Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

The weather is exactly what I was hoping for. Quell’s Peak is still chilly in the early morning hours before the sun’s come up, but there’s no freak storm that has us trapped this time. In fact, it’s been abnormally warm this season. Scottie and I hiked in yesterday, together this time, through the new pass the park service made. After people saw the result of the rockslide, Scottie became somewhat of a local celebrity as the hiker who survived.

As we lie in bed, she spins in my arms so she’s facing me. I’m almost positive she’s still asleep. I brush my thumb over the scar along her hairline. Her ginger-blonde locks are still mussed from last night when I took her on that bed like I have so many times before. I had her ride me until she got herself off. Glancing over, I grin at the memory.

I wanted to celebrate how far we’ve come after a year together, and what better place to do it than where it all started. It’s a surreal feeling being back here under such different circumstances. It even looks different. This time around, we can keep the shutters open on the catwalk, allowing us to take in the gorgeous 360-degree view from inside the tower while being warm and toasty in front of the woodburning stove.

I press a kiss to her forehead and slip out of bed to add another log to the stove and get started on making us some coffee. The movement rouses her, and she blinks a few times, then simpers at me from across the room as I set up the camp stove.

“I love you,” she says from bed.

She makes me smile with more contentment than I’ve ever known.

Our love story was a twisted trail. We had to fight to get here, but we made it—and the view is worth every step.

“I love you too.”

While he waits for the water to heat, Cal crawls back in bed behind me and curves his body around mine. It’s not long before the water is hot enough to mix in the bitter instant coffee we brought with us. He sits up, and I push him back down again. “I’ve got it.”

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stand and stretch in front of the flames of the wood stove. Their warmth is welcome now that I’m outside the cozy covers. I pour a couple mugs of coffee and set them aside, gazing outside and admiring the pink rays that slowly creep over the mountain tops.

“The sun is just coming over the peaks. I’m gonna watch it from outside,” I say, shoving my feet into my cold hiking boots. I should have left them by the fire last night. “Wanna watch it with me? ”

I shrug on my coat and zip it up, then clutch my steaming mug of coffee to keep me warm.

“In a little bit.” He snuggles deeper in the covers. “I’m too cozy to move.”

I chuckle and open the door to the morning chill, hurrying to close it behind me so I don’t let in too much cold air. Stepping onto the catwalk, I quickly appreciate how nice it is to hear the hollow sound of my boots rather than the crunch of snow from last year.

A year ago, it wasn’t nearly as clear as it is today, and I’ve been looking forward to the sunrise more than anything… well, almost. Last night, Callahan pulled out all the romantic stops and even brought our beloved Battleship game along, which led to many other fun activities. For a moment, I thought he might even propose, but it’s okay that he didn’t. Things have been going so well, there’s no rush. I never could have imagined life to be this wonderful. It’s not always easy, but it’s always good. There’s no rush for us to take the next leap; we’re going at our own speed.

The cherry on top was meeting Jonathan’s boyfriend last week. I looked like a nutjob when I bawled, but seeing the happiness and pride in his eyes as he introduced Oscar to us had my heart bursting. I breathe in the fresh morning air and quietly recite my daily affirmations.

“Wow,” Callahan says, stepping outside in his coat and boots.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It sure is.” He wraps his arms around my torso, tucking me into his body. I set my coffee on the railing and lean into his warmth as the rays climb over the top of the mountain and paint the landscape in pinks and oranges. The rising sun setting the sky on fire.

I’m in awe of the landscape before us. It’s hard to believe it’s this majestic on a daily basis. I silently say a small prayer of thanks for Callahan and the beauty of this moment with him. I gasp when he holds out a box in front of me, and I freeze, wide-eyed.

Ohmygod .

He opens the box to a stunning pear-shaped diamond ring that shoots off a million blazing sparkles in the light of the sunrise.

“True love isn’t the same as love at first sight. It’s not your first love. It’s the one you can stand with in a storm. It’s having them see everything you lack and hearing you’re worthy. It’s fighting for them when they don’t know how. It’s the one who lights the darkest parts of your soul on fire so life can bloom again. It’s hearing those three words and truly understanding their meaning.”

I spin in his arms and clasp his broad shoulders. Tears swell with all the love I have for this man.

“Still with me?” he asks.

Standing on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his, then offer him my left hand.

This is the real thing. This is what I’ve been seeking all my life, and I found it with Callahan, at the top of a mountain.

“Always.”