Never Say Goodbye Bonus Chapter
The cold winter air whipped outside the window but Elle hardly noticed. Emmett’s hands skimmed up her thighs, sliding beneath her sweater as she straddled him on the couch.
“You’re warm,” she whispered, her breath catching as his thumb traced the curve of her breast.
“You drive me insane, Els.” His lips brushed her jaw, then her throat. “Snowed in with you… feels like heaven.”
She tilted her head back, giving him more. The fire popped, flames flickering shadows across his face, and something inside her melted. She’d been afraid of her body for so long, but in his arms, she felt only wanted. Desired. Beautiful.
“Emmett…” She sighed his name as his mouth found hers, the kiss deep and hungry. He pulled her closer, pressing her against the hard planes of his chest. The blanket slipped away, forgotten.
He broke the kiss only long enough to murmur, “I’ve wanted this—wanted you—every damn day since New York.”
Her fingers threaded into his hair, tugging, urging. “Then take me.”
He stood suddenly, sweeping her into his arms. Her laughter turned into a gasp as he carried her down the hall and upstairs toward the bedroom.
The blizzard roared, but inside the small room, heat built fast—clothes tumbling away, kisses deepening until there was no space left between them.
When he finally sank into her, she clutched him tight, her heart full. For the first time in years, she felt like she’d found home.
*****
Canyon Creek’s annual Winter Lights Festival had turned the town into a wonderland. Strings of white lights glowed from every rooftop, music drifted through the streets, and kids darted past with red noses and cups of cocoa.
Emmett and Elle strolled hand in hand down Main Street, weaving through the crowd.
“Remind me again why you volunteered us for the tree-lighting committee?” he asked, holding two mugs of cider.
Elle sipped hers, her smile hidden behind the rim. “Because you’re terrible at saying no to me.”
He grinned. “Accurate.”
They stopped near the park. Elle’s breath puffed in the cold air, her cheeks rosy and her blue eyes shining.
“This,” she said, spinning slowly in a circle, “is what I always imagined for Canyon Creek.”
He watched her with the same awe he always had. “You made it happen, sweetheart.”
She shook her head. “We did.”
The festival had been their idea—part of the collaboration between the Lodge and the Resort. It had taken almost a year of effort, dozens of meetings, and more than a few shouting matches with her grandfather before the Noble family finally signed off on it.
Now, the two sides of the mountain worked together. And for the first time in a century, there was peace.
They walked toward the Christmas tree in the center of town, towering two stories high, wrapped in ribbons and lights. Children gathered around the base, waiting for the switch to be flipped.
Elle looked down at the little girl tugging on her jacket. “Hi there.”
“Are you Mrs. Sumner?” the girl asked shyly. “Daddy said you’re the reason the lights look like magic.”
Elle’s heart melted. Mrs. Sumner. Anytime she heard the title, something in her chest fluttered. “I think the magic was already here, sweetie. We just gave it a little sparkle.” She tapped the small girl’s nose.
The girl grinned and ran off toward the tree.
Emmett slipped an arm around Elle’s waist, leaning in close. “You always were good with kids.”
She went still for a moment. He felt her body tense the way it sometimes did when the topic brushed too close to that old ache.
He turned her gently to face him. “Hey.” His voice was low, tender. “You okay?”
She nodded, blinking back tears. “Yeah. I just—sometimes it hits me, you know? That what we have might always be just us.”
He cupped her face. “You’re all I ever needed, Els. Everything else… it’s just details.”
Her throat tightened. “You always say the right thing.”
He smiled faintly. “That’s because I practice when you’re asleep.”
She laughed, that soft melodic sound that still undid him.
When the crowd began to chant the countdown for the lights, Emmett laced their fingers together.
“Ready?” he whispered.
Elle looked up at the sparkling sky, at the snow drifting down like confetti. “Always.”
The lights blazed to life, bright and breathtaking, and the town erupted in applause. Emmett kissed her under the glow of a thousand twinkling bulbs, and for a moment, the rest of the world disappeared.
Later that night the festival had quieted, and they’d travelled back to Elle’s condo. They walked toward the front door, their boots leaving twin trails through the powder. Inside their cozy home, Emmett lit a fire that crackled as the scent of pine filled the air.
Elle knelt beside the hearth, reaching to stir the logs, but Emmett caught her wrist.
“Uh-uh. You’ll burn yourself again.”
“That was one time,” she protested.
“Once was enough.” He kissed her fingers, lingering until her breath hitched.
She gave him a teasing look. “You always know how to distract me.”
“Part of my charm.”
He drew her to her feet and pressed her legs against the stone heath. The heat from the fire brushed her back while his body pressed warm and solid against her front.
“Emmett…” she breathed, but the rest of her words vanished when he kissed her.
The kiss was slow at first, a rekindled promise, but deepened quickly—his hand sliding beneath her sweater, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist.
She melted into him, her body remembering every touch, every sigh, every night they’d learned each other all over again.
She was no longer self-conscious of her scars. Emmett had loved her in a way that made her thoughts of not being whole disappear like a northern storm. Now all she felt was desire. Desire for this man she couldn’t live without. And thanks to the wedding band on her finger, shimmering in the firelight, she never had to.
The next day, Emmett’s laptop glowed on the desk, a single line blinking on the screen—the dedication page for his next novel.
Elle leaned over his shoulder and read it aloud:
For Elle.
For every survivor who learns to dance again.
And for anyone brave enough to love twice.
She kissed his temple, tears slipping down her cheeks. “It’s beautiful.”
He smiled, reaching up to squeeze her hand. “You are.”
Outside, the snow kept falling, silent and endless, blanketing the mountain that had once divided them—but now held their whole world.