Free Finally Satisfied by Tori Scott

the console. “It
is. It’s so much more than I could have hoped for.”
    He released a pent-up breath. “I’m glad. I
was so worried about doing this. I should have called Vanessa and
asked her…”
    “No. I’m okay. This makes me so much more
than okay.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good
man, Mitch Turner. You almost make me wish I’d said yes all those
years ago.”
    He took her hand in his and kissed her palm,
then curled her fingers into a fist. “Hold on to that thought.”
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Angel’s breath caught as they started up the
mountain. The scenery was beautiful, beyond anything she could have
imagined. Television and movies didn’t do snow-covered mountains
justice. For someone used to the sunny skies and mostly warm days
of Austin, this was like another world.
    Houses dotted the landscape on the lower
levels of the mountain, but as they moved farther up, the pristine
white snow was broken only by trees and the occasional animal
track. She spent most of the drive with the passenger window open,
snapping pictures as they drove by.
    “Angel, close that window! We’re freezing
back here!”
    “Just a minute, mom. I want to catch the sun
in the trees.”
    “You can take pictures when we reach the
lodge. Now close the window.”
    Angel was beginning to regret agreeing to
share a room with her mother. As the wedding week had approached,
she’d gotten more nervous and snappy. Her dress didn’t look right.
Her haircut was too short. She hadn’t lost the weight she’d wanted
to. “Chill, Mom.” But she rolled up the window and tucked her
camera back into its padded case.
    Mitch smiled at her from the driver’s seat.
“I’ll drive you back down the mountain if you want more pictures
later. But I think you’ll find plenty to photograph at the
lodge.”
    “I know. I just wanted to document the trip.
I have enough pictures of this part, I think.”
    “Are you excited about this week? You’re
going to be very busy.”
    She nodded. “Excited. Nervous. Scared,
actually.”
    He glanced at her face, then turned his
attention back to the road. “Scared? Of what?”
    She twisted her hands in her lap. “I don’t
know how I’ll react to seeing Eric,” she said quietly so her mother
wouldn’t overhear.
    His eyebrows drew together. “Why would you
see Eric? He won’t be here.”
    Angel turned in her seat to look at him. “He
won’t? But…but I thought, since his kids were in the wedding…”
    “Where did you get that idea? Eric’s kids
aren’t in the wedding.”
    “Then who are the ring bearer and flower
girl? I thought…”
    Mitch shook his head. “You’ve worried about
that all this time? I wondered why you bolted out of the restaurant
that day. Erin’s kids are in the wedding, not Eric’s. His kids are
too old.”
    Angel sagged against the seat. Erin’s kids,
not Eric’s. Erin had only been twelve years old when everything
happened, too young to really even know what was going on. Angel
held no hard feelings against her at all. The dread she’d had for
the week ahead dissolved into relief. She hadn’t let herself think
about actually having fun, but now it didn’t seem like such an
unlikely prospect after all.
    She smiled happily to herself and turned her
attention to the scenery flashing past her window.
    ***
    Two hours later, Angel had changed into her
brand new ski suit, repacked her camera and lenses into a backpack,
and headed outside to catch the sunset. The others were still
settling into their rooms and making plans for the week. It was the
perfect time for her to do what she loved best.
    She snapped shots of the outside of the
lodge, children playing in the snow, cars snaking their way up the
mountain. She walked around to the back of the lodge and spotted
the lake in the distance. In a few minutes the setting sun would be
at the horizon. If she hurried, she could catch the reflection in
the water.
    She set off down the cleared path,