Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“I think we should head downtown first.” I nod. “We need to get you a winter coat that can survive a Snow Valley winter.”
“There goes my plan to keep you in bed until Spring.” She laughs.
“We have to take a break for our wedding, you know.” I push the door closed and chuckle as I walk to my side of the truck.
We make a few more jokes on the way to town, and I get to introduce Catriona to a couple of people I know that are shopping at the same store as us. It doesn’t take long to find a coat in her size, and then we are off to see some of the other sights in Snow Valley.
“You weren’t kidding. You really do have ice skating here.” She stares as we pass a few people who are making circles on one of the ponds that has iced over.
“Ever tried it?” I glance over at her.
“No, I barely kept myself up on a pair of regular skates. I think I’d bust my ass if I tried that.” She shakes her head.
“That’s half the fun!” I give her a gentle nudge.
“I’m sure you’d enjoy that.” She gives me a side-eyed glare.
“No, I’ll never laugh at you. Only with you.” I reach over and squeeze her hand.
We continue the grand tour of Snow Valley, and it isn’t long before breakfast has worn off. No surprise considering that we got a late start and skipped lunch. I suggest stopping at my brother’s tavern, and she agrees. Unfortunately, he isn’t working, so I don’t get a chance to introduce her to my family, but she gets to meet the people who work for him. We have a couple of beers and some greasy food, which pairs nicely together.
“One more place I want to show you before we head home.” I open the door for Catriona as we leave the tavern.
“Okay.” She nods.
Our destination isn’t far. It doesn’t take long to get anywhere in Snow Valley. We hold hands the entire way until I finally pull the truck into the parking lot.
“This is where you work? Well, you own it, right?” Catriona looks at the sign.
“It is.” I nod and put the truck in park. “I’d offer to give you a tour of the place, but if you’ve seen one mechanic’s shop, you’ve seen them all.”
“What made you decide to become a mechanic?” She looks over at me.
“I had to do something, or I was going to end up in prison. My life had no direction, but I was always good with my hands…” I wink at her.
“I can attest to that.” She grins.
“My dad helped me get this place because the owner was retiring, and then I had more to do than time to do it.” I nod and sigh.
We talk for a few more minutes before it’s time to head back to the house. Catriona reaches over and starts to tease me as we get closer, and I can already tell we’re going straight to the bedroom as soon as we get through the door.
It’s been an amazing day, even if it’s been a cold one in Snow Valley, but we won’t have any trouble getting warm tonight.
Chapter Twelve
Catriona
My night with Nate is just as incredible as the first one we shared. I wake up to breakfast and another day of seeing the sights in Snow Valley. For a small town, they do have a lot of interesting attractions, and I can see why Nate’s family wants to save it. It doesn’t need to be turned into a tourist trap. It’s perfect just the way it is. Nice, quaint, and the most comfortable place I’ve ever been.
Every minute with Nate feels like my own little slice of heaven. It’s almost like we’re on one continuous date that never ends. Maybe this is how it is supposed to be when you’re in a relationship. This doesn’t feel complicated or confusing. There are no mixed signals. I know it won’t always be like that, but if we can always find our way back to what we have right now, I will never regret my decision to come to Snow Valley as his mail-order bride.
After our third night together, I wake up before Nate. It’s still early. I decided to change things up and make breakfast for him. I may not be the best cook in the world, but I can make eggs, bacon, and toast.
I make my way to the kitchen, start the pot of coffee, and by the time I get the eggs cracked, I hear him stirring.
“I was trying to surprise you.” I lean out the door of the kitchen as soon as he walks out of the bedroom.
“I am.” He walks into the kitchen and sits down at the table. “You made it out of bed before ten in the morning.”