Page 27

From the window of the Matterhorn banquet room, I look out over the place that’s become my home. We’re on the top floor of the resort’s entertainment complex, and from here I can just see Axel’s lodge, which has become our lodge. It’s nestled in the corner, and the tall hedges don’t quite block out the top of the swing set that arrived yesterday.

It’s a little premature, but Axel’s been so excited since he found out I was pregnant, he couldn’t help himself. The lodge is filling up with baby gear, and we’re not even through the first trimester.

I take a sip of grape juice disguised in a champagne flute, but I’m not fooling Daphne.

She squints at my glass. “How come yours is a darker color than mine?”

Her suspicious mind is always working.

“I don’t want to get drunk at my own engagement party,” I say breezily.

She snorts. “Who doesn’t get drunk at their own engagement party?” Her eyes go wide as understanding dawns. “You’re already pregnant.”

I remain silent but can’t hide the smile tugging at my lips.

“That’s great news, congratulations!” She envelops me in a bear hug and almost knocks the grape juice out of my hand.

“Shhhh.” I look around at our guests and lower my voice. “It’s only been eight weeks, so we’re not announcing it yet.”

Daphne mimes zipping her lips shut. “I won’t say a word.”

I believe her. Since I moved to Wild Heart Mountain permanently, we’ve become good friends. Daphne helped me set up the podcast and called in support from her network of women on the mountain. It was the interview with Cassandra Hart, Savanna’s famous country singer sister, that got me noticed. Now I’ve got a growing group of listeners, my first sponsorship deal, and women contacting me wanting to be interviewed. I’ve just started an online channel to open up another stream of revenue. It turns out you can make a living by spreading a positive message.

Last week, I wrapped up work with my final social media client. I’m officially a podcaster, soon-to-be mom, and soon-to-be wife.

Axel saunters over and slips an arm around me. “Do you need to sit down?”

I tap him playfully on the shoulder. His care for me is unwavering, but I’m pregnant, not ill.

“I don’t need to sit down. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Just tell me if you want to retire early.”

He leans in for the last part and nuzzles my neck. Heat blossoms in the place where his breath tickles my skin, and I have to clench my thighs together.

He gives me a wicked grin, which doesn’t help, and now all I want to do is ditch our guests and find the nearest bedroom or broom closet, which is where this baby may have been conceived.

“There you are!” A female voice has me looking up, and a woman in a tailored two-piece sashays across the room. Her smile is wide, and her eyes sparkle. A familiar face, but one I’ve only seen in photos.

Axel’s sister.

“You must be Ruby.”

“And you must be Petra.” I extend my hand, and she pulls me into a warm hug.

“I’m sorry I haven’t made it up to meet you before.”

Her gaze takes in Axel, who’s got an arm slung around me as he tucks me into his side. “You’re not smothering her, are you, big brother?”

“Of course not,” he mutters, but his hold on me loosens.

She tilts her head. “He used to do that to me, always trying to be my savior.”

I glance at Axel, wondering how much of our story he’s shared with his sister. He gives a small shake of the head. “Protector, not savior. Ruby doesn’t need saving, and last I checked, you never did either.”

She cackles, a throaty, uninhibited sound that makes me like her. “Ah, he already went after someone for you, didn’t he?”

Her expression turns serious. “Don’t let him make you the victim, Ruby.”