by Toni Blake
“When did you do this?” she asked, shaking her head, still gaping at the beautiful bare winter trees decorated with Christmas ribbon.
“Over the last hour or so. I’m lucky no one glanced out a back window.”
Of course, there were much bigger questions. “But...how?” She shook her head once more, confused. “How can you do this? I thought you couldn’t.”
“I’m...actually not sure yet. But I’m gonna call the surveyors—have them come back out and reconfigure the lots in a way that leaves the hillside alone.”
She blinked. “But what about the money?”
“I’ll lose some.”
“Some?” She peered up at him, wide-eyed, at a loss.
“Okay, a lot actually. But it’ll be worth it to make you happy.”
She didn’t know what to say. Part of her was overjoyed, but another part of her worried. “Beck, I’m not sure I can let you do this.”
“You’re not?” he asked, drawing back his chin in disbelief. “After the millions of times you asked me to?”
“Well, now that you’re doing it,” she explained, “I’m concerned. Because you haven’t worked out the details and what if it’s worse than you think financially?”
“Just trust me to get it figured out, honey. I’ll make it happen, one way or another, and it’ll be okay. I promise. I want to do this for you. For Meg and your family, too. But mostly for you. I want to make you happy. Whatever it takes.”
“Oh, Beck,” she said. “You do make me happy.”
Though despite getting what she’d wanted for all this time, she suddenly found it hard to let go of the concern over his monetary loss here—he’d worked hard for all he had and she didn’t want to be the cause of his financial ruin. And yet...he was doing such a kind, amazing, perfect, giving thing for her, so maybe she just had to trust him that it would be all right and graciously accept.
“You’ve made me the happiest woman on the planet right now,” she told him. “And it’s not just about the trees. I mean, it is—it’s about the trees. But it’s also because...you really love me. Enough to give me what you know is important to me, enough to move heaven and earth for me and my family.”
“I’m hoping you’ll give me something in return,” he said warmly.
“What’s that?”
“A yes.”
“A yes?” She blinked. “To what?”
Standing next to her in the snow, Beck drew in a deep breath, and for the first time since they’d met, she thought he actually looked nervous. “I know this is going to sound a little crazy, and fast—but it’s Christmas, so I’m hoping for a miracle because I want you to marry me.” Then he dropped to one knee in the snow. “Will you, Lila? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” she said. She didn’t even have to think about it. And maybe it was a little crazy, but it didn’t feel that way.
As she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him, he picked her up off the ground—and she heard Meg say, “You’re right—I’ve missed some things.”
They both looked over to see the whole family standing outside the back door in the snow.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Lila told her, laughing as Beck lowered her back to her feet.
“Um, why are there ribbons on the trees?” Meg asked then, looking even more perplexed.
“We’ll tell you everything over dinner,” Lila assured her.
Meanwhile, Beck engaged in a quiet little fist pump, whispering to himself, “Yes! Finally got my miracle.”
* * *
AFTER A CELEBRATION-FILLED Christmas dinner, Beck invited the Waltons down to the inn for pie and games. They’d finished their packing and joined in the party, delighted to hear Beck and Lila’s news. Dahlia came back, as well—though Suzanne had chosen to go home early.
The Summerbrook Inn was filled on Christmas night, filled with people and joy and gifts and giving. Looking out over the merry crowd in the parlor, the room awash in the glow of holiday lights, Lila raised a toast. “To Gran. It would make her so happy to see the inn this way.”
“Hear, hear,” her dad agreed, and glasses and mugs clinked.
After which Meg let out a soft laugh—as she bent to pick up something from the floor.
“What is it?” Lila asked.
“A penny,” Meg said. “Sometimes Gran leaves them for me. I have a feeling she’s smiling down on us right now.”
Lila met her sister’s warm gaze, feeling that, too. Then she turned to lift a small, happy kiss to her fiancé’s mouth.
“Hey, I thought you said she wasn’t your wife,” Cade challenged Beck.
“She’s not,” Beck told the little boy, then glanced lovingly at her. “But she’s gonna be.”
“Then maybe you can have some little kids for me to play with,” Cade suggested.
And though up until that moment Lila hadn’t quite been sure how she would feel about that, now, without a doubt she knew. As she looked into Beck’s eyes, she smiled and said, “Maybe we will.”
After that, the crowd resumed their talking and eating, but Lila stayed wrapped up in the wonder of what had turned out to be the most wonderful Christmas of her life. Turning, she touched her hand to Beck’s chest and spoke quietly so that only he could hear. “Thank you,” she said. “For the trees. For the laughter. For seeing the good in me even when I can’t see it myself. And for the love. Especially for the love.”
Leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, he told her, “I’m pretty sure that all of those things are love, honey. Just in different ways.” Then he added a wink. “And get used to ’em because there’s gonna be a lot more where those came from. Well, except for trees. Trees I think we now officially have enough of.”
“You’re right,” she agreed on a light laugh. “But the other stuff I’ll take as much of as you can dish out. And the trees I’ll cherish forever.”
* * *
ISBN-13: 9781488085925
The Giving Heart
Copyright © 2019 by Toni Herzog
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