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  “It was a surprise.” She leaned back and looked up at me. “The proposal. I thought we were a year away from marriage talk, especially since what happened at Preston’s wedding.”

  I stiffened.

  “I thought we resolved all of that.”

  “We have. But, it was still a surprise.”

  Her words hit my heart like a hammer. I dropped my arms and stepped back.

  “Don’t freak out on me.” She sighed. “I want to marry you.”

  “You’re telling me not to freak out.” I gripped my chest. “You think you’re projecting a little bit.”

  “Maybe.” She grabbed my hand. “No. I’m not freaking out. All I’m saying is give me more then twenty-four hours to enjoy being engaged before we move on to the wedding. Is that all right?”

  She hugged me again.

  “Of course it’s all right.” I kissed the top of her head. “I want you to enjoy every bit of it.”

  I thought about Kate and Preston. By the time the wedding rolled around, she was sick of it.

  Callie yawned.

  “You’re tired.”

  “I need a vacation.” She nodded.

  “Well, that’s good, because in four days, we will be on one.”

  “I can’t wait.” She hugged me tighter, tilted her head up and stood on her toes.

  I leaned over and kissed her.

  She smiled and I kissed her again. I loved that smile on her face.

  The goal was to keep my fiancée smiling. That was my only job.

  “Can you do something of for me?” She asked.

  “Anything.”

  “Can we wait until after we get back from Aspen to tell people?”

  “Sure.” I nodded.

  “I just want to hang out and relax and have a nice quiet vacation.”

  “As much as you can with Preston and Kate Clark as our travel companions.”

  “And two dogs.”

  “Three dogs, they're bringing their new addition.” I pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

  “Four people, three dogs and how many assistants?”

  “None. The house has a staff, but other than that we are on our own.” I played with one of her red curls.

  “Kate’s okay with that?”

  “Kate prefers it.” I ran my hand through her hair. “It’s Preston who’s going to have an issue. If his wife’s not around to do stuff for him, he would usually ask his assistant.”

  “Oh great. I’m going to be the back up.” She leaned her head on my chest.

  “Nope Caliente.” I kissed her cheek. “You belong to me.”

  She giggled and kissed me back.

  Yip Yip.

  Nip stood at the bottom of the stairs behind Valentine. She was covered in leaves and dirt. She attempted to jump up the steps, but tumbled backwards.

  Nip groaned.

  “Oh Val.” Callie said.

  She went to the bottom of the stairs and scooped Valentine in her arms. She carried her back up, Nip close on her heels.

  “Don’t worry. You won’t be little for long.” She kissed her nose as she cleaned the dirt out of her fur.

  I looked down at Nip.

  “You are no help.” He stared up at me and barked.

  We all walked back into the house.

  “Breakfast will be ready in an hour,” Callie said.

  She retrieved the steak from the fridge.

  “I’ll be back in an hour. You need anything?”

  “No, just don’t …”

  “I know.” I held up my hand. “No more telling people we’re engaged until after Aspen.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I nodded.

  She rolled her eyes at me.

  I grabbed her from behind and held her to me while attacking her neck with kisses.

  “Noah.” She squirmed in my arms.

  Both Nip and Valentine barked.

  “See. You’re upsetting the children.” The little dogs jumped around at our feet.

  “I’ll be right back.” I kissed her cheek and headed toward the front door.

  I felt better. She was tired. It was like when I switched from college to the pros. In my rookie season, we’d played twelve games. My body was a wreck and we still had four more games to go.

  Last year, Callie and I were lounging on a beach in the south of France. What a difference a year made?

  Five

  Callie

  I managed to table the wedding talk and finish up a few assignments so I wouldn’t have to deal with school over the break. I’d been to Aspen with my family in the winter for skiing. I’d never been when there was no snow on the ground. Noah assured me I’d love it. He knew me and what I needed. I knew him, too.

  Maybe that was the reason the whole engagement came as such a surprise. I didn’t see it coming. I loved looking down and seeing the ring on my finger, but I was in shock over the whole wedding thing.

  Four days later we took a car to LaGuardia Airport. We were flying to Aspen on a private. With two dogs and this being Valentine’s first trip on a plane, we didn’t want her cooped up the whole ride. It sounded ridiculous and awfully expensive to bring our little family across the country, but when I mentioned it to Noah, it made perfect sense to him.

  I put the dogs on a leash and let them do their business before we boarded the plane.

  Valentine stayed close. Nip saw new territory to explore. He went as far as the leash would allow.

  “Callie.” Noah motioned. “Wheels up in five minutes.”

  I nodded. I grabbed Valentine and pulled Nip along. We ascended into the plane. It was a twelve seater Gulfstream. The interior was comfortable with plush beige leather seats and wood paneling.

  “Wow.” I said as I took a seat in the second row seat. Noah sat down next to me. Nip jumped up into his lap.

  “It’s nice, right.”

  “I could get used to this.” I sunk into the seats. “Can we afford to buy a private plane?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  “Well, we couldn’t do it until I turn twenty five. I don’t think I could convince my father it was necessary and approve the funds. Of course it would probably give him a heart attack, he’d drop dead and then we could afford two planes.”

