“How do you know I got into school?” She brushed at her tears with the back of her hand.
“Let’s call her a fairy godmother far away in a Swiss chalet who was very angry at me for the mess that I made. She made me see what I was missing if I didn’t find you again,” Colin said.
“Remind me to send Marie a thank you note,” Sabela laughed. “You have no idea how much I missed you, Colin. It isn’t fair.”
“I haven’t been fair to you,” he murmured in response. “But I understand what I did wrong, and I want to change for you, Sabela. You’re worth it.”
Colin drew back from her and pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. It was sweet and short, but it was perfect.
The frost that once guarded his heart melted, and the painful memories of the past that once ached at a constant rate slipped away with the thaw.
The warmth inside of him was caused by her, and now his heart was hers and hers alone.
“Your shift is over now, right?” he asked when the kiss ended.
“Until tomorrow,” she replied.
“What would you say to taking tomorrow off? And this week? And maybe forever?”
Colin smiled at her, the possibilities limitless, so long as they were together. “We have a future to plan, and I’m eager to get it started right now.”
Sabela laughed. It was the best he could hope for, and his smile grew. She really was something special.
This time, he wouldn’t let anything come between them.
“On one condition,” she said.
“Anything,” he said. The world was hers if she wanted it.
The smile that lit her lips was playful, and he knew that she was well into working past the hurt he’d done. “I want to buy a lottery ticket on the way home. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like this is my lucky day.”
“With how lucky you’ve made me, I’m inclined to agree,” Colin said, then pulled her in close to kiss her once more.
The diner, and every painful memory associated with it, was in the past. But from the anchor of this last memory sprung the beginnings of a future Colin would gladly fight for.
Epilogue
SABELA DUG IN THE CARDBOARD box and pulled out the slinky black dress that she had worn on her first date with Colin back in Switzerland. As he had promised, Colin had Marie send Sabela’s Swiss closet to her. Now she was unpacking box after box of designer dresses in the penthouse that Colin had found for them in New York.
Initially she’d been reluctant to move so far away from Trevor so quickly, but his physical therapy had gone well enough that he no longer needed her help. He even found a job online so he could work from home.
The brother she knew from before the accident was nearly back, and Sabela hoped he’d keep getting better. He didn’t like that she was with his old enemy, but Sabela made it clear that Colin was in her life to stay, and if Trevor didn’t want to lose his only remaining family member, he’d have to learn to deal with Colin in an adult way.
Now, on the few times when Trevor and Colin had been in the same room, they were both civil to each other. Cold, but civil. Compared to the scene at Haberlin Chalet, it felt nothing short of a miracle.
They would never be friends, but she appreciated that they were both making an attempt at peace for her sake.
Colin appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. “Damn, woman. How long does it take to unpack a few boxes of clothes?”
Sabela stood up from where she crouched and gestured at the boxes stacked to the ceiling lining the walls.
“A few boxes? That’s like saying that I only had a few bills.”
Colin laughed and drew closer. “I told you to let the girl unpack for you.” He pulled her into his arms.
The weight of his body was welcome, and Sabela let herself lean back against him. She was sore from all the unpacking. “The girl’s name is Lettie, and she’s busy doing all the other work she’s got around this place. The laundry doesn’t do itself, you know.”
“Really? I had no idea.” He smiled. “Should I hire more staff? I wouldn’t want poor Lettie and the others being overworked.”
“Stop it. No more staff. There’s just two of us. And anyway, I kind of like unpacking these things. It brings back memories of our time in Switzerland.”
Colin’s smile wavered. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
Sabela hugged him. “Of course it is. It’s where I met you. And where we kissed for the first time.”
“Hmm. And where we made love.”
Sabela swatted him playfully and rolled her eyes. “You’re such a romantic.”
He laughed. “Well, if unpacking those clothes is making you think of having sex with me, then I say unpack away.”
“I am not thinking of sex. Anyway, by doing this myself, I’m saving you some money.”
“I’m pretty sure that I’ve got enough money to cover some domestic staff. Even too much domestic staff shouldn’t break me.” He winked.
“It’s the thought that counts, Colin,” she chided. “It’s like thinking about a Christmas without snow. There are some things that I need to do to feel like a normal person, and seeing snow at Christmas and unpacking my own things are up there on that list.”
“Speaking of,” Colin murmured as he nipped at the back of her ear. The touch sent heat down to Sabela’s core. “I’ve already let Marie know that we’ll be at the chalet for Christmas. She’s going to deck the place out.”
Sabela closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch in full. Since their reunion, Colin had been nothing but kind to her.
In the end, she’d tamed the beast inside of him and brought the man back to life.
“Christmas in Switzerland sounds magical.”
“You know what else sounds magical?” he asked confidently.
“Pancakes with chocolate chips and blueberries?” she joked.
Colin crossed his arms loosely over her torso, his hands laying on the flat plane of her stomach. “No, but that does sound amazing. What I was thinking of was finding someone who makes me happier than I ever imagined I could be.”
The tip of his nose brushed against the ridge of her ear, and Sabela shivered again. Colin held a long, thin leather box in front of her face.
“This is to celebrate our two-month anniversary. And you better get used to getting gifts, because I intend to spoil you at every opportunity,” he whispered against her ear.
Sabela pulled away from him and turned so they were face to face before she took the box from him.
She smiled hesitantly. ”I didn’t realize it was our two-month anniversary. I don’t have anything for you.”
Colin gave her a lewd wink. “How about you put what you find in the box on and wear it with nothing else? I can’t think of anything else I want more.”