Chapter 1: The Drafty Cabin and the Dotted Line
The cold in Aspen never merely sat on your skin; it burrowed. It found the microscopic fractures in the window panes of our isolated mountain cabin, snaking its way across the hardwood floors to wrap around my swollen ankles. I sat heavily in the overstuffed armchair closest to the roaring fireplace, my hands instinctively cradling the massive, taut curve of my nine-month pregnant belly. A sharp kick from within made me wince, followed instantly by a soft, breathless smile. We’re almost there, little one, I thought, tracing the invisible outline of a tiny heel pressing against my skin. The doctor had been brutally clear last week: my blood pressure was climbing, the pregnancy was officially classified as high-risk, and any sudden spike in stress could trigger an early, dangerous labor.
I pulled the wool blanket tighter around my shoulders. I was supposed to be resting, but a low-humming anxiety had taken residence in my chest over the past few months. Carter told me it was just nesting hormones, the natural paranoia of a first-time mother.
“Here you go, sweetheart.”
Carter’s voice, smooth as aged bourbon and twice as intoxicating, pulled me from my reverie. He strolled into the firelight, the perfect picture of a ruggedly handsome, devoted husband. He wore a thick cashmere sweater that cost more than my first car, carrying a steaming mug of decaf peppermint tea in one hand and a thick stack of stapled legal documents in the other. He set the mug on the side table, the porcelain clinking softly against the coaster, and knelt beside my chair.
“What are those?” I asked, eyeing the dense blocks of text.
Carter offered a practiced, reassuring smile, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. “It’s just a precaution, Audrey. Nothing for you to stress your pretty head over.” He placed the heavy stack on my lap, resting a sleek silver fountain pen on top. “With the delivery being so high-risk… well, our financial advisors were pretty insistent. They suggested we secure a comprehensive life insurance policy.”
I frowned, the word ‘insurance’ hanging heavily in the pine-scented air. “Life insurance? Carter, we already have basic coverage.”
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