by Leanna Sain
“Whoa, baby!” He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. “Does this mean, yes?”
I leaned my head back so I could see his face. “Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. I love you, Jonas Holmes. Being your wife would make me the happiest girl in the world. Yes!”
His laugh sounded triumphant. “Well, I better get this ring on you then!”
He slipped it on my finger, kissing it into place. His hands went to either side of my face. “Thank you,” he whispered fervently before giving me a tender kiss.
Yes…it could get much, much better!
****
Later…a lot later, I sat up and smoothed my hair back from my flushed cheeks. “Let’s go tell Minnie. I know she’ll be glad not to have me moping around the house anymore.”
“Uh…” he made a face. “I think she might already know.”
“What? How?” I demanded.
He looked sheepish. “Um…she’s how I found you.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I think you better explain.”
“Well, when I woke up this morning, I made the decision that we were going to talk this out, come hell or high water, so I drove to your house, sweet-talked my way inside, then explained everything to Minnie. She told me you were over here. I already had your ring, but it was back at my apartment. It used to be my grandmother’s, and I’ve had it ever since Christmas…which, by the way, was when I’d originally planned to ask you to marry me.”
My mouth dropped open. Christmas! You mean I spent all this time sinking in a sea of despair, when—He interrupted my thoughts with another kiss.
“I’m curious,” I said as soon as I could think coherently. “How were you able to get your grandmother’s ring? I mean, after all, there are seven of you. Why were you the lucky one?”
He grinned and whispered. “I was always Grammy’s favorite.” Then his grin faded. “And just so you know…this wasn’t the ring I gave to Jill.”
“Why? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad, but why didn’t you give it to her?”
“I’m not sure. It just never felt right for her to have it. I guess that should’ve been a clue for me, huh?”
“Does it feel right now?”
“No.”
“What?”
He cupped his hand alongside my cheek and smiled. “It feels perfect.”
****
“Anyway,” he continued after several more otherwise occupied minutes. “I wanted to have your ring with me before I talked to you—just in case—so, I drove back to my apartment, grabbed the ring, and ran back here to the park.” He wrinkled his nose, looking adorable. “I hope you don’t mind that Minnie already knows. I haven’t told my family, so we can tell them together. My mom’s dying to meet you, by the way.”
I tried to look stern, but I guess my giggle sort of gave me away. “Well, since you put it like that, I guess it’s okay, especially since Minnie hasn’t seen the ring, yet, but I want to be the one to tell Lily.”
Minnie’s Garlic Lime Chicken
Seasoning:
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp thyme
Mix together and place in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Drop 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bag, one at a time, and shake until coated.
In large skillet, combine:
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
Heat over med/high heat. Sauté chicken until golden brown (about 5 minutes on each side.)
Remove chicken. Add:
4 T lime juice
½ cup chicken broth
Whisk together, making sure to scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until thickened slightly. Add chicken back to the pan and coat thoroughly before serving.
Minnie’s Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
¾ c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes
2 (6 oz.) cans of tomato paste
2 c. water
1 T chopped parsley
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
8 oz. lasagna noodles
1 lb. ricotta or cottage cheese
