"Hi, there you are," Lisa called to Jack as she closed the door and tried to shake off the cold. She rubbed her hands together, trying to get warm. Jack, with a smile on his face, gestured for her to join him at the fire he'd built. Happily, she discarded her coat and then moved quickly over and sat down next to him on that small sofa and gave him a quick kiss.

"How was the spa?" Jack asked with an inquisitive nod at her.

"Oh, so fabulous, thank you for that, Jack. It was really great."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Did you bail on ice fishing? That was fun this morning." It was now their second full day at Banff. They'd had a nice leisurely time the day prior, just enjoying talking, sitting by the fire, eating, taking a walk, and even taking the gondola up the mountain for some spectacular views. It had been the perfect, relaxing getaway for the newlyweds.

"Nah," he shook his head. "I stuck it out for another couple of hours after we had our nice lunch. With the sun going down, and the temperature dropping, I came back here about a half hour ago, so I haven't been here long. I enjoyed doing some ice fishing with you earlier. You have become quite the fisherman."

"I've had a really good teacher over the years, and well," she offered a playful shrug, "some pretty expensive equipment, which," she grinned and started to laugh, "does absolutely nothing if you don't actually know how to fish, so," she eyed him with a twinkle in her eyes, "I definitely attribute my fishing success to a great teacher. It was fun this morning. That's the first time I've ever been ice fishing."

"I did some years ago on the pond, but" he shook his head, "just a lot of trouble for what you get out of it. Here, someone else had gone to the trouble to set it all up, so I enjoyed it too." He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tightly toward him. Lisa reached for the blanket on the back of the sofa, and she situated it, getting comfortable.

"This has been really great, Jack, just getting away and relaxing. I'm so glad we could just take a break from the everyday craziness of life."

"Me too," he said with a firm nod. "We need to do more getting away like this," he turned his head to eye her, "to nature. Don't get any crazy ideas I am suddenly into travel."

She let out almost a snort as she laughed, nodding. "Hmm, yes, well, I don't want to jinx this, but we always did have some sort of mess with most of our trips. This might be a first."

"Cause we're married," he said in a chivalrous tone with a wink and a kiss to her check. She giggled at that, nodding in agreement.

"Is that so? Well, if we'd only done it sooner."

"Hmm," he sighed. "Don't get me started. "I'm sorry I hated France so much."

Lisa sat up and turned to look at him, a surprised look on her face, "That was years ago. What made you bring up that now?"

He tilted his head side to side, with a frown and gestured at her, "I just know how much you love it there and wanted me to enjoy it. You have that beautiful house there you bought, and I know you wish I was some jet-set type who wanted to go there with you. It's not you, really," he met her gaze. "I just hate travel like that."

"I know you do," she gave him a small smile and rolled her eyes. "To start," she put her hand on his chest, "I don't want to turn you into some jet-set type, as you said. I love you for who you are. It's a rare thing to find a man as genuine as you, believe me. As far as travel, I know it's just not going to be something we do together, and," she sighed slightly and paused, "I have come to terms with that. It makes me very grateful for experiences like this, things we can find to do together because that's what sharing our life is all about."

He nodded but continued, "I just know you had all of these plans to retire to France to spend your winters there, and you were doing some of that when I first met you. I just hope you don't look back and resent anything or think I'm holding you back, but I really hope you aren't going to plan to keep spending all of your winters there. Arizona would have been a lot better with you. I've told you that, and to be honest, it might be something I'd consider again with the right person along with me," he gave her a nod, and she nodded with a small smile as he spoke.

"Well," she leaned in and dropped her voice, "I will still travel to France. That I don't see changing anytime soon, but there's a big difference between traveling there for work and traveling there to live for months at a time. I'm okay going for work, maybe staying an extra week here or there, but I really love you. France was a good plan, but being happy and married is a better one. I can do some of both-travel for work and be back here at home. I remember a very long time ago telling you that I missed you when I traveled."

"Hmm," he chuckled nodding, thinking back to that conversation a long time ago. He smiled at her, "Oh, I was almost too prideful back then to say the same, but oh boy," he closed his eyes and shook his head, prompting Lisa to chuckle, "I miss you when you are gone now, more than you can imagine." She settled in back at his side, leaning her head on his chest.

"Well, that's nice to hear, and I miss you too, so much. I'd love to go to Arizona with you for part of a winter if you want to do that. Maybe we could find someplace quiet, away from people, and enjoy the warmth instead of the absolutely ridiculous Alberta winters. The older I get, the less I enjoy them."

"That is something we can definitely agree on," he said with a low chuckle. "Definitely not good for my arthritis either."

"Perhaps," she gave a single shake of her head, "we should file that away as something to consider next winter. Maybe we could look at going after the holidays for a month or two next winter. I'd enjoy doing that with you and seeing some of the Southwest. That's one area I haven't seen much of, so," she looked up at him and scrunched her face, "we could do that together."

"That we could," he chuckled too. Jack heard his phone go off, indicating a text. Lisa glanced at him and made a face.

"Who is texting you? You only like texting back and forth with me."

He nodded, "Someone who doesn't seem to know that." As he said that, Lisa's phone went off too, and she had hers in her pocket and shifted toward Jack to pull it out of her back pocket. Jack was opening his flip phone, trying to read the text, but he just grumbled, "I can't see anything without my glasses."

"Here," Lisa, gestured to him to hand her the phone while she looked at hers, "It's Tim, so we probably both got the same message. I'll read it."

Jack smirked at her, and she just grinned back at him with a hand gesture, "It really irritates you I don't need reading glasses yet."

"I needed them at your age! I mean, I admit, I don't want anything covering up those beautiful eyes of yours," he winked, "but really? You're 50 and don't need reading glasses yet. That's not even normal."

