Mistletoe Mistake (River's End Ranch Book 35)

by Cindy Caldwell

  “I can’t explain this quite, but for some reason, before Opal and I left Texas, I put this in my bag.”

  He reached in his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. He held it out to Aaron.

  “What’s this?”

  “Open it,” Allen said.

  Inside was the most beautiful emerald, petite and elegant. He reached back in his memory, knowing he’d seen it somewhere before.

  “Mom’s?” he said, his voice ready to break.

  “Yeah,” Allen said, his eyes on the ring.

  “I thought she’d pawned it when they lost the ranch,” he said quietly.

  Allen took a deep breath. “They did. And her wedding ring, too. But it wasn’t enough.”

  “Oh,” Aaron said as he looked at Allen quizzically.

  “Mom passed pretty quickly and you were already gone when I met and fell in love with Mary. When it was time for me to propose, Pop brought out both of her rings and gave them to me. Seems he’d saved up and bought them back after she died. One for you and one for me.”

  Aaron sat down slowly and stared at the ring, then looked up at his brother.

  “Thank you, Allen. What prompted you to bring it here? Now?”

  “I have no idea. I was packing and I just figured I’d give it to you finally. Maybe light a fire under you somehow. Had no idea you’d need it.”

  A slow smile spread across Aaron’s face. “Well, you were right. I do.”

  And just like that, he knew he’d never needed anything more in his life than Gillian.

  Chapter 20

  Gillian was anxious for Aaron to arrive, and she couldn’t stop checking her watch. She’d called the Franklins earlier and they’d sounded so happy that she’d almost dropped the phone. Turns out someone had made them a better offer than Ed Thompson’s and they’d told Ed they weren’t interested in whatever he had to say.

  Her heart soared at the news, but she couldn’t imagine who had done that. She’d wanted to do it herself, but couldn’t. Who else even knew about it?

  She hummed, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” as she stood by the Christmas tree and looked out the window. She pulled her soft sweater around her and glanced at her reflection in the plate glass, darkness descending outside as the mountains turned pink.

  She cocked her head and thought that not long ago, she’d looked mostly at the small wrinkles that were appearing fast around her eyes, but today, all she saw was the brightness in her eyes and the smile on her face.

  “You look happy, Mom,” Fred said as he came up behind her. “I’m so glad.”

  “Are you, son?” she asked as their eyes met. It wasn’t every son who wanted to see their mom happy—particularly with another man that wasn’t their father.

  “Of course. Dad was the best dad in the world, and I miss him every day. He loved us very much. But I know he’d want you to be happy. You know that, too. I can tell.”

  She reached up and hugged this tall man who she used to carry all around—and it seemed like it was only yesterday. How had he gotten so tall—and so wise?

  “Thank you, Fred. I think Aaron’s pretty special.”

  Fred laughed as Olivia came into the room.

  “Yes, we can tell. And it’s plain as the nose on my face that he feels the same,” she said as she headed to the door as the doorbell rang.

  “Yep. Can’t miss it,” Opal said as she peeked in the oven at the prime rib they’d started earlier.

  “Oh, goodness. That obvious, huh?”

  Olivia stopped with her hand on the doorknob as they all three laughed at her, and she knew her cheeks had to be crimson.

  “Yes,” she whispered before she swung the door open and Aaron and Allen stepped inside. “It’s that obvious.”

  Obvious or not, her smile was wide as Aaron crossed the room, handed her a beautiful poinsettia and wished her a merry Christmas Eve.

  “Thank you,” she said as she set it on the mantle, and he and Allen took off their coats.

  “It smells spectacular in here,” Allen said.

  “And how,” Aaron said as he shook Fred’s hand. “Hey, Fred, I have a couple of things in the car I could use some help with. Mind helping me?”

  “Of course,” Fred said as they headed out the door.

  Gillian wished Aaron and Fred would hurry up. She was dying to tell Aaron about the Franklins. She poured two cups of warm cider and breathed a sigh of relief when they came back in the door a few minutes later. The both carried pies and set them on the kitchen table.

  “Those look delicious,” Opal said.

  “Yep, apple and pumpkin, my specialties.”

  “I didn’t know you could bake, too,” Gillian said, her eyes wide.

  “I think he’s full of surprises,” Fred said and winked at him. She knew she saw it.

  “Hey, Olivia, Opal, I need help with the prime rib. It’s probably close to done and we need to mash the potatoes.

  Opal sighed. “A man who cooks. How awesome.”

  Olivia laughed and hugged Fred.

  “It’s a good thing, or Olivia would have starved to death,” Allen said as they all headed into the kitchen.

