Epilogue
Snow fell steadily, gusting in swirls with the wind. Christmas morning had dawned cold and misty, the air heavy with the scent of impending snow. Jake looked out the window of Phoebe’s kitchen into the woods behind her house. The balsam boughs were heavy with snow. A stately oak, bare of leaves, stretched into the sky, its branches softly dusted with snow. A blue jay squawked and burst from the trees, landing on a bird feeder that hung in front of the kitchen window, its feathers a bright speck of color in the white background.
Phoebe walked into the kitchen, toweling her hair dry. Her dark curls hung around her shoulders. She was stunning. Not a speck of makeup on and her beauty shone through with her dark eyes sparkling, her lips bright and full, and her cheeks flushed. He
