It turns out it’s easier to surprise two sisters rather than one. At least that’s the case with the Price girls.
My fiancée is a gorgeous woman, from her head to her heart—but she’s also a ball of stress. And Margot is her go-to-girl when she needs to vent. I knew Margot would spill the wedding surprise if Chloe got all worked up about having no bookings over Christmas.
Chloe puts so much pressure on herself all the time to do everything perfectly. I wish I could somehow get through to her that she could never do anything to disappoint me, or anyone for that matter. Whatever happens with these celebrity guests, she’s fully capable of giving them a grand stay that will make her parents proud.
However, these extra guests are definitely throwing a wrench in my wedding plans. I’ve purposely limited our bookings so we’d have the lodge to ourselves for the holidays. I thought I’d planned for everything, letting the staff have the weekend off, ordering the food and decorations, but I hadn’t anticipated a bunch of celebrities crashing our wedding.
They’re about to turn our normally quiet country Christmas into a circus. I just hope it doesn’t spoil what I have in mind for Chloe. I want her to be able to relax and enjoy herself on our wedding day. After all, that’s the whole reason I'm springing it on her like this.
But if she’s worried about these high-profile guests, a surprise wedding might put her over the edge.
I'm at a loss as to what to do here.
If I don’t sweep her off her feet with a surprise wedding, we may never find the perfect time to get married. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t take love or family for granted. You have to act while you still have the chance, or else it might just slip away forever.
Donovan Dunn
Perfectly white snow whirls and whips around the helicopter as we soar toward our holiday destination.
Eric has really outdone himself. Even I’m impressed, and that’s no easy feat.
We’d gotten up bright and early to be whisked off to the airport on Eric’s command. Somehow, everyone even made it on time. They must all be excited for this holiday getaway. Or maybe it’s the prospect of riding in the luxury helicopter Eric chartered.
The Eurocopter EC 155 is basically the Rolls-Royce of helicopters. The luxurious white leather interior seats thirteen and can get us to Pine Island in a blink of an eye with its impressive speed of two-hundred miles per hour. I sort of wish I had more time to appreciate all the remarkable ten-million-dollar chopper has to offer, but the pilot has already started making his descent.
Though I’m enjoying the exhilarating ride, I'm just as excited to check out Everett’s Christmas Lodge and Tree Farm. My research into their business last night has really piqued my interest. I can’t wait to get into the owners’ heads a bit. I want to know more about how they advertise their business and how I can help improve it.
I glance over at Chloe, wondering if I can get her on board with my plans to bring this new business to our firm. She didn’t seem too enthusiastic when I brought it up yesterday.
Even though Chloe’s hand is in mine, our fingers linked, the mood feels as strained as it did last night. She went to bed earlier than I did, which is unusual. When I wandered into our bedroom to find her sleeping, all our packing done, my heart sank.
This morning, we’d sipped coffee together, but she’d remained distant even though she was smiling. I don’t know exactly what’s going through her head, but I'm sure she’ll let me know when she’s ready. She’s like me in that way—we can’t be rushed when it comes to sharing our feelings. I love that about her. She tends to solve a lot of her own problems in her head without having to voice them to me.
I’ve always operated that way myself. Sometimes I think it makes me appear cold, but I don’t see it that way. Why burden others with my every little grievance when I can let it simmer a bit and weigh it’s validity? Chloe gets that about me. She, and maybe Eric, might be the only ones who do.
Chloe’s hand flinches in mine, drawing me back to the present. I squeeze back reassuringly, knowing how uneasy flying makes her. The helicopter is easing lower and lower as the pilot announces into our headsets that we’re approaching the lodge.
“We’re here!” Ryan shouts from the back of the chopper. “We’re here, we’re here, we’re here!”
Chloe and I share a look, grinning at one another over Ryan’s youthful gusto, and for a moment the tension completely dissolves. I squeeze her hand again before lifting it to my lips, kissing it gently. Her grin softens into a tender smile, making everything feel perfect between us again.
Maybe I’m misreading this.
Could her tense mood have been solely about flying?
Beneath us, the helicopter glides to the ground, barely jostling us as it touches down onto a patch of white snow like the pilot has done this every day of his life. “Welcome to Pine Island,” he says.
Chloe’s eyes widen as she gazes past me out the window, the shimmering snow flurries finally tapering enough for us to see outside.
“Oh wow!” she gasps.
The look of pure wonder on my fiancée’s face is so adorable I can’t tear my eyes away. She blinks once, then twice, as though she can’t believe her eyes. I fumble for my phone, wanting to take a picture of her stunned expression, but she turns to look at the others in the helicopter before I can immortalize the image. “Look at this place!” she exclaims. “It’s even more beautiful than in