  Gillian knew Allen gave Aaron a thumb’s up as he headed into the kitchen. What was going on? She was the one with the surprising information.

  As they closed the door to the kitchen, Allen took her hand and pulled her over to the Christmas tree and kissed her—and it thrilled her as it had each time before.

  “I have something to tell you,” she said as they stepped apart and he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. The sun had almost dropped behind the mountains, and the moon rose slowly as it did.

  “I need to go first, Gillian, if you don’t mind. I have something to tell you, too.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said softly as he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to sit on the couch. He was so serious, so earnest, yet his eyes were filled with hope.

  “Gillian, I went out to the Franklins’ ranch today. I was so incredibly incensed with what Ed Thompson had done that I was up all night trying to think of a solution.”

  Gillian had a hard time wrapping her head around what he was saying. Him? Why would he go? She knew he was in real estate but what could he have done, and why wouldn’t he have talked to her first?

  “Aaron? Why?” she asked quietly.

  “I know we’ve never gotten quite into the details of my business. Seems we kept getting interrupted when it came up. But I usually lend people money for what they need, good causes, just endeavors.”

  “Oh,” she said as it dawned on her and she glanced up at the tree. “Like an angel investor?”

  He smiled and followed her gaze to the top of the tree. “Well, some people call it that. I call it helping. And it makes me happy.”

  “Oh, Aaron, that’s so noble. So...so...”

  He held up his hands. “Don’t give me too much credit. I’ve made a good living doing it, too. Win-win.”

  She smiled and reached for his hand. “Of course. Good deeds are always rewarded,” she said. This man definitely was full of surprises.

  “My original idea was to see if I could help get them out of their pickle, but when we heard that they really didn’t want to stay anyway, I started to see things differently. I told you about the ranch I grew up on, and how we’d lost it.”

  “Yes,” she said as sadness clouded his eyes. “Such a sad story. You and Allen deserve a ranch...oh!” It was dawning on her that he might have made his own dream come true while helping the Franklins.

  “Exactly. When we were there, I just couldn’t get over the beauty of it. And the thought of Ed turning it into a tourist spot just didn’t sit right.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and she squeezed his hand, prompting him to continue.

  “So I bought it,” he said, flat out. “For what they owe on the mortgage and a little more, to boot.”

  “You?” She thought that’s where he might be going, but it was still music to
her ears. It was a beautiful piece of property, and she was thrilled that the Franklins could move on with their lives.

  But what really was stuck swirling around her head was the fact that he would be at the ranch. Nearby. He would be staying in Idaho and she could see him. She hadn’t until that moment realized that she was dreading his departure so much that she hadn’t even allowed herself to think about it.

  She threw her arms around his neck and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Oh, Aaron, that’s absolutely wonderful. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. For the Franklins—and for myself.”

  She looked down at her hands until she felt his warm touch under her chin as he brought her eyes to meet his.

  “For you?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly. “The thought of you leaving was beginning to cross my mind and it definitely wasn’t a pleasant thought. Horrible, in fact. I’d prefer you stay...”

  Her voice trailed off and he finished her sentence.

  “Forever?”

  She took a deep breath in.

  “Because that’s what I want,” he said as he reached into his pocket and got down on one knee.

  Her hand flew her chest and her eyes widened.

  “Truly, forever,” he said as he opened a black velvet box holding the most brilliant emerald she’d ever seen. She looked up into his eyes and searched them—and once again, she felt like she’d known him her whole life.

  “Gillian, will you marry me?”

  She glanced toward the kitchen.

  “Don’t worry about him. I asked him first,” Aaron said with a laugh. “He thinks it’s a grand idea.”

  Relief flooded over her as she placed her hands on Aaron’s cheeks and pulled him to her. She closed her eyes and placed her lips on his, the sweetness of them making her head spin.

  “Yes, yes, yes. I can’t think of anything I want more,” she said.

  He rested his forehead on hers for a moment, their eyes closed.

  “I never, ever thought I’d find you, Gillian. I can’t tell you how lucky I feel,” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

  “Probably about half as lucky as I feel, Aaron,” she said as he pulled her close and kissed her again to applause—applause?

  They both pulled back and looked toward the kitchen. The doors were closed, but they heard laughing and cheering in the kitchen.

  “All right, all of you, you can come in now,” she shouted, and they all spilled out the swinging door to the kitchen.

  She stood in the middle of her living room, basking in the love of all of these people she’d grown to love—her new family. She caught Aaron’s eye and he winked at her, filling her heart with love, and new hope for their future. Together.

