar.
We enjoyed a wonderful weekend together. One of the best I’d ever had.
“Is it bad I don’t want to see my students? I like our happy bubble here,” I told Nick as I loaded up my suitcase.
He had struggled with the packing but I gave him kudos for trying. But for the next surprise trip, I had hinted he should enlist Gigi or Maisy to help.
“I like it too. We’ll plan a trip to come back,” he promised.
As we pulled out of the driveway, I waved. “Good-bye, chateau.” I had a sinking feeling that I’d never see this place again.
And I was right.