Be the 1st to read my next project!! Something I’ve been working on for a little while now and wanted to get some feelers out on it! I’d love to hear some input! Keep in mind, not everything (or everyone) is what they seem!

Chapter 1.

Vail.

When I open my eyes I forget completely where I am.  It’s like when you were little and you would wake up late on a Saturday morning in a rush because you think you’re about to miss the school bus, but I’m 30 and for sure not going to miss any bus to school.  I’m looking up at a chandelier that is wrapped in deer antlers.  When I look to my right I’m looking out a set of amazing french doors that lead out to a solid wood balcony overlooking the snowcapped mountains of beautiful Vail, Colorado. 

                He whisked me away for a romantic weekend of skiing in Vail last minute.  “A Surprise” he said.  As reluctant as I was to leave the kids for a weekend, he never did things like this and I had been hoping for this “surprise” for quite a while now.  Six years and two kids later here we are.  At least that’s what I’m hoping it is.  We got in last night to a rustic mountain resort called The Hythe.  When we pulled up it looked like a castle from a Disney movie all lit up. It’s like we were in a fairytale from the moment we arrived.  We entered into a majestic grand entry.  Brown leather sofas surrounded an amazing circular fire place in the middle of the entrance. It smells of pine trees and cinnamon. Candles light on every side table, lights dimmed but still enough light to see the beautiful woodgrain wall that expands the entire back or the grand entry.  Chandeliers hanging from the cathedral ceilings made out of antlers and animal heads mounted to the back wall.  It is amazing.  After Noah checked us into our room we walk up the grand staircase, of course following suit with the rustic theme all throughout the resort. We enter a King suit with a beautiful king bed with a brown leather headboard, plaid blanket laid out across the bed and of course the deer antler chandelier above the bed.  A fireplace in the corner of the room just to the right of the French doors also hosts a deer head above the wooden mantle. 

                As I’m coming back to reality, I hear the door shut and Noah comes over handing me a cup of coffee from the coffee shop downstairs.  Last night was the best I had slept in weeks.  No kids crying in the middle of the night, nobody coming into our room scared and wanting to sleep with us.  I feel guilty for feeling that way but it’s still true.  It’s that dang “mom guilt” I call it.

“Thanks for the coffee” I say to Noah. “What’s on the agenda for the day?” I ask as I smell the cinnamon flavored goodness erupting out of the cup he just handed me. 

“I thought we’d start off with breakfast downstairs, then skiing until we are ready to come in and enjoy the fireplace and some fresh hot cocoa to warm up.”

“Ok, just let me get ready.” Me getting ready consists of a ponytail and mascara.  That’s it.  I’m very simple and low maintenance.  Some girls think skiing requires false lashes, finely sculpted brows and large dangly earrings.  That’s not me at all! I throw on my leggings and my oversized sweatshirt and off we go.  I know the snow pants I’m about to put on will keep me warm enough so leggings will be fine for me, even though Noah says I need to put on more clothes.  What does he know?

When I come out of the bathroom Noah puts his phone down quickly asking if I’m ready to go.  I give him an odd look but answer “yes, I’m starving.”

We go down to the breakfast area and get our food, they offer a breakfast buffet here that consists of eggs, bacon, sausages and other typical breakfast foods like bagels, toast, yogurt and fruit. It looks delicious but I always end up at the make your own pancakes area drizzling the maple syrup and butter all over my plate.

We finish our breakfast and enjoy the slopes for the entirety of the day.  When we get back to the room we quickly change for our supper reservations at the Resort Restaurant.  It’s elegant with white table clothes and candlelit tables.  The silverware is wrapped in cloth napkins with the napkin rings.  Once we are stuffed completely full the waiter brings out the dessert tray and as much as I’d like that Red Velvet slice of cake, I pass.  I’ve been trying to make better choices in hopes that this day would soon be here and it would be less work to fit into a wedding dress when the time comes.  Noah of course takes the last red velvet cake anyways, as he has no worries whatsoever about his growing figure but who am I to say anything about that.  I finish my wine as he finishes his cake and we head back to the room to change. 

“Hey Morgan, did you see that skating rink when we pulled up?” Noah shouts to me from the bathroom. 

“No, there was a skating rink?” I ask. When we pulled up I was in awe of the Disney castle looking resort.

“Ya, let’s go check it out. You can ice skate, right?”

“Of course I can ice skate.” The first date we ever went on was with another couple and we went ice skating.  It has been 6 years since then so I can see why he might not remember that, so I brush it off and we go skating.

The round skating rink is on the opposite side of the drive as we pulled in and on the far side of the rink is a tall, beautifully lit up Christmas tree.  It’s beautiful with the lights and all the laughter coming from the skating rink.  We get our skates laced up and he takes off around the outside of the rink ahead of me.  As he comes up behind me he grabs my hand and off we go.  This is my favorite version of Noah.  Holding my hand, spending quality time with me, it’s just us and nobody else in the world is here in this moment.  We come to a stop right in front of the Christmas tree and Noah looks into my eyes and kisses me. 

Thanks for reading!! If you would like to see another little teaser let me know! Or if you happen to know any world renowned Publishers or Editors… send them my way!! P.S. This is book 1 of a series I’d like to write if it can get some commotion!!