Snowed Under (Aspen Peaks #2)

35. Epilogue Ten Years Later

F amily Matters Magazine Presents: One Family, One Lodge.

Ten years ago, we wrote our first column on Aspen Peaks Ski Lodge and were blessed to get to know Cooper Graves and Madeline Sage. They spoke of their first meeting, clearly still in the honeymoon phase of life. We learned about the upcoming annual ski competition and how they and their family were involved.

Now that we’re back in town for the newest ski competition, we thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and catch up with Aspen’s favorite ski-lodge power couple.

“Give us details. Tell us what’s new with you.”

Madeline Graves chose to answer this one. “Well, baby number two is on the way.” She placed her hands on her swollen belly. “A girl this time. Hopefully not as feisty as our first girl.”

Cooper interjected. “Hopefully just as feisty. Our Piper is a spitfire.”

“Tell us about the kids,” Chase said.

“Let’s see…Mini Coop—”

“Charlie,” Madeline supplied.

“Is my apprentice. He’s taking over our third position as children’s ski instructor at the lodge, focusing more on the younger groups. He always wants to be out on the hills. Our Piper is now thirteen, and she is very busy in dance lessons and overall just being Piper. She has her first boyfriend too—”

“Cooper threatened him when we took them to the movies.”

“She’s a smart kid, but still, I don’t like it. Then our first Mooper baby—”

“We don’t call ourselves that, by the way,” Madeline assured us.

“Grant is seven, and he is very into skiing, just like his brother was. And now we’ve got baby Lola on the way.”

“And the lodge?” Chase asked. “How is it going?”

They laughed simultaneously, and we had a feeling there was something there that only the two of them knew about.

Madeline chose to answer. “Thriving.” She smiled. “Never better. Two new onsite lodges have been added since we spoke last, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the mountain so busy.”

“So you two are keeping busy, then?”

“Mostly,” Cooper answered. “We’ve kept our positions all this time. Just with a little more flexibility now. With three kids and one on the way, we need light schedules. But the lodge is our second home. We’re always either on the slopes or in the sitting room by the fireplace.”

“You two seem so lucky to have found one another,” Chase remarked.

Cooper nodded. “She’s my Madeline.” He squeezed her hands and looked into her eyes. “I owe her everything.”

We are looking forward to interviewing the Graves family in ten more years, excited to see how their family and their love continues to grow beyond all bounds.

THE END.