Homecoming (59 page)

“Is this fun, or is this fun?” Lizzie demanded.

“This is fun. I’m going to need to lie down in about two minutes, but I’m having a ball.”

“Winter sports kinda kick ass,” Lizzie said. “I love summer, but this?” She held her hand out in front of herself, her pole dangling from her wrist, as she gestured at the vista. “C’mon!”

“No arguments. It’s quiet and peaceful and I feel like we’re all alone. And you know how I love to be alone with you.”

“You know,” Lizzie said, lowering her voice to speak conspiratorially. “If you were going to ask a woman to marry you, you could do a lot worse than dropping to a knee right here.”

Jill’s eyes nearly popped from her head. She must have looked as stunned as she felt, because Lizzie let out a long, hearty laugh. “No, I’m not proposing. I’m just saying…” Her smile was adorably cryptic, with Jill puzzling over her comments.

“What
are
you saying?”

“Just something to think about. You wouldn’t necessarily need an engagement ring, right? I mean, are you the engagement ring type?”

“I’ve never thought about it.”

She nodded. “Then you’re not. But you’d have to have something prepared. You know. Some romantic words to knock a girl off her feet.” She took her pole and gave Jill a playful whack across the seat. “I’m just giving you some food for thought.”

“Are you an engagement ring kinda girl?” She narrowed her eyes. “If I had to guess, I’d say yes.”

“You are correct!” Lizzie beamed at her. “So that’s something you’d have to consider. You don’t want to buy the wrong kind of ring. You’d look like a dope, right?”

“Oh, right. No one wants to look like a dope.”

“Right. So if that’s the kind of thing you’re thinking of doing, you might want to start doing some research. I know you’re a planner, so… Maybe you should get to planning.”

“I appreciate your insights. Just…you know…if I was thinking of doing something like that.”

“Yeah. Just in case.” She took a few small sidesteps, getting right next to Jill. Then she leaned in and gave her a long, sweet kiss. Her nose was cold, as were her lips. But that only lasted a moment. Then her lips molded to Jill’s and grew warmer as the seconds passed. Lizzie’s hand went to rest on the back of Jill’s stocking cap and she pressed gently, lengthening the kiss. Finally, she pulled away, but stayed very close. “You still love me, right?” she asked, the question having become an almost daily joke.

“I think so.” Jill closed her eyes halfway, then nodded. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure I do.”

“Okay then. Let’s get a move on and get back so we can drink some of that cocoa my mom made.”

“It’s a deal. Ready?”

“For anything,” Lizzie agreed, her laugh carrying across the broad expanse that lay in front of them. She took off, with Jill right behind, rushing to get in sync.

Proposing while they skied
would
be pretty cool. And while they both loved Sugar Hill, it would be awfully nice to be up at the top of a hill. Killington would be good. But Mt. Mansfield was a little taller. She’d have to do some research. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could just do on the fly. It was critical that they have peace and quiet, and were completely alone. Jill smiled as she thought of standing on a windy peak, surrounded by snow, looking down at miles and miles of natural beauty. It had to be special. As special as Lizzie was to her.
That
was going to be a tall order. But she was up to it. And if she couldn’t get it organized, Lizzie would drop a few not-so-subtle hints, since she clearly had it all worked out in her head. It would be a fantastic day. One to remember for the rest of their lives. Of course, today wasn’t half bad either. No surprise there. When Lizzie was next to her, every day was one to remember.

What comes next?

Read the epilogue at: www.briskpress.com/homecoming-epilogue.html

Novels

Arbor Vitae
All That Matters
Cherry Grove
Girl Meets Girl
The Lies That Bind
The Legacy
Doublecrossed
Smooth Sailing
How to Wrangle a Woman
Almost Heaven
The Crush
The Reunion
Inside Out
Out of Whack
Homecoming

Serial Novel

I Found My Heart In San Francisco

Awakenings: Book One
Beginnings: Book Two
Coalescence: Book Three
Disclosures: Book Four
Entwined: Book Five
Fidelity: Book Six
Getaway: Book Seven
Honesty: Book Eight
Intentions: Book Nine
Journeys:Book Ten
Karma: Book Eleven
Lifeline: Book Twelve
Monogamy: Book Thirteen
Nurture: Book Fourteen
Osmosis: Book Fifteen
Paradigm: Book Sixteen
Quandary: Book Seventeen
Renewal: Book Eighteen

Anthologies

Undercover Tales
Outsiders

Visit Susan’s website at
www.susanxmeagher.com

Go to
www.briskpress.com
to purchase any of her books.

facebook.com/susanxmeagher

twitter.com/susanx