by Kirk, Cindy
Ami glanced down at the pencil skirt and cashmere sweater Fin had loaned her. She had to admit her sister had been right; the way the sweater hugged her curves added a certain allure to the outfit.
The footsteps of the heeled boots she’d also borrowed echoed in the empty foyer. She turned to Beck. “It looks so bare.”
“We’ll make it more beautiful than ever. I promise.”
We’ll? Ami’s heart gave an involuntary leap when he put his palm against the small of her back and ushered her toward the stairs.
Ami glanced down the hall. “I thought we were having tea.”
That’s what he’d promised when he’d called.
“The pot of Earl Grey is waiting for us upstairs in the sitting room.” He shot her an innocent smile. “I’ve got a fire going. We’ll be more comfortable.”
He was right, she thought, when she reached the upstairs. Through the lace curtains, Ami could see snow gently falling in large, white flakes. A cheery fire burned in the hearth, heating the room to a toasty warmth. It was cozy and intimate, the perfect place to relax on a cold winter afternoon.
She poured them each a cup of tea, then took a seat in front of the fire with her cup.
Beck seemed on edge, pacing in front of the fire while she sipped.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, growing concerned.
“You never gave me an answer.”
Puzzled, she inclined her head. “I don’t remember any question.”
“I told you I loved you.”
Just hearing him say the words had her heart breaking into a samba. But she covered the thrill by taking another sip of tea and lifting a brow. “That appears to be a statement, not a question.”
“Don’t be flippant.” He raked a hand through his hair. “This is serious. I’m serious.”
Make him grovel. Wasn’t that what Fin said? But that wasn’t Ami’s style. Still, there was something she needed to make clear.
“Driving that night after drinking was a mistake. I learned from my mistake. I can’t—I won’t—be with someone who holds that against me.”
He dropped down beside her.
Dear Lord, he smelled good.
“I made an even bigger mistake when I walked away from you the night of your father’s open house. I learned from my mistake. I don’t want you to hold that against me, to think I can’t be trusted to stand by you.”
“It hurt,” she admitted. “But you’d just been smacked up the side of the head with a revelation you didn’t expect.”
“Sounds as if we’re both human.” A smile touched his lips. “I have a confession.”
“You’re not human?”
“Very funny. No, I opened your Christmas gift.”
She shook her head and made a tsking sound. “You’re as bad as the twins.”
Beck rose and took the sun catcher from where he’d laid it on the mantel. It dangled from his fingers on a circle of fishing line. “A wise woman once told me that a star says ‘home.’”
“That’s exactly right.” Ami glanced around. “Have you decided where to hang it?”
“I believe that’s something we should decide together.” Beck carefully placed the star back in the box.
“It’s your home,” she pointed out.
“My home is with you.”
Ami was still processing the words when Beck moved to her side, dropped to one knee, and took her hand in his. He caressed her palm with his thumb, then cocked his head as if listening.
“Do you hear something?”
“Thankfully, no.” He chuckled. “I really don’t want anyone spoiling this moment by rushing in with talk of werewolves on the side of the road.”
Their gazes held and Ami found herself smiling at him.
“I think we’re safe.” She was amazed she could respond so coherently with the blood rushing in her ears. “You may continue.”
Her control nearly shattered when he brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, his dark eyes burning with emotion.
When he spoke, his voice was low, raspy, and not quite steady. “From the first moment you walked through the door of Muddy Boots, I knew there was something special about you. I wasn’t looking to fall in love, but there you were.”
His gaze, so full of love and tenderness, had tears springing to her eyes.
“I can’t imagine going through life without you by my side. You bring out the best in me and make me want to be a better man. My life is richer and fuller, beyond measure, and the only thing that could make it more complete is if you’d be my wife.”
He paused, and searched her face as if trying to decipher her expression.
“I would give you the world if I could.”
“I don’t need the world,” she began.
His fingers closed over her lips before she could say more.
“I know you wanted to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast, but I would like it if this could be our home, where we trim the Christmas tree together and have friends over for barbecues on the back patio, where our children can run up and down the stairs in their pajamas.” He spoke quickly, as if determined to get it all out. “If you’re set on running a B and B, I’ve heard the Dunlevey house might be coming up for sale. We could—”
“I don’t want to turn our home into a B and B. I don’t want to run one, either. I love the bakery.”
He arched a brow as if that surprised him. “You said you’d always dreamed about turning this house into a bed-and—”
“Because that’s the only way I thought I’d be able to afford this house.” Still, seeing uncertainty on his face, she continued. “Don’t you see that this will be our bed-and-breakfast?”