  “Welcome.” The captain came from the cockpit. Noah stood and shook his hand. “My name is Captain Clancy and this is Captain Drones. Stephanie and Grace will be taking care of you on our flight to Aspen.” The captain pointed to the flight crew behind him.

  “Hi. I'm Noah and this is Callie.”

  “Who are the two little ones?” Grace bent down and scratched Nip’s nose.

  “Nip and Valentine.”

  “Oh my goodness. How cute?” Grace said as she stood up and straightened her skirt and blinked her fake eyelashes at Noah.

  “Flight time to Aspen is about three hours and twenty minutes.” He tilted his hat at me. “We’ll conclude final flight check and be on our way shortly.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Grace put her hand on Noah’s forearm.

  “Is there anything we can get you before we take off.” Her tone made me sick. I sat Valentine on the ground and stood up.

  She had her other arm across her body. I reached out with my left hand and squeezed her arm.

  “You know. We’d love a glass of champagne,” I said and put my hand to my chest and wiggled my ring finger. It was all involuntary. I swear.

  “Sure no problem.” She gave a meek smile and walked to the back of the plane.

  “What happened to not telling people we’re engaged?” Noah guided me back into my seat.

  I flopped down and huffed. Good thing he stopped me before I backslapped Grace with my ring to make sure she saw it.

  “I didn’t say a word.” I said and giggled.

  Stephanie returned with our champagne.

  Noah rolled his eyes, but laughed.

  “What were we talking about?” I asked.


  “Money. What is your father worth?” Noah asked.

  We never talked about money. I knew what he made, but with endorsements and no knowledge of how he spent his money before we met, I didn’t know much else.

  “I think his companies are worth sixty million, give or take a million,” I said. “I know it’s a crazy amount, but it’s just a number. It’s not real. Why? How much are you worth?”

  “Uhm. I could probably scrape together twenty million cash. Give or take a million. With my new contract, sixty, eighty mill if I play it out.” Noah said.

  My eyes grew wide without meaning to. The numbers sounded huge.

  When Noah signed with the Giants it was a one-year deal for three million. He had an unbelievable season and they signed him to an extension, sixty million for five years. The way the NFL salary cap worked, sixty million wasn't sixty million.

  “What? You thought it was more?” Noah asked.

  “No. I was thinking less.”

  “Well, I haven’t spent any of it.” Noah took my hand.

  “What about your house in San Diego?” I sipped my champagne.

  “David put it on the market last month and it sold in three days.” David was Noah’s assistant.

  “You didn’t tell me that?”

  “I thought I did.” Noah shrugged his shoulders.

  “Any other assets I should know about?” I asked.

  “Besides the rock on your finger,” Noah grinned. “Nope.”

  I shook my head.

  “Your dad’s house?”

  “He bought and paid for it with his own money when I was a kid.” Noah face beamed and he raised his head.

  “Do you send him money at all?” I asked.

  “Just the commission he earns with handling my money. He won’t take it.” Noah shifted in his seat. “My mom had a life insurance policy, so.”

  “Oh.” I took his hand. “I’m sorry. Am I being nosy?”

  “No. You’re going to be my wife. You should know these things.” Noah kissed my hand.

  “Well, my only assets are the trust fund.” I said with air quotes. It was held over my head by my parents since they started making money. “Which I will have full access to in less then two years. I can’t wait. I should go out and blow it all on the first day.”

  “How about we roll it back into a trust fund for our kids?” Noah asked.

  I looked down and found Nip and Valentine sitting quietly at our feet. Nip gnawing on a bone and Valentine gnawing on Nip's foot.

  “How much you think a Chihuahua needs to live off of?” I giggled and took a sip of my champagne.

  “Not those kids.” Noah turned in his seat. “I mean our kids.”

  I coughed.

  Noah took the glass out of my hand and helped me sit up. The champagne went the wrong way. I forgot how to swallow.

  “Kids.” I whispered as the burning in my throat dissipated.

  “Yes. Kids. You want kids don’t you?”

  “Well, yeah. I do. In theory.” I said and shook my head. I reached for the glass.

  Noah held it out of my reach.

  Yes. Of course I want to have your babies. Just not anytime soon.”

  He frowned and handed me back the glass.

  “So when is not anytime soon over?”

  “You want kids now?” I grimaced. The champagne had turned sour.

  “Not now. But, I do want them.” His head faced away from me.

  “How many?” I sat the glass down, pulled his arm so he would look at me. “Exactly?”

  “Two.”

  I nodded in relief. I leaned back on the seat and rested my head. It blocked my view of Noah.

  He scooted up in the seat and looked back at me.

  “Two’s good.” I said and smiled.

  Noah was an only child. I’d half expected him to say some ridiculous number like ten.

  “What did you think I was going to say?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere between two and ten.” I ran my hand through his hair. “Our kids are going to be so cute.”

  Noah leaned in. His face inches from mine.

  “I hope they have your hair.”

  “No. No more red hair. It’d hate for them to deal with being a ginger in this society.” I shook my head.

