“I knew this week would be hard for you, and I wanted to do something special.”
“What did you do, Mason?”
“You’ll see,” he said.
He wouldn’t even give me a hint as we drove to the rental. He simply told me to pack a few things, just items I would need for the next week. I did as he asked, but I had no idea where we were going.
We drove for about an hour, going deeper into the mountains. I was grateful for his truck and the chains on his tires on the switchback roads. My stomach was getting a little restless as the roads became more twisty. Mason was a good driver, thank God, because at times, there were no guardrails on the side and we were going up, up, and up with no end in sight.
“We’re here,” Mason said as we pulled into a driveway.
“Where’s here?”
“You’ll see in a second.”
We drove around a curve, and I gasped, sitting up taller in my seat. “That view… I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like that.”
We were at the top of a mountain, overlooking the valleys below. Snow-capped mountains glistened in the distance, covered in a blanket of whiteness. The icicles on the trees were like crystal ornaments, the sunlight glinting off them nearly blinding.
And off to our right was a cabin.
Mason parked the truck outside the cabin. “I knew you were going to be sad this week, so I asked Eli to watch over the critters for us and thought you would enjoy a vacation. I think they’re called babymoons? That’s what Emmy told me.”
I leaned over in the seat and stopped him mid-sentence with a kiss. His lips were warm against mine, and his beard tickled my face. I stroked his cheeks as I kissed him deeply.
“I love it,” I whispered against his mouth. “Thank you, Mason.”
“Anything to help you relax,” he said. “You deserve it after all the shit you’ve been through the last six months or so.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “No one has ever been so kind to me before,” I said, choking on my words.
His fingers grazed the side of my face. “You deserve it all, and more,” he said softly. “And just so you don’t have to worry, there’s a hospital in the town not too far from here. Just in case.”
“Just in case, yes. You’ve thought of everything.”
“I want to take care of you, Danielle.”
“Thank you.” My voice was almost too soft for him to hear. I leaned my face into his palm and cherished the feeling of his rough skin against my face.
“Are you ready to go inside? I think you’re going to love the view from the inside even more,” he said.
“Oh yes, of course.”
He helped me out of the truck and made sure to keep a good grip on me as we walked up the steps into the cabin.
“The caretaker said he would start a fire before we arrived, so it should be warm and toasty for us.” Mason opened the door.
The fire was going in the stone fireplace on the other side of the room, and when I entered, it was the first thing I noticed. I looked around me and my eyes widened. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking a back porch, which seemed to be hanging over the side of the mountain, surprised me with the beauty. I walked over to the window, feeling a little shaky just looking at how close we were to the edge, but the view was to die for. Down in the valley was a giant lake turned to ice. Nearby, was a waterfall which appeared to be frozen with icicles hanging from the cliff above the lake. I could snow and mountains as far as the eye could see.
“Do you like it?” Mason asked, stepping up beside me.
“Like it? I love it!” I exclaimed, my voice hushed.
“Good,” he said. His voice wavered, and I looked over at him to make sure he was okay. And I saw something in his hand, what looked like a small box.
“Mason, is that…”
Before I could finish my sentence, Mason dropped to one knee and held out the little blue box. He flipped it open and my heart nearly stopped beating. My hands flew to my mouth as I gasped. My knees felt like jelly, and I had to steady myself against the window.
A massive diamond ring winked at me, glistening like the icicles on the trees outside and about as thick as some of them too.
My gaze moved past the diamond and stared deep into Mason’s eyes. I had sworn to myself that I would never get married again, that I could never trust again. But that was before I had met Mason Harvey.
“Danielle, will you marry me?” he asked.
He looked absolutely terrified. I couldn’t blame him. We hadn't really talked about getting married. I wasn’t even sure he’d wanted to get married until that moment.
But the answer was easy.
“Yes,” I said, tears streaming down my cheeks.
Mason slipped the diamond onto my finger, and I still couldn’t believe it. I had an engagement ring on my finger. A sight I never expected to see again. My heart fluttered, and I felt a bit weak. Mason was there, however, and he stood up and held me against his chest.
We kissed, our bodies shaking from excitement. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought he might be crying too. Our cheeks were wet, but we were smiling. I don’t think I had ever smiled so big in my entire life, in fact.
“And one more thing,” Mason said, speaking slowly. “If it’s possible, I’d like to see about adopting Skyler.”
The breath caught in my throat. I stared at him with the widest eyes, like a deer in the headlights as the cliche goes. “I would love that, but Greg is her father.”
“We’re taking Greg to court,” he said. “I know we lack proof of all the horrible things he’s done to you, but it’s only a matter of time before he does something abusive again. Eventually, Skyler will witness how he treats you or his anger will be aimed at her, and I know we both want to protect her.”
“I—I would love that, Mason,” I repeated. “I really would. And if we can find a way to sever his parental rights, I know you’d be a better father to her. I just don’t know how. He’s always been untouchable.”
I knew it was only a matter of time before Greg’s his narcissism affected our daughter. I feared for my daughter, especially when she became a teenager and defied him or wanted some freedom. What would happen when she started dating or having sex? Would he also call his own daughter a whore? I couldn’t be sure, and that gnawed at me every day, waiting for the day she came home from her dad’s hurt and reeling from his insults.
“We’ll see what we can do, that’s all I’m saying,” Mason said. “Because you’re not in this alone, you know. I’m here too.”
Accepting help had never been easy for me. But I nodded my head. I knew Mason better now; I knew the type of man he was. And I trusted him.
“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Mason said.
“No, please don’t be sorry,” I said. “I would never have accepted your proposal had I not thought of you as an ideal father-figure for my daughter. The love you show for her already is amazing to me, and I want nothing more than for us to be a complete family, for her to be raised by a kind, loving man like you instead of that abusive asshole. I just don’t know.”
“Shh, I know,” he said, his lips brushing against my forehead. “But we’ll figure it out, I promise.”
He held me close, kissing me softly, as we overlooked the beautiful scenery outside our window. All things considered, I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal, or a better fiancé.
My phone buzzed in my pocket a few moments later, and I frowned as I stared at the screen. “It’s Greg,” I said, feeling uneasy. I feared he might be up to something, or hell, that somehow he had cameras here at the cabin in the mountains.
I answered, my voice shaking. “Yes?”
“Mommy!” Skyler’s sweet voice responded.
“Hi honey,” I said, feeling some relief at hearing her voice instead of Greg. “What’s going on?’
“I just wanted to say I missed you,” she said.
“I miss you too, baby. Are you having fun at your dad’s?”
“Ehh, not really, but he said my cousins will be over on Thanksgiving.”
“Oh, I know you’re excited to see them.”
Skyler continued telling me about everything she’d done since arriving at her dad’s. Mostly she played by herself, drawing or reading a couple books he bought her. I could tell my daughter was bored, and that was likely the reason for the call. But hearing her voice reminded me that she was okay. There were worse things to be than bored, and she was in good spirits.
As we spoke, I heard shouting in the background. Greg’s voice. “Time’s up, Skyler.”
Skyler argued, “But I’m not finished talking to mommy.”
“You’re finished because I said you are. You do not defy me, you hear?”
Hearing that tone sent a chill through my body. Every hair stood on end. I heard some muffled sounds on the other end of the line, but then Skyler popped back on, her voice sounding sadder than I’d ever heard it before.
“Daddy wants to talk to you,” Skyler said, and my heart dropped.
“Okay, sweetie. Put him on the line,” I said. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Mommy.”
She barely got the words out before Greg swiped the phone away from her. He simply said, “Dani.”