As comprehension began to dawn on his face, she cupped his cheek briefly in her hand. “We’ll go to bed together every night and have breakfast together every morning. I can’t think of a sweeter, or more wonderful, life.”
“There’s only one thing missing from that picture.”
“What is it?”
“A ring and a promise.” He reached into his pocket and flipped open a black velvet case. Nestled inside was an emerald-cut diamond in brilliant platinum.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. Happy tears from a heart overflowing with joy.
“I love you so much. I can’t imagine anything better than spending my life with you here in Good Hope, building a home, a family, and a life together. If you love me even half as much as I love you, I’ll be a happy man. Will you marry me?”
“I love you, James Beckett Cross. More than I ever thought possible to love anyone. And yes, I’ll be happy and proud to become your wife.”
He slipped the ring on her finger. “Forever.”
Then, before Ami even had a second to breathe, Beck’s lips were on hers, exquisitely gentle and achingly tender, with the promise of a long and happy life together.
Epilogue
Snowflakes, large and fluffy, were falling when Ami stepped into Muddy Boots on Christmas morning, her fiancé at her side. To her surprise, her entire family had already arrived and was hard at work.
Ami stood for a moment in the doorway, inhaling the scent of pine from the small, decorated tree someone had placed in the corner of the café. With Beck’s arm draped around her shoulders, she soaked in the melodious croon of Bing Crosby and the excited chatter of familiar voices. A wave of contentment washed over her.
The past twenty-four hours felt like a dream. A very nice dream. Last night, over a meal of smoked whitefish chowder and crusty French bread, her father and sisters had toasted her and Beck’s engagement. After enjoying coffee and their choice of dessert, they’d all headed off to church.
There had been one hard moment, when Anita had appeared and taken a seat in the pew beside their father. As their dad had made it clear earlier in the day that, while he would always love their mother, he was ready to move on, Ami and her sisters had done their best to make the woman feel welcome.
Like a dollop of fresh whipped cream on a
perfectly made cherry pie, the night had been topped off with caroling in the town square.
Being together had been such a joyful experience that the Bloom family had decided to spend Christmas Day giving back, which meant Beck had a whole troop of volunteers for his first annual Muddy Boots Family Christmas Dinner.
When Fin had asked last night why he’d called it a family dinner, Beck’s answer had only made Ami love him more. In addition to blood ties, family, he told his future sister-in-law, could be those brought together by community.
Since family wasn’t expected to pay when they came to your home for a holiday dinner, the meal was free. Although a Giving Tree donation jar sat on the counter, there was no pressure to donate.
Red and white carnations in bud vases, donated by the Enchanted Florist, decorated the tables and added to the festive atmosphere. Tom manned the kitchen with Hadley’s and Izzie’s assistance.
Ami and her sisters had brought the pies while Anita had furnished the cakes. She’d also brought Lindsay and Dakota along to help serve.
“Have you thought any more about when you’ll tie the knot?” Prim asked as she and Ami cleared a table to make room for another family.
“We discussed it last night.” Ami glanced in Beck’s direction. When he gave her a wink, she grinned like an idiot before turning back to Prim. “It’ll take some quick planning, but we decided on a June wedding.”
“I’d marry her tomorrow if it were up to me.” Beck stepped close and wrapped his arms around his fiancée, lifting her hair to plant a kiss on the back of her neck.
Laughing, Ami pulled away, and the large diamond on her left hand caught the light. “Mind your manners. There are children present.”
Beck glanced at the twins, who were busy swatting each other with cloths originally meant to clean the tables. “I don’t think we need to worry about them.”
“I’ll be back.” Heaving a weary sigh, Prim hurried across the dining room. “Boys, stop that this instant.”
Ami chuckled. “God willing, that will be our life in a couple of years.”
As Beck watched the twins dodge their mother, a thankfulness for all his blessings swamped him.
He tugged Ami close and kissed her softly on the mouth. “I can hardly wait.”
About the Author
Photo © 2013 Marti Corn Photography
Cindy Kirk started writing after taking a class at a local community college, but her interest in the written word started years earlier, when she was in her teens. At sixteen she wrote in her diary, “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be a writer.”
It took Cindy years to return to her first love—writing. Unlike some authors, Cindy wasn’t interested in shorter works; she jumped feetfirst into book-length fiction. She loves reading and writing romance because she believes in happily ever after.
An incurable romantic, Cindy loves seeing her characters grow and learn from their mistakes and, in the process, achieve happy endings.
Cindy hopes that once you read her books you’ll be able to tell she is an eternal optimist, one who truly believes in the power of love. She invites you to kick off your shoes, pick up one of her books, and get to know her.
She and her high school sweetheart husband live on an acreage in Nebraska with their two dogs.
