by John Gray
The thought made Peter laugh out loud with delight.
As Clayton’s expensive ride disappeared down the driveway, Chase said to Peter, “Oh, there is one request I have. It’s not in the contract, just a favor for me.”
Peter turned to meet her eyes, his own eyes swelling with tears over such an emotional morning, saying, “Name it.”
She smiled at Gavin, still holding his hand, then said, “I’d like you to call this house Rose Garden, after a special little girl. Can you do that for me?”
Peter looked at the huge mansion, his head still spinning from what had just happened, and said, “You bet. Rose Garden. I promise to honor your wishes.”
Gavin joined in: “Oh, Peter, speaking of honoring wishes, there’s a letter that was left for us by the former owner you’ll want to read. It’s nothing major, just a few chores that go with living here.”
Peter climbed into Nick’s pickup and said, “Anything you need.”
As Gavin waved goodbye, Chase pulled his sleeve and said softly, “Hey, you okay with me giving the place away? I mean, Clayton was right, it is a lot of money.”
Gavin gave her a soft kiss, looked deep in her eyes, and replied, “As you said, we’re already rich in all the ways that matter, babe. Besides, I have plans of my own for us.”
Chase pulled back from his embrace for a better look at his handsome face, then asked, “Such as?”
Gavin took the ring finger on her left hand, giving the promise ring she wore a gentle kiss, and said, “Such as, keep your schedule clear for Christmas Eve. I have a surprise for you.”
Chase looked back at the home she had just sold for a song and, as a cold December wind swept across the frost-covered pines, she swore she could hear an old man whisper from heaven, “Well done, young lady, well done.”
CHAPTER 34
Finding Grace
Chase was sound asleep on Christmas Eve morning when Scooter licked her face, as if to say, Get up, already! Her unfocused eyes saw movement outside the window, and it took her a moment to realize there was fluffy light snow drifting by the glass. She thought Manchester, Vermont, was the prettiest place on earth at Christmastime, but the mansion at Briarcliff Manor held a close second. A half-dozen pine trees dotted the property, the tops of each coated in white, while the grounds looked as if an invisible chef had shaken powdered sugar atop everything.
Once in her slippers and robe, Chase crept downstairs to the smell of something delicious. Her nose led her to the kitchen, where a single pan with a copper bottom was sitting on the back burner of the stove, the heat set at the lowest level. Chase lifted the lid and found a vegetable omelet shaped perfectly like a heart.
“What in God’s name?” Chase said out loud, before dashing to the front window to see Gavin’s truck was not there.
“Did he stop by, make me breakfast and leave?” she asked to the empty room.
As she turned to go back to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee, Scooter stood in front of her and barked.
“It’s too early for that, buddy. Let mommy wake up,” she replied.
But as she went to walk by, her pup stepped directly into her path and barked again, deliberately blocking her advance. Chase glanced down and realized there was something red tied around his neck. She looked closer and saw it was a ribbon that had not been there the night before. Curious, she slid it off Scooter’s neck, and on the ribbon she found a message written in black Sharpie: Eat your breakfast, brush your hair, dress for warmth and a special dare.
“Poetry? I’m starting my day with poetry?” Chase mumbled.
She could tell it was Gavin’s handwriting, but she had no clue what he was up to. Chase knew he was close to popping the question and had told her a week earlier to keep Christmas Eve free for a surprise. Apparently, whatever adventure awaited, it involved following her future fiancé’s riddles.
“Okay, sweetie, I’ll play along,” she said with glee.
After eating the delicious omelet and taking a quick shower, Chase went to her closet to dress for the day. A gray knit sweater and a pair of jeans should get it done, she thought, and then she remembered Gavin’s instructions to dress for warmth.
On the right side of Chase’s large walk-in closet, she kept an array of scarves and hats. After she pulled on a thin chain that hung down from the light fixture, the 75-watt bulb came alive, and the dark closet was now fully visible. Chase smiled when she saw another red ribbon tied around the hook that held her favorite white wool scarf.