  “You didn’t do too bad.”

  “Are you kidding?” I laid my hand on his cheek. “I cut my hair off once because I hated it so much.”

  “No way.” Noah’s eyes grew wide. “How old where you?”

  “Eight.” I shuddered. I could hear my mom yelling at me about ruining myself. I could hear my sister Dani in the background laughing. She had beautiful blonde hair.

  “I bet you were so cute.”

  “People keep confusing me with a boy.” I ran my hand down his strong jaw. “Dani called me Calvin for years.”

  Noah laughed and licked him lips.

  I stared at his lips as he stared at my face.

  “I hope they have your freckles. All four hundred and eighty of them.”

  I blinked and shook my head. His lips landed on mine. His soft, sweet kisses made everything okay.

  Six

  Noah

  We touched down in Aspen. The dogs were fine, but anxious to get out of the flying tin box. Callie had mellowed. The champagne helped. It always did, but she only drank it when we traveled.

  Little doses of jealousy where good for a relationship. It got her to admit to a stranger we were engaged.

  Callie’s behavior was out of character, but it was fun to watch.

  “When do Preston and Kate arrive?” Callie asked as we exited the plane.

  “They’re already here. We’ll meet them at the house.” I answered. I put Nip on his leash and Valentine in the travel pack. We exited the plane. The ground crew already loaded our luggage in the waiting car.

  “Good afternoon Mr. Patrick, Miss. Blake.” A tall gentleman in a black Fox Creek polo and black slacks greeted us. “My name is Jerry. I’m the house manager and one of your drivers for the week. I’ll be taking you to the house when you’re ready.”

  “Hi Jerry.” Callie said and smiled.

  Jerry opened the back door of the black SUV.

  “Mr. And Mrs. Carter have about a twenty minute head start on you.” Jerry said and motioned us in the car.

  “How long is the drive to the house?” Callie asked.

  “About thirty minutes.”

  Callie looked down at the dogs.

  “There’s a dog park near the airport exit.”

  “Oh perfect.” Callie said.

  Jerry looked at his watch. I guess we were messing up his schedule. Our annual Aspen trip was packed with activities. We played golf, hiked, ate, drank, slept, and pontificated on the meaning of life. Last year we cancelled the trip.

  Callie and I were just getting started and he and Kate where in a fragile place. I thought the trip would be gone forever. That’s what happened when life got in the way.

  Christmas morning, I opened a gift addressed to both Callie and I. It was a little model of a house in the mountains similar to the one we stayed in on our first trip to Aspen.

  As we get older and wiser, some things change, some things stay the same.

  March 29 - April 4

  Aspen, Colorado

  Annual Carter, Patrick & Blake Family Trip

  When I showed it to Callie, she blinked back tears. Our trip was usually held in May, she was touched that he moved it to correspond with her Spring Break. Preston was considerate like that.

  We pulled up to the dog park. Both Callie and I got out.

  It was a small caged in grass area, ten foot by ten foot. We let the dogs out. Nip got right down business. Valentine had to explore a bit.

  I turned to Callie.

  Her face turned up, absorbing the sun.

  I pulled her into my side.

  “It’s beautiful,” she hugged me back, “but quiet here.”

  “Yeah. You get used to
it.”

  “How long have you two been coming here?” She tilted her head.

  “Since our rookie year.”

  “I’m sure those trips were eventful.” She smirked.

  “That first year, yeah. It’s calmed down considerably since then.”

  “What changed?” She stepped back.

  “Preston meet Kate his rookie year, they were off and on those first two years.” We walked to the edge of the park. “The first trip was during a really bad off time for them. He was going to make up for it by living like a big time NFL baller. Worked for me. But on the last day, we do this hike and that’s when he told me, he was in love.” I shook my head and laughed.

  “You must have been so disappointed.” Callie said.

  I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

  “You never had such an epiphany on the mountain top?” Callie asked.

  “I guess I didn’t need to. I found my heart in the city.”

  Callie giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  I hugged her tight and nuzzled her neck.

  She looked relaxed.

  “This is going to be an amazing trip,” Callie said.

  I leaned back and held her face. She looked happy.

  I kissed her and said a silent prayer, for a relaxing and drama free vacation.

  As we pulled up to the house, a staff of four people wearing the same polo and black slacks greeted us.

  “Noah, Callie.” Jerry pointed to us. “This is your staff for the week. Amy and Jen are housekeeping. Steve is in charge of activities. Malcolm will be your chef and Randa is the assistant manager. If you have any questions or requests you can ask either one of us. I believe Mr. And Mrs. Carter are waiting for you inside. We have snacks and refreshments set up in the kitchen.”

  After Jerry finished his speech in one breath. We all stood and looked at each other.

  “Nice meeting you all.” I said. It put everyone in motion. We all shook hands and Randa showed us inside while the rest of the staff got our bags.

  We walked into the house and past the stairs on the left, the house opened up into a massive living area with the view of the mountains in the back. The dinning room and kitchen were on the left. Preston and Kate stood next to the huge island covered in food.