  Epilogue

  Aaron set the last of the dishes in the cupboard and closed it, wiping his hands on his jeans and stepping back to appreciate his handiwork. In the time between the Franklins leaving and now, he’d planned a remodel the entire kitchen, with a chef’s stove, copper pans hanging over the kitchen island and a newer refrigerator. Just for fun. For now, he’d brought in the copper pots and pans.

  He hadn’t realized Gillian was such a good cook, and since they came to the ranch almost every weekend, it seemed like a smart investment. Aaron, Gillian, Opal, Fred Olivia came out most weekends, and Gillian and Aaron had a wonderful time collecting eggs, but spent the weekdays at the house in town.

  Opal and Allen had visited the community college in Boise, and Opal had decided to stay in Idaho with transferring as an option. She’d decided to take a semester off to decide, so she and Allen stayed out at the ranch that was filling up quickly with Opal’s nature photographs. She really had a good eye, and Aaron was impressed.

  Aaron walked over to the plate glass window and stood by his brother as they looked out over the ranch.

  “I can’t believe you did this, Aaron,” Allen said as he threw his arm over his brother’s shoulder. “Is that a pond under all that ice?”

  “Sure is. The previous owner showed me pictures. We can sit with our fishing poles in it all summer long.”

  Aaron smiled as his younger brother gave him a hug. “Thank you.”

  Aaron clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re going to have a great time,” he said as he peered through the window at the barn. “It’s your turn next. I want you to find someone as great as Gillian. If your ready for it, that is.”

  Allen turned to look him in the eye. “I think I might be. Finally.”

  Aaron smiled at his brother. “Looks like the girls are here and getting eggs before they even come inside.”

  “Those hens sure are busy,” Allen said as he grabbed the egg basket and pulled on his coat and hat. He grabbed his gloves and scooted down the porch stairs, crossing over to the barn.

  Aaron stood at the door as Gillian came out of the study and started rattling pots and pans, getting ready for supper.

  “Pot roast tonight. How does that sound?” she asked as she opened the refrigerator.

  “Sure,” he said as he crossed behind the kitchen island toward her and pulled her in close. “Can I help?”

  “You know I love to cook with you, but I think you’d better pack the wood stove if we want to be warm through dinner,” she said with a smile. “Who’d have ever thought you’d become a mountain man?”

  “Not me,” Aaron said as he crossed over to the stove and opened it, reaching for some of the wood he and his brother had chopped when there was a break in the weather. “But I’m sure glad I did.”

  * * *

  When Aaron proposed, Gillian hadn’t quite known what a fantastic cook he was. They had so much fun planning and preparing meals that they barely left the house—except to go to the ranch on weekends. And that was practically a family event, even in the snow. She could only imagine what it would be like in the summer, when they could walk for hours and drop their toes in the pond.

  She watched out the kitchen window as Allen and the kids all went into the barn. They’d become skilled at making every kind of egg dish known to man, and she turned and looked at Aaron as he loaded logs on the fire.

  She shook her head slowly and marveled at how lucky she was. Never in a million years would she have thought that the perfect man was waiting for her...and she’d never known it. And to have been struck by lightning like she was—well, she counted her blessings every day.

  Aaron closed the wood stove and latched it, stepping back and admiring his handiwork. He glanced out the window at the barn, and the kids and Allen were still inside collecting eggs.

  He strode over to his laptop and pulled it out, and he kept looking at her as it came to life.

  “What?” she said as she got the pot roast out of the refrigerator, along with carrots, celery and potatoes.

  “Come here for a minute, would you? I have something I want to show you.”

  She wiped her hands on her apron and walked up behind him, putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder—one of her favorite places in the entire world.

  He squeezed her hands and pulled her around in front of the laptop and pointed at the screen.

  She reached for her reading glasses and peered at the pictures.

  “That’s a lovely castle,” she said as she scrolled to the next picture. “And the next one is gorgeous, too. And that river barge looks lovely.”

  “It is. They are,” he said with a laugh. “But you’ll get to see it in person.”

  She straightened quickly and turned to stare at him, setting her glasses on the table. “What are you talking about? I donated that cruise to the Jingle-Bell Jam.”

  “Yes, you did, and a very happy man bought it.”

  She folded her arms across her chest and smiled. “You?”

  “Yes, me.”

  “You were going to go again?” she asked, arching a brow. “Alone?”

  “Somehow I knew even back then that I wouldn’t be going alone, and that you would be the one going with
me. How about if we make it our honeymoon trip? You’ve always wanted to, and I want to show it to you. It means a lot for me to travel to Europe with my girl on my arm.”

  Gillian laughed. “Hardly a girl.”

  “You’re my girl. Now and forever.”

  She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer for a kiss. “Yes, and that makes me happier than anything in the world. Now and forever.”

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