"Still 49, at least for now," she smirked, "and yes," she gave a playful shrug of her shoulder and grinned at him, "my optometrist says my eyes are very unique. Most everyone my age needs them. Maybe I won't."

He started to laugh and pointed at her, "That should be a bet. I bet you that you will need reading glasses, even if you don't yet. Everyone needs them."

"Alright," she said with a shake of her head, "I'll take that bet, what by the time I'm 55, 60? What?"

"I don't even know," he chuckled. "This is absurd, but it reminds me of another bet I need to collect on because I'm confident I'll collect on both bets now."

Lisa sat up, the text messages forgotten, and she frowned at him, "What, the bet we couldn't stand being together and would kill each other?"

Jack put his hands out in a gesture, "Clearly, I won. Hello, not only did we not kill each other, we got married. I'd say I won that bet. You were the one convinced we did better having time apart."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, it was a silly bet, and by the way," she threw up her hands, "we never agreed on what any winner would get. If you think about it, why would I have wanted to win? That would have meant that I was right that we couldn't stand being together."

Both looked at the other, and finally, they burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. Jack sat forward, leaning toward Lisa with a goofy grin on his face. She started to laugh as her eyes studied him.

"Lisa," he said raising his eyebrow at her. She giggled but played along.

"Yes, Jack?"

"I'm going to collect on that bet. I won fair and square since we haven't killed each other, and I convinced you to marry me."

"What would this collection entail?"

He paused a moment, thinking, and then he pointed at her, "I saw a wine bar up at the main lodge. I think we need to visit that here as soon as you warm up."

She raised her eyebrows at him with a small grin, "That's what you are collecting so to speak? Not that I'm complaining, but usually that entails the loser sacrificing something, for example, taking you to that hideous all you can eat steakhouse you like or something."

He closed one eye and nodded at her, gesturing with one finger, "You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll remember that when I win the reading glasses bet. For this bet, though, that's what I want," he shrugged. "It's no secret we both enjoy some great wines, and I'd like to take my beautiful wife to enjoy that early this evening. Maybe then, we can get some dinner and have a quiet night back here."

She pursed her lips, waiting to see if there was something he wasn't telling her, and when he sat back and just gazed over at her, she started to laugh. She finally gestured, "So, my 'punishment' so to speak for apparently losing this ridiculous bet is to enjoy wine with you and have a nice dinner."

He raised his hands in defense, and Lisa curled up to his side, resting her head on his chest again. She chuckled as she did, patting his chest, "You need some lessons on negotiation."

"That's why you are the high-end horse owner," he said, kissing her head. She laughed at that.

"Touche," she agreed. "I suppose I can suffer through that." As she said that, her phone went off again. "Oh! We completely got sidetracked and forgot to see what Tim wanted."

"I can't, not without my glasses, which are over on the bed," Jack grumbled. Lisa let out a snort and grinned at him while she pulled up her phone, reading the message.

"Jack and Lisa," Lisa started and gave Jack a smile while she continued to read, "sorry to interrupt your love shack." Lisa looked at Jack again and rolled her eyes. Jack sighed and shook his head while Lisa continued, clearing her throat, "If you can take a second to tear yourselves from each other, you will want to know that Amy accepted a job traveling with the price for his European tour. She's leaving on Thursday for a few months. Excuse me while I kick some sense into Ty for telling her she should go. Jack you need to be here to talk her out of it. Oh, the family was surprised to hear you took off with Lisa for work but I haven't said a thing. Lips are sealed."

Lisa bit her lip after reading the message and gave Jack a glance. He sighed, nodding his head as he processed it.

"Amy's going to Europe?" Lisa asked, as if they both hadn't just read that message. "Wow, that's quite the experience."

"Tim needs to stay out of it. That's Amy's decision, one she can make with Ty, not on any of us."

"Agree," Lisa nodded with pursed lips. She did eye Jack, "You know that prince looks at her with more than business on the mind."

Jack made a face and tilted his head back at Lisa, sighing, "No, really?"

Lisa nodded, patting his leg, "Lou and I both have seen it, and that doesn't mean Amy can't handle herself. She's very strong and independent, not to mention she loves Ty. I have full confidence in her, but I'm not entirely sure those motives are just work related as far as the prince."

Jack sighed, shaking his head, not wanting to hear that, but knowing Lisa was right. He frowned at her, "I suppose I need to call Tim and tell him to back off and let her be. He needs to realize that while he's her dad, she's grown and will do what she wants to do."

Lisa handed him her phone, "Be my guest. We both know Tim will ruin anything he touches. If Amy has decided to do this, well," she rolled her head, "trying to change her mind won't go well."

"Yes, I know," he sighed, trying to pull up Tim's number. Lisa took pity on him and reached over, dialing Tim, winking at him with a slight smirk about his not being able to see the phone.

"Tim," Jack put Lisa's phone to his ear. "Yes, it's Jack," he sighed loudly, and Lisa started laughing, covering her mouth. "Yes, Lisa's right here. It's her phone, and no, do not even start. You didn't tear us from a passionate afternoon, as you just asked."

Lisa leaned her head back on the couch and covered her face as she started really laughing. She stood and leaned over to kiss Jack on the cheek, gesturing she was going to use the bathroom while he dealt with Tim. He waved in acknowledgement and rolled his eyes at her as he continued the call. As she stepped away, she turned back to him with a glint in her eye and whispered so he could hear but not Tim, "Good thing he didn't call first thing this morning to get a different response from you." She smiled, and Jack tried not to laugh, but instead covered his face with his hand while he attempted to focus on Tim's call.

She waved and turned back to leave the room.