Two months ago. August

On our third morning at Whistler, the sun was out, it reflected off the powder white slopes. People covered the mountain, the sound of skis and snowboards crunching the snow and the monotone drone of the chair lifts was white background noise.

Ashley had decided to join us, and by decided to, I mean, I had to bribe her with a new espresso machine she'd had her eye on for months but couldn't afford. Skiing wasn't her idea of a vacation.

She had no problem sitting in the village cafes next to the fire place with a coffee though.

Other than that, it was like pulling teeth to get her on a board. Which in the end, wasn't so bad because Sadie wasn't particularly interested in doing the slopes either.

On our first afternoon, Kinsley and I watched Lottie so she could go for a ski with Ashley. Neither of them came back with enthusiasm for more. So today, after waffles, berries and bacon, we went to the base of the mountain and got organised to split off.

Ashley, Sadie and Lottie would go to the kids slopes and watch Lottie ski some mini jumps and Kinsley and I would go to the top of our favourite trail and board. We'd meet up for lunch later.

Lottie stood next to her mom in a little blue snow suit, looking super cute. She smiled at me and jumped.

It wasn't particularly amazing, she just jumped in the air, landed again and then smiled like she'd done the most impressive stunt in the world. Which was how I responded.

"Sick jump, kid," I said, standing with an arm around Kinsley.

She'd whipped her gloves off and was furiously replying to an email from work, mumbling apologies about the distraction and the morons she had to deal with.

Lottie was warming up to me. She was still a quiet, reserved kid and didn't have a lot to say but she liked it when I threw berries into the air and caught them in my mouth. She also loved it when I bought her a pair of gloves that lit up with twinkling lights when she clapped.

Ashley was sitting on a bench seat, arms folded, people watching with a dead straight face. She looked like a hostage who wanted to be anywhere else but here. I did see her crack a smile when Lottie started doing snow angels though.

"No don't call me," Kinsley snapped, jabbing the decline button on her phone. "I'm on vacation you stupid fuckin—"

"Language," Lottie sent her aunt a scolding look and I couldn't help but laugh.

It was tempting to tell Kinsley to turn her phone off but I wasn't going to tell her how to do her job.

Someone in a sled flew past us then, almost knocking Lottie off her feet. There were mounds of snow down here but none of the actual activities were supposed to happen in this space. It was a gathering point and I knew dude had fucked up when Kinsley lifted her goggles onto her head and moved away from me.

"What the fuck cunt?" She shouted. The sledder had come to a stop and twisted, looking over his shoulder.

Ashley looked ten times more amused than she had before.

"Kins—" Sadie said, reaching for her sister's sleeve just to be shrugged off.

"Are you thick? You could've knocked her over. Take your sled up the mountain you fucking idiot."

The guy stood up, looking to be in his early twenties and despite my girl giving him the full wrath of her hatred, he appeared smug and unconcerned.

"I missed her, didn't I?"

Kinsley threw her goggles down and started toward him. People near by were watching now, but it was obvious a lot of the parents with small children were in agreement as they glared at him with disgust.

"He's been doing it for hours," a woman sitting in the snow with her toddler added.

It was tempting to let Kins pummel this dude, but it'd get her into trouble and as much as I believed she could hold her own, I didn't want her to get hurt. I followed after her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder before she could reach the smug little asshole.

"Come on, babe," I murmured, kissing her head. "Lottie's fine."

"Not the point," she tried to shrug me off as I turned us in the opposite direction. "He's putting people in danger because he's a fucking immature little twat."

"Ooh," the guy taunted from behind us. "Fat bitch."

I was probably going to regret this.

I let her go, turned around and went toe to toe with the little shit. He had considerably less to say when I pushed the back of his head down and met his face with my knee. He crumpled into the snow, groaning and clutching his nose.

It was fast, swift and I was walking back to Kinsley before he even had a chance to get up again. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and lead her away from the shit head. He'd be fine. Bit sore but he'd think twice before running his mouth again.

Kinsley looked up at me as we walked back to the others. "You're so hot."

I laughed. "What?"

"I love it when you get aggressive. Watching you this season is going to kill me."

I kissed the top of her head. "Alright, I'll antagonise the fuck out of everyone so I get swung on."

"Foreplay for when we get back to the hotel."

"Mmm, you'll have to nurse me, babe."

Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, her eyes full of erotic thoughts and intentions. Fuck, I'd end up hard if I didn't pin this conversation.

