by Jaclyn Hardy
She found the key that would let her into the house and dropped her stuff inside the door. “Hello?”
Maybe Stuart was still outside working on the barn. It would be just like him to forget to come in for dinner. She turned on the light and jumped back.
“Surprise!” Stuart stood with several friends, her aunt Cassie, and a few she didn’t know. A large sign hung across the ceiling that said, “Congrats on surviving for your first year!”
Heather covered her mouth with her hands. He’d done all this for her? Tears filled her eyes as she hugged each of the guests. Stuart came out with a large cake. And behind him . . .
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?”
Mom wrapped her in a hug. “We couldn’t just let you celebrate without us, could we?”
“Thanks. I thought Dad had some business trip or something.”
“This was the business trip. Stuart called and asked if he could get some help with the barn.”
Stuart stepped between them. “Well, that was only slightly true. I do need some help on the barn, but I had something else as well.”
Heather’s mom gasped and put her hand on her heart. “Please tell me I know what this is.”
Stuart smiled, and turned to Heather. He got down on one knee, and Heather thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest.
“This has been a long year for you, and I know that coming to see me has been rough on you. I’d like to make your time here more permanent. That is, if you’ll agree to have me. Heather McClain, will you marry me?”
Cheers rose up all around them. All Heather could see was the pleading look on Stuart’s face as he held out a beautiful princess diamond ring.
“Yes!” Heather waited for him to slide the ring on her finger, then threw her arms around him. When they’d come for Christmas two years before, she wasn’t expecting anything other than a vacation from school. And now here she was, about to become a butcher’s wife—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jaclyn is an Idaho farm girl who grew up loving to read. She developed a love for writing at a young age and published her first book in 2013. She met her husband, Steve, at BYU, and they have six happy, crazy children who encourage her to keep writing. After owning a bookstore and running away to have adventures in Australia, they settled back down in their home in Utah. Jaclyn now spends her days herding her kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed to do next. Her books include the Silver Script Series and the upcoming Roping His Heart and Never Say Necklace. When she's not writing romance, she's chasing kids, playing games, and dreaming of running away to Ireland.
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MORE BOOKS BY JACLYN HARDY
Silver Script Novels
Ring of Truth
A Christmas Worth Billions
Fashioned for Love
Change in Harmony
Another Chance for Love
Love in Return
Waves of Hope
Love on the Run
Never Say Necklace
Emeralds Are Forever
Cottonwood Ranch
Roping His Heart
Taming His Heart
Rescuing His Heart