She slid the ribbon off the hook and turned it over to read the next clue: One need not live near water to find a river. They run through the strangest places. - N.M.
Chase realized Scooter was standing in the doorway of the closet watching all this unfold, and she smiled and said, “We’ve got another clue, buddy, but this one has mommy stumped.”
Chase took the ribbon in her hand and walked over to the large, fluffy bed she had been sleeping in only a half hour earlier. She sat down and patted the blanket, prompting Scooter to jump up next to her.
She then read the riddle once again out loud: “‘One need not live near water to find a river. They run through the strangest places.’ Then the initials N and M.”
Chase stared at the phrase for the longest time and said to her dog, “There are no rivers around the property, not even a pond. And I have no clue who N.M. is.”
She got up and stared out the bedroom window, searching for water, but there was none to be found, not even a puddle. Then she looked back at the ribbon and said, “They run through the strangest places. Run through …”
Chase snapped her fingers and yelled to Scooter, “I THINK I’VE GOT IT. Follow me.”
With that she darted out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and into the library. Chase started scanning the bookshelves for one title in particular.
It took a moment before Chase called out, “There you are!”
Her eyes fell upon a book by a writer named Norman Maclean, initials N.M. The story was a modern classic that Chase had read more than once after seeing the movie that was based on it. Scooter walked into the library and looked at Chase, as she held up the book and said, “A River Runs Through It. Our clue is a book. That’s the river that’s running through a strange place. This library.”
There was no need to open the book, because she saw another red ribbon tucked in the center of the pages like a bookmark. The note on the ribbon read, Today is the day where our love will grow, so at the stroke of noon meet me at the Bow.
Chase squeezed the soft ribbon in her hand and then raised it to her face, covering her mouth to contain the excitement. She knew what this had to mean. Back when she wrote the great love story of Sebastian and Vida Winthrop for the New Yorker magazine, Samuel told her to meet him at The Bow. It was that special, romantic bridge in Central Park in New York City.
It was the exact spot where Sebastian popped the question to his sweetheart. If Gavin were going to take a knee and ask for her hand, it most certainly would be there. One thing puzzled Chase, though. Gavin said the big moment would be a surprise, so why was he tipping his hand this way?
“I’ll know soon enough,” she said to herself.
Chase reached for her phone to call Matthew and arrange a ride to the city when she heard a car horn beep out front. “Gavin?” she yelled, as she ran for the door.
No, it was Matthew already sitting in the circular driveway, waiting to take Cinderella to Prince Charming. But it was only 9:30. Surely, Chase didn’t need two hours to get to the city. Why so early?
Matthew’s window slowly rolled down and his hand reached out with a bright white envelope in his grasp.
“For me?” she asked with a smile.
Matthew smiled back and said, “Big day for you, sweetheart.”
Chase opened the envelope, and it was a gift certificate for a posh spa in Manhattan. The note on the front told Chase she had an appointment to get her nails, makeup, and hair done this morning, all of it pre-arr
anged by Gavin.
“I should change,” Chase said to her driver. “I mean, if he’s going to, you know, I can’t be wearing old jeans and a lumpy sweater.”
With that Matthew cleared his throat dramatically and pointed to the back seat and a large silver box with a silky red bow. Chase opened the car’s back door, slid in, and opened the box. It was a gorgeous black cashmere Veronica Beard dress cut just below the knee. Perfect for a chilly day in the park. Without saying another word, Matthew put the car in drive, and with each mile, Chase was moving closer to her destiny.
“Wait,” she said, “Who’s gonna feed Scooter and let him out?”
Matthew found her face in the rearview mirror and said, “Just like your breakfast. All taken care of.”
Chase’s mind was now swimming with so many things: the day they met, their first kiss, the moment she realized Gavin was her happy ever after. She wished it was already noon, so she could race to that bridge and leap in his arms.