Ashley and Sadie were standing together, Lottie was building a snowman, expertly positioned so she wouldn't have seen what just happened.

"You two are unhinged!" Sadie whisper shouted.

Ashley gave us a thumbs up. "That was romantic."

"You think I'm going to let some little egotistical bitch boy put my niece in danger and mouth off at me?" Kinsley stared at her little sister. "No. No I'm not. Fuck him and his sled. Now, where did my goggles go?"

I picked them up off the ground and brushed the snow off the lenses before I put them on her head. She grinned at me while I positioned them on her face, giving her a kiss when I was done. We both sat down in the snow so we could watch the others head over to the chair lift.

"Cuties," Sadie said, aiming her phone at us.

I grabbed Kinsley's scarf, pulling her into me so I could kiss her.

It was a chaste kiss, once, twice, three times. On the fourth I could feel her smiling lips and I lingered a bit longer, savouring the taste of her happiness.

"Kissing," Lottie shouted, her little high pitched voice was disgusted.

The last four and a half months with this woman had taught me so much about what I wanted in life. It was fucking unexpected but she came along and she fit in a space I didn't even know was there.

All I'd ever given a lot of thought to, was hockey. I had no plan for the future or where I saw myself in the next five years. Dating had always been fun, sure, but it never made me feel the way I do when I was with her.

With her, I wanted the entire fucking ride. Life was good before, but now it was beautiful. My family loved her, the team loved her, I loved her.

"You wanna race me to the bottom of the slope today?" I asked Kins, leaning in and feathering her cheek with kisses.

"Race?" she said, her voice all tight and breathless, just how she sounded when she was flustered. "You don't want me to embarrass you like that, babe."

I laughed, forever amused at her unapologetic confidence. It was one of the best things about her.

"How about a wager?" I suggested. "If I win, we get married."

She recoiled, amused disbelief made her jaw drop. "Shut up."

"That's not a no."

"You wouldn't win so it's irrelevant," she said, flipping me off with a big smile. We both laughed and I decided not tell her her how serious I was being.

We could get hitched right now, on this mountain. I didn't see the point in prolonging the inevitable, but even if it took another six months, twelve, fifteen, it'd still be her. So I could wait, if that was what she wanted.

Kins and I took a chair lift to a higher peak, she snapped a good dozen selfies and I kissed her, as often as I could. During our stay, we kept our goggles and beanies on, scarves secured around our chins.

When we wanted to eat, we ordered room service. It wasn't convenient but we were making it work and we were having a good time. It was a fucking relief not having to deal with fan photos and being stopped all the time. I was grateful for that appreciation but the reprieve was welcomed.

Up on the chair lifts though, we uncovered our faces and made out like teenagers.

Kinsley, not surprisingly, was incredible at snowboarding and she looked fucking outstanding in her fitted snow suit. It cinched at her waist and hugged her butt.

When we got to the peak, we jumped off the lift and started down the mountain. It was a fucking terrible idea for me to snowboard next to this woman because all I wanted to do was watch her.

Perfect form, perfect technique, ten out of ten ass.

She could've won, except, I had a wager to win and so I pushed myself, the black and blue board slicing through the snow as I streamlined past her and made a point not to check out how pissed she was.

At the bottom, I flicked the board to the side and came to a stop, showering a shrub with snow. Kinsley came flying into a stop beside me and whipped off her goggles.

"No," she said.

"Wife?"

Her composure broke with an abrupt laugh. "Phoenix, no."

"Wife for life?"

"I've been engaged before and it didn't end well," she said, legs spread with her boots clipped to her board. It was hard to take her seriously when she looked like a marshmallow in her pink snow suit.

"We won't get engaged then," I said. "We'll skip that part and go straight to marriage."

"This isn't a loophole scenario, Phoenix. You can't loophole marriage."

"I see no issue."

She tipped her head back and sighed, as she often did when she'd had enough of my shit.

"I'll let you think about it," I said, leaning down to un clip my boots. "You sleep on it. We'll circle back to it later."

She let out an exasperated laugh and pulled her beanie down so it covered half of her face. "You're relentless."

Leaving my board, I walked through the snow and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her in for a rough kiss. My other hand lifted her beanie off her eyes before slipping down into her soft strands. She melted into me, gripping my biceps. I loved it when she held me like that, like she'd fall if she let go.

"Mrs Kinsley Maverick," I whispered against her mouth and when I heard her breath catch and her grip on me tightened, I didn't say anything. I just enjoyed the fact that she liked the sound of it.

