Chapter 1
Sydney
I pressed my face against the cool window of Hunter’s private jet, watching the clouds drift by like cotton candy below us. The luxury of his jet still felt surreal: plush leather seats, crystal glasses, and a flight attendant who kept offering me champagne like she wanted to get me drunk.
“So,” I said, turning back to Hunter with what I hoped was my most innocent smile. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet? Because I’ve been very patient for someone who hates surprises.”
Hunter looked up from his laptop, his blue eyes sparkling. “Define ‘very patient.’ Because you’ve asked me approximately seventeen times since we took off.”
“No, it’s probably been about eighteen,” I corrected, grinning. “But who’s counting? Come on, just a tiny hint? Please?” I gave him my best puppy dog eyes, the ones that usually worked with him when I wanted something.
He chuckled and closed his laptop, giving me his full attention. God, I love this man. Even after everything we’d been through, Vegas, New York, our spectacular meltdown, and now this whole new chapter of our lives, he still looked at me like I was the most captivating thing he’s ever seen.
“Alright, I’ll give you one hint,” he said, leaning forward. “You’re going to need warm clothes, and I hope you packed some.”
I blinked. “Warm clothes? I thought we were going somewhere tropical. You know, beaches, piña coladas, me in a bikini making you forget about everything...” I trailed off, suddenly second-guessing everything. “Oh god, please tell me we’re not going to like, Alaska or the North Pole. Because I’ve seen those survival shows, and I am not equipped to wrestle a bear for our dinner.”
Hunter burst out laughing. “No bears, I promise. Well, probably no bears. I mean, I can’t control the local wildlife.”
“Hunter!” I swatted at him with the magazine I’d been pretending to read. “That’s not helpful! Warm clothes could mean anything. Switzerland? Antarctica? Are we going to see penguins? Because honestly, if we’re going to see penguins, I might forgive you for the whole mystery destination thing.”
“No penguins, unfortunately,” he said, trying to look serious but failing miserably. “But you might want to get some... ski-appropriate attire when we get there.”
My eyes widened. “Ski-appropriate? Hunter, I’ve never been skiing in my life! I can barely walk in high heels without falling on my face. You want me to strap wooden planks to my feet and hurl myself down a mountain?”
“They’re not wooden anymore. And it’s not that scary. You’ll love it.”
“Says the man who probably learned to ski before he could walk,” I muttered, but then grinned. For some inexplicable reason, I was getting really excited about it. “Okay, so we’re going skiing. Somewhere with mountains and snow and hopefully a lot of good hot chocolate because I’m going to need something to warm me up after I inevitably end up face-first in a snowbank.”
“The hot chocolate is world-class,” Hunter confirmed, reaching over to take my hand. “And I promise, no face-first snowbank experiences. I’ll make sure you get the best instructor they have available.”
I squeezed his fingers, feeling that familiar flutter in my stomach that he still gave me. “I’m so glad that we’re doing this. Our first real vacation together. Just the two of us, somewhere gorgeous and romantic, no work stress, no thesis deadlines, no family drama...”
Something flickered across Hunter’s face, but he tried to hide it. Then he was smiling again, bringing my hand up to kiss my knuckles. “It’s going to be perfect,” he said. “I promise.”
I settled back into my seat, barely able to contain myself.. A ski vacation! I’d never imagined myself as a ski bunny type, but then again, I’d never imagined myself as the type to get drunk-married in Vegas or move to New York or any of the other crazy things I’d done since Hunter Boyd crash-landed into my life.
“Switzerland?” I guessed, unable to help myself. “Italy? Whistler?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Hunter said, but he was smiling indulgently. “Try to get some rest. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us.”
Rest. Right. Like I could possibly sleep when I was this excited. I closed my eyes anyway, leaning against Hunter’s shoulder. It felt right that we were here together.
I must have dozed off at some point because the next thing I knew, Hunter was gently shaking my shoulder.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re about to land.”
I blinked groggily, straightening up from where I’d been using his shoulder as a pillow. Through the window, I could see mountains, and they weren’t just any mountains. These were huge mountains with snow-capped peaks that looked like something out of a postcard.
“Oh my god,” I breathed, pressing my face back against the window. “Hunter, this is... where are we?”
“The French Alps,” he said, sounding pleased with my reaction. “Courchevel, to be specific.”
I turned to stare at him, my mouth falling open. “The French Alps? Courchevel? Hunter, this is... this is like the most exclusive ski resort in the world! I’ve seen this place in movies! Rich people and royalty come here!”
“Well,” he said, grinning, “It was an impulse buy of mine a few years back.”
The landing was smooth, and soon we were disembarking into the crisp mountain air. I’d never felt air so clean and sharp before. Hunter had arranged for a car to pick us up.
As we wound our way through the mountain roads toward Courchevel, I couldn’t stop gawking. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking: snow-covered pine trees, charming chalets that looked like gingerbread houses, and mountains that seemed to stretch on forever against the brilliant blue sky.
“This is insane,” I murmured, watching the luxury ski chalets get progressively more impressive as we climbed higher. “I can’t believe this is real. I feel like I’m in some kind of dream.”
“Just wait,” Hunter said with a smile, and I caught him checking his phone.
We pulled up to what I could only describe as a mansion. Not just a chalet, a proper, honest-to-god mansion made of gorgeous stone and timber, with more balconies than I could count and windows that sparkled in the afternoon sun.
“Hunter,” I said slowly, climbing out of the car and craning my neck to take in the full scope of the building. “Is this where we’re staying? It must be a very expensive hotel.”