The spa was exquisite, complete with a soft robe, slippers, and a perfectly chilled mimosa. With her nails and makeup done and auburn hair fluffed to perfection, Chase returned to the backseat of Matthew’s car, and he headed for Central Park. Being a retired NYPD detective, Matthew had a special badge that gave him access to places others could not go. When a street cop in blue tried to wave him off, Matthew just flashed the badge, and Chase was allowed straight through.
He drove as close as he could to the Bow bridge in Central Park, shut off the engine, and said, “Before you get out, I have two things to say.”
Chase put her chin on the top of the backseat, moving closer to her friend.
“First,” he began, “thank you for saving my life. I won’t pretend to understand exactly how you do what you do, but I’m so grateful to have you as my friend. That’s who saved me that day, not some talented writer I drive around for money—my friend.”
Chase felt emotion well up in her, whispering back, “You’re welcome.”
Matthew continued, “The second thing is, I’m pretty sure your life is about to change in two minutes. Just know, no matter what, Chase, no matter where you go, day or night, I’m always a phone call away.”
Chase reached over the seat to grasp Matthew’s hand and squeezed it lovingly. “Thank you so much, for everything.”
He could see her eyes glistening over and said, “Don’t cry or you’ll wreck your makeup.”
Chase smiled and said, “You’re one to talk.”
Matthew’s eyes were moist with tears, something Chase had never seen in all the time she had known him. He cleared his throat, hit the unlock button on the car doors, and said, “Go get your man.”
Chase let go of his hand and sprang from the car in her brand-new dress. Even though it looked a bit out of place, she kept the white scarf she’d taken from the closet tied around her neck, to keep warm. The chill in the air gave her white cheeks a red glow, and her heart started beating a mile a minute as she made her way to the bridge.
The Bow is the longest of all the bridges in Central Park, standing at 87 feet. While most bridges in the park were built to be inconspicuous, almost hidden, the Bow was the opposite. It spanned a stretch of water, and the trees were cut back on both sides, making it stand out. The light snow that had greeted Chase in Briarcliff Manor found its way to Manhattan as well, making the park look magical.
Normally the bridge would be busy with foot traffic, but Chase saw a well-dressed man standing on each end, stopping people from crossing. They were retired NYPD officers that Gavin asked Matthew to hire for just this moment. Whatever was about to happen, it would just be the two of them alone on the bridge. Or so Chase thought. Gavin promised a surprise, and indeed, one was coming.
Chase carefully walked on the cobblestones to one end of the bridge. She could see Gavin waiting by himself directly in the center of the Bow, wearing a beautiful black peacoat. It was buttoned up to the top and fit Gavin perfectly, hugging his strong frame. Chase was so in love with Gavin’s heart, she sometimes forgot how drop-dead gorgeous he could be when he made the tiniest effort. Today his look was spot on, complete with a new haircut and shave he’d gotten just an hour before.
As Chase was about to step onto the bridge, she noticed something strange on the other side. Just up from the water, sat a beautiful horse-drawn carriage. It wasn’t like the open carriages that carried tourists in the park; it was enclosed with a small door, hiding whoever was inside. The driver on top was dressed to the nines, holding the leather reins that led down to a pair of stunning white horses. The image reminded Chase of something from a fairy tale.
Gavin was why she was here, though, not the carriage, so she smiled at the officer who was guarding her side of the bridge as he motioned for her to enter. The center of the bridge was forty paces, and Chase covered them as quickly as she could. Gavin turned as she reached him, and just as he had done on their first date back in Manchester, he paused before kissing her, making certain their eyes met, long before their lips.
After the gentlest of kisses, Gavin said, “I see you followed my clues.”
Chase smiled and said, “It took me a minute to figure out the second one, about the book, A River Runs Through It.”
Gavin nodded and said, “I knew you loved that story. Remind me, what did Norman Maclean say are the three things you should never be late for?”
Chase, without missing a beat, responded, “Church, work, and fishing.”
Gavin pointed toward the water and said, “I don’t plan on catching any fish today, so why don’t we change it to, you should never be late for church, work, or your fiancé.”