Later that evening, Kinsley and I came back to the apartment unit we were renting in the village. It was a three bedroom with a patio looking over the cobble stone streets. The mountains were covered in snow and Tivoli lights zigzagged between rooftops. It was pretty fucking magical.

Ashley and Sadie were sitting on the patio, wrapped in woollen blankets with a bottle of bourbon on the picnic table between them. Lottie must've been in bed.

Giving Kinsley a smack on the ass, I followed her to the table and we sat down. Me next to Ashley, and her next to Sadie.

"We can watch Lottie if you want to go out," I offered, looking between our sisters, who seemed to be getting on well.

"Nope," Sadie said, her eyes drooping and red. She gave me a lazy grin. "Thanks for offering but I can't be bothered with people."

"I second that," Ashley tapped the bottom of her glass on the table and then threw her shot back.

"What's the occasion?" Kinsley asked, pouring herself a shot.

"We don't need an occasion to drink," Ashley scoffed. "We're adults in a ski resort with a view of the village. Getting drunk is the only thing to do."

"Well—"

"Don't tell me there's other things I could be doing," Ashley warned, cutting me off with a glare. She pointed her black manicured finger at me. "I spent the day watching a child fall off two feet tall snow slopes and pretended to care. I've earned this drink."

"Hey," Sadie looked at her with offence.

"Oh come on," Ashley said. "You were laughing too. She's adorable but her co ordination could use some work."

Sadie gave a slight shrug of agreement. "She can draw well."

"Well thank goodness," Ashley said.

I glanced over at Kinsley and saw her watching me, her lips glistened with the remnants of bourbon and her loose waves sat in a mess at her shoulders. My heart picked up at the flush in her freckled cheeks and the heat in her stare.

"Bourbon makes me—" she was cut off when Sadie slapped a hand across her mouth.

"We don't need to know what Bourbon makes you," Sadie warned. "Go inside if you want to fill Phoenix in on your aphrodisiacs."

My brows lifted and Kinsley started laughing. We sat outside for a while longer, despite the warning. Kinsley didn't have another shot but Sadie and Ashley managed to drink half a bottle between them. Our conversation was accompanied by white clouds of breath from the crisp night air.

Kinsley's legs rested between mine under the table and for a while, she sat on her phone, tapping at the screen, her fingers pale from the cold.

"Work?" I asked.

"Mhmm."

Ashley and Sadie were roaring with laughter over a video on Sadie's phone and when I caved and decided to check mine, I saw a message from Leighton.

It's still available. Looking at around 500k. That's taking it as it is. Any development will cost extra. You gonna tell me why you want to know?

Leighton's ex girlfriend was a hot shot real estate agent in Vancouver. She sold me the apartment I'm in now. Even though the two had called it quits two years ago, after a five month relationship, she still helped him out if he needed it. Sweet girl who didn't hold a grudge.

Suppose she wouldn't when she ended up married to some dude who designs and sells million dollar boats and kisses the ground she walks on.

Can't tell you yet, but come on, use your imagination. Thanks for the info man. See you tomorrow when we get back.

Kinsley put her phone down and smiled at me, folding her arms and resting them on the table top. "Should we go to bed?"

I stood up. "You don't have to ask, babe."

"To sleep," she said, standing as well. I took her hand and laughed.

"We can do that too."

Pausing, she looked at the girls who were still in a fit of laughter, sharing videos back and forth with each other while they fell into hysterics. I'd never seen my sister in such a state before. At least someone brought her out of her shell.

"But just in case," Kinsley said. "Are you two planning on being out here for a while?"

Neither of them answered her. Their laughter had become the silent, knee slapping sort.

"I'd assume so," I said, tugging my girl along. Inside it was dark apart from the soft glow of a nightlight for Lottie.

Kinsley popped her head into the little girl's room and checked that she was still fast asleep, which she was.

"I guess I'm on night shift if she wakes up," Kinsley whispered, closing her door with a soft click. "Not that she does."

After we dressed and brushed our teeth, we slid into the big plush bed. The glow of the village lights hummed outside of our bedroom window, the snow covered mountains could be seen. Kinsley faced the window, I spooned her and we watched. My hand ran up and down her thigh as I pressed a kiss on her neck.

I would never get enough of this, of her, of the closeness. Her body molded to mine, she fit so well and she smelled so good and if I fell asleep like this for the rest of our lives, I'd be the fucking luckiest man alive.