Page 13 (1/2)

prologue

It was the best of times, it was the nadest of times

December

I’d never spent a Christmas away from my family Christmas to me is family: imather, trees are tri is made and most certainly consumed It’s Nore it for the world

Except this year This Christmas was entirely different This was Rockwellian with a Wallbanger twist

As a freelance photographer, Sinraphic and Discovery Channel, or whoever needed a photographer to go to the farthest-flung places on earth This Christ European cities in their holiday best, and he’d be gone nearly the entire month of December

Since officially beco a e’d settled into our own nor trips all over the world: Peru, Chile, England, even a long weekend in LA to do a study at the Playboy MansionHardship

But when er’s home, he’s home Home with me, either in my apartment or in his Home withpoker with the other two couples that make up our best friends Home with me, in my bed or his, my kitchen or his, on my counter or his—home

Yet apparently Simon was always away on Christ the mass in St Peter’s Square The Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific, the first time zone to celebrate the holiday He’d even traveled to the North Pole one year and ht

Strange, you say? Not really His parents were killed in a car accident when he was a senior in high school Eighteen years old, and his entire world was turned upside down With no other family, he left Philadelphia a few months later when he enrolled at Stanford, and never looked back

So yeah, Christer, beyond the eneral And as such a new couple, Christ Deal He hadn’t even met them yet, and a Reynolds Family Christmas was perhaps not the best time to take that major we step

So I wasn’t surprised when he started planning to be away for the entire month The surprise was all on hi

“Fro, and I’ll probably be there on Christmas They have this festival where they—”

“I’”

“Still? Dao” He covered the area betweenin bed, well into the late-Noveht He was ho after nookie

“No, sir, Iwith you to Europe I’d like to spend our first Christether It’ll be fun!”

“But what about your parents? Won’t they be disappointed?”

“Sure, but they’ll get over it Will there be snow?”

“Snow? Yes, of course there’ll be snow! Are you sure about this? I’ve been alonedeal I don’tmy eyes

I smiled and lifted his chin “I mind it, okay? Besides, I have the week off between Christ It’s settled”

“You’re bossy, Ms Reynolds,” he noted,his hand decidedly south of my hip

“Yes, I a theremmm”

And that’s how I found , Austria, where we stayed in a wonderful little inn in the old city center—snow falling, trees lit with thousands of little white lights, and Si ridiculously adorable in a ski cap with a pouf at the end Being supreh with actual jingle bells On Christmas Eve, underneath a warazed out at the city and the ht on the river

“I’ht nip to my ear

“I knew you would be” I chuckled as he snuck a hand underneath my sweater

“Love you,” he murmured, his voice laced with honey

“Love youwith tears

New tradition? We’ll see

• • •

February 14

Text from Simon to Caroline:

Just pulled up, you ready to go?

Alet dressed Just come on in

I’ to be late

No, on’t Just keep your pants on

Never heard that before

Quit kicking et in here!

I pressed send, then settled back against the kitchen counter I could hear his key in the lock, and Ifor a romantic dinner in twenty minutes With traffic, we’d be very lucky to make it in forty If I was even luckier, ouldn’t make it at all

“Babe! What’re you doing? We gotta go!” he called I could hear hi in the entryway

As he cahed draht I’ood” I heard him stop dead in his tracks, and I would’ve bet h his hair and sing a sigh

I’d been pestering him for weeks to take ht out with our friends But he was only hoout on the couch, and sleep with his girlfriend

Girlfriend

I still get goose buirlfriend He was once the Hareirlfriend

So, after dropping hints to hi sure he’d be ho hours on the phone with Sophia and Mi at the lasthi he wanted

“You sure about that? I thought you had your heart set on—”

He stopped as he rounded the corner to the kitchen Perched on the counter, wearing an apron, a grin, and six-inch heels, wasan apple pie on my lap

“I have ,” I told hiet aearing only this?” I hopped down fro the apron, and only the apron And the shoes—don’t forget the shoes

“Caroline Wow,” he ed

I grinned bigger “I have pie”

“You sure do”