Chase knew the moment was coming for months now, but hearing him say that word out loud, fiancé, still caused her knees to wobble. She could see in Gavin’s face it had the same effect on him too.
Gavin stood there then, not saying a word, just drinking in Chase’s beauty. The silence made her eyes look down at Gavin’s hands and pockets. Surely, if this was about to happen, he’d be producing a ring any second.
But there was no ring, just Gavin looking lovingly at her in that moment.
Finally, he said, “Did you notice the beautiful Cinderella carriage over there?”
Chase looked at it again, and replied, “Sure, who could miss it?”
Gavin continued, “Once, a long time ago, you told me a story about the first time you ever left home. It was a trip here to New York City. A high school graduation present, if I recall.”
Chase confirmed, “Yes, that’s right.”
Gavin went on: “You saw a Broadway show, ran all over Manhattan, even shopped on Fifth Avenue.” Chase nodded. “We did.”
Gavin continued. “And Matthew tells me that sometimes when you walk down Fifth Avenue, you stop in front of Tiffany’s and stare in the window, but you never go in.”
Chase wasn’t sure what any of this had to do with getting engaged. All she could muster was a confused, “Okay?”
“You told me, on that first trip here, when you were just a kid, that you wanted to buy something that came in the pretty Tiffany’s blue box, but you didn’t have enough money.”
Chase paused and looked away from the Gavin, down at the water beneath the bridge reflecting the nearby trees, and said, “That’s right.”
Gavin went on, “And if I remember correctly, you told me a very nice saleslady, an older woman, pulled you aside and was kind to you. She didn’t embarrass you; she actually gave you an empty Tiffany’s box to take home as a keepsake.”
The memory pulled at Chase’s heart now, as she looked back to Gavin’s eyes. “She did. She wanted me to have it, even if I couldn’t afford to put anything inside. It was such a nice thing to do.”
Gavin again, “And yet, now that you live here, you never go back in to buy anything, even though you have the money. Did you ever ask yourself why?”
Chase thought a moment then said, “No. I guess … Oh, I don’t know, Gavin. I guess part of me never felt good enough.”
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Gavin took her by both hands and said, “Well, that, my dear, ends today. Right here and right now.”
Chase’s eyes were welling with tears.
“When I was in Seattle on my secret mission, I asked your mom about that Tiffany’s box that the nice lady gave you all those years ago, and she told me it was still in your old bedroom just sitting there on a shelf.”
Chase’s eyes went wide with surprise, “I didn’t realize it was even still there.”
“It is, or at least it was,” Gavin continued, “until I took it. I figured if I was going to get you the engagement ring that you deserved it should be from Tiffany’s and it should be in that very box.”
Chase was astonished now at Gavin’s thoughtfulness, then was so excited she started to stammer, “So you, um, got me? Ya know … from?”
Gavin took Chase by both shoulders and said firmly, “I DID!!”
Chase again looked at Gavin’s hands, then his pockets, but there was no sign of the box. “So?” she asked hopefully.
“Well,” Gavin replied, “Once there was a girl who went into Tiffany’s and couldn’t afford a thing. A nice lady gave her an empty box and a promise that someday it would be filled with something special. It only makes sense to me that if you are to be handed that box …”
Gavin looked toward the horse-drawn carriage and waved his hand over his head to get the driver’s attention, then said to Chase, “Don’t you think it would be amazing if the very woman who was kind to you that day, was here to give us the ring?”
Chase’s eyes traveled over to the carriage just as the tiny door opened, and a much older woman slowly stepped out. The carriage driver took her hand and carefully led her to the edge of the bridge. The woman, with snow-white hair, was dressed beautifully and had a small blue bag clutched in her hands. She eased her way across the Bow to the waiting couple, but even before she reached them, Chase recognized the face. Older now, but in many ways exactly the same.
Gavin spoke: “This, Chase, is Grace O’Reilly. And, Mrs. O’Reilly, this is my sweetheart, Chase.”
