by Annie Boone
The New Year had begun and it was time to go home. She’d be leaving the next day. She had to get her things packed and her money in order. Her sadness was immeasurable but she felt like she had no other options.
Daphne, Dorothy, and even Chef, had made her a special going away breakfast that morning. She’d cried like a little girl. She’d sure miss everyone, but she was homesick. The tragedy that had been her engagement made her realize that she probably belonged with her parents. Now that she had some work experience, she’d get a job back home to take care of herself. She couldn’t wait to see her family again.
Daphne helped Lillian pack and kissed her on the cheek before they went to bed. “I’ll miss you,” Daphne said. “We were almost sisters, you know?”
“Yes, I know. I Love you. I’ll write all the time.”
The next morning, the girls walked to the train station. They walked slowly so that they could enjoy every minute they had before Lillian got on the train for Chicago.
“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing, Lillian?” Daphne asked.
“Not really.” She felt like she was going to cry again. She’d been crying for three weeks now. When would it stop?
“Then you shouldn’t go. If you’re not sure, then you need to stay.”
“I can’t do that, Daphne! I won’t be treated that way by anybody.”
“You won’t be treated badly, Lillian. I promise.” Dean’s voice came unexpectedly from behind her.
She turned in surprise. He was panting and holding a piece of paper in his hand. “Here, read this. Please,” he said. He handed Lillian a letter.
She took it from him, but hesitated. She was just standing there looking at him. Finally, she tore her eyes away from his and looked at the piece of paper he’d handed her. She saw that it was a note to her. She was confused so she read further.
Dear Lillian,
Please forgive me and the rest of my family for causing such a scene on Christmas night. Our behavior was terrible and we were all very unkind to you. I am ashamed and promise that none of us will ever treat you with anything other than respect again.
I understand why you left that night and why you have refused to see Dean since then. But please understand that none of this was his fault. But I hope you will reconsider. My son loves you deeply. More than anything, we want him to be happy. He is happy with you. I hope you will choose to be happy together.
Sincerely,
Marie
“How did you know where I was?” Lillian asked in shock.
“A little bird told me,” Dean answered. He looked nervous and like he hadn’t slept in a few days.
“Would the bird’s name be Daphne?”
Daphne looked at Lillian with a smile. “Dean and I have been trying to find a way to get you to stay.”
“This letter came yesterday and I took it to Daphne to see what she could do to make sure you saw it. Between the two of us, we decided to do it this way.” Dean finished the story.
So what’s really going to happen here is that you’re going to stay right here in Cheyenne and you’re going to marry this man!”
Lillian didn’t say anything. She seemed to be letting it all sink in. There had been so much that had happened. She needed to think. Dean waited in anticipation for her to speak. So did Daphne.
“It was very nice of your mother to write the letter,” Lillian said. “Did you ask her to do it? Threaten her in some way?”
“No. I had nothing to do with this letter, Lillian. I promise she wrote it on her own. I was surprised to receive it.”
“You know,” Daphne interjected. “I think I have some things to do back at the Mountain View and I’m sure you don’t need me any longer. So, I’m going to head back.”
Dean looked back at Lillian. “Do you believe me that I had nothing to do with this letter?”
“I think so. But do you believe her? You do realize that they really, really didn’t like me, don’t you?”
“I think that was the first reaction. It wasn’t you, though. It was that they’ve always expected me to come back to San Francisco and marry a society girl. I don’t want that. I like it here and I want to marry you. Only you.”
“But my point is that I won’t ever meet their expectations. We’ve talked about this, Dean. My position hasn’t changed.”
“And I’m glad about that. I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. I just think that my family jumped to conclusions and made a big mistake. I know you don’t see it, but they’re not bad people. I’m not really like them, though, if you didn’t notice. There’s never been a better match for me than you. And I’m so in love with you I can’t see straight. So, can I take your bags and arrange for your trunks to be returned to the Mountain View?”
“I do see that you’re different, Dean. In hindsight, I owe you an apology for running away when it got difficult. I could see you were different all along, but I was too stubborn to see this was the very thing that could help it work for us.”
Dean took her hand and looked into her eyes again. “So, let me ask again. Can I take your bags and arrange for your trunks to be returned to the Mountain View?”
“Yes, please do,” Lillian answered with a big smile.
“Good. I’ll be happy to do that. But there’s another little matter we need to resolve.”
“What’s that?” she asked. Her puzzled expression indicated that she had no idea what he was talking about.
Dean pulled the small box out of his coat pocket. Then she knew and she was smiling before he could even get the box open. “I found this on Christmas night. I was devastated that it was no longer on your finger. Will you please put it on again?”
“Yes, I will. And I’m never taking it off again,” Lillian said feeling a love deeper than she ever knew possible. Then she held out her left hand to admire the lovely ring she had just put back on her finger. As it sparkled brightly in the winter sun, she felt secure in the promise Dean made when he gave it to her.
As he turned to get on with his task of retrieving her things, she reached out to stop him. “Before you go for my bags, let’s seal this with a kiss.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her soundly. She felt like she was soaring. This was right and Cheyenne was where she needed to be. With this man. As she watched him walk away to take care of her bags, she thought about their future. Yes, Lillian Brown was indeed a marvelous name. She could hardly wait for it to belong to her.
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read A Christmas Proposal. I hope it helped you get into the Christmas spirit just a little bit.
If you’d like to read more of my stories, you can find a list of them here:
http://annieboone.com/books
If you’re interested in keeping up with what’s coming up next, sign up here:
http://annieboone.com/news
And if you want to connect with me on Facebook – here’s where you can find me!
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Keep reading!
Annie
More Romantic Western Christmas Stories
Christmas Hearts of the West Box Set
http://annieboone.com/heartsbox
Two Miracles for Christmas by Trinity Bellingham
http://annieboone.com/trinitychristmas
An Impoverished Widowed Bride with a Crippled Son for Christmas by Emma Ashwood
http://annieboone.com/emmachristmas
Christmas Baby by Indiana Wake and Belle Fiffer
http://annieboone.com/indianachristmas
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