He came around to my side of the car, looking nervous. “Actually, this is my place. Well, one of my places. My little vacation home.”
“Your little...” I stared at the massive structure in front of us. “Hunter Boyd, if this is your idea of little, I’m afraid to ask what you consider big.”
Before Hunter could answer, the front door burst open and people came spilling out. Not just any people; they were my people. Addie was leading the charge, practically bouncing as she ran toward me, followed by Jake, Avery, Mia, and Chloe. Samuel was there too.
“SURPRISE!” they all yelled in unison.
I stood there for a moment, completely stunned, my brain trying to process what I was seeing. My best friends, here, in the French Alps, at Hunter’s ‘little vacation home.’
“What the hell?!” I shrieked, finally finding my voice as Addie tackled me in a very enthusiastic hug. “What are you all doing here? How are you here? I thought you were in Kansas planning for the holidays?”
“Change of plans!” Addie laughed, squeezing me so tight I could barely breathe. “Your amazing husband flew us all out here for a group vacation! Can you believe this place? It feels like a fairy tale!”
I looked over her shoulder at Hunter, who was watching my reaction with a smile. “You did this?” I asked, my voice coming out a little choked up. “You brought all my friends?”
He shrugged, trying to play it casual. “I figured you might like having them here. Make the vacation more fun.”
More fun. This man had flown my entire friend group to the French Alps because he thought it would make me happy.
I was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. This was what love looked like, wasn’t it? Not just the grand gestures, but the thoughtfulness behind it. The way he’d known exactly what would make me happy.
“Sydney!” Mia’s voice broke through my emotional moment. “Stop looking like you’re about to cry and come see this place! It’s absolutely insane!”
And it was. As my friends dragged me through the chalet, I felt like I was touring a celebrity mansion. Everything was gorgeous and elegant and perfectly appointed, from the massive stone fireplace in the great room to the gourmet kitchen that was the biggest kitchen I’d ever seen.
“This is the game room,” Avery announced, pushing open a door to reveal a space that had everything from a pool table to vintage arcade games. “And this is the wine cellar,” she continued, opening another door that revealed rows upon rows of bottles of wine.
“How many bedrooms does this place have?” I asked, feeling slightly dizzy.
“Eight,” Chloe said cheerfully. “Eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, and every single one is like something out of a luxury hotel. I’m pretty sure the guests bathrooms each have a chandelier.”
We ended up in what Hunter called the ‘casual’ living room, though there was nothing casual about the massive windows that offered a panoramic view of the snow-covered mountains. The sun was starting to set, giving us a view that almost looked like a painting.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I said for what felt like the hundredth time, settling onto one of the plush couches next to Addie. “Yesterday I was in St. Louis, trying to guess where we were going, and now I’m in a French Alpine mansion with all my favorite people.”
“Life’s funny like that,” Addie said, raising her glass. “One minute you’re living a normal life, and the next minute your friend marries a millionaire who has vacation homes in the Alps.”
“Billionaire,” Samuel corrected with a grin. “Let’s be accurate here.”
I looked around at all of them, my chosen family, the people who’d stuck with me through everything, and I was almost bursting at the seams. Addie and Jake making plans. Avery, Chloe, and Mia already planning to hit some nightclubs here, all excited. Samuel was mentioning some favorite skiing slopes to Hunter, who was sitting across from me, watching it all with this expression of quiet satisfaction.
Though now that I was really looking at him, I realized he looked a lot more relaxed. The tension in his shoulders he had since we left New York had disappeared.
Then I looked back at Addie telling a story about their flight over. I got caught up in the laughter and the warmth of the moment.
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” I asked eventually, now curled up next to Hunter on the massive sectional sofa. “Please tell me it involves someone teaching me how to ski without dying.”
“I’ve already arranged for instructors,” Hunter said, his arm tightening around me. “The best in Courchevel. You’ll be skiing like a pro by the end of the week.”
“Or at least like someone who can make it down the mountain without requiring medical attention,” Avery added helpfully.
“I’ll take it,” I laughed. “As long as there’s hot chocolate and a warm fireplace waiting for me at the bottom.”
“There will be,” Hunter promised. “And anything else you want.”
I looked at him. “You make me happy,” I said softly. “Thank you for bringing my friends here. This is incredible.”
“Good,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “All I want is for you to enjoy yourself.”
As the evening wound down and everyone started heading to bed, I found myself feeling grateful in a way that was almost overwhelming. Not long ago, I’d been convinced that my life was falling apart. The disaster in New York, the paparazzi, the fight, the way everything had seemed to crumble so spectacularly.
But here we were, in this beautiful place, surrounded by the people I loved most in the world. Hunter had given up everything for me: his job, his family business, his life in New York, and moved to St. Louis to start over. Now he was giving me this: a perfect vacation in paradise with my closest friends.
As I got ready for bed, I couldn’t stop smiling. Tomorrow, I was going to learn to ski. I was going to spend time with my friends in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I was going to make memories that would last a lifetime.
“Hunter, I just wanted to thank you,” I said to him as I climbed into bed beside him. “Bringing my friends here to spend the holidays with us, it’s one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me.”
He pulled me close, kissing me. “You don’t need to thank me,” he murmured into my hair. “You deserve the world, Sydney. I’m just trying to give you a small piece of it.”
I fell asleep that night feeling like the luckiest person alive, wrapped in Hunter’s arms. I had my friends here with me, I was in this incredible place, and I had the man I loved more than I’d ever thought possible. What more could I possibly need?
***
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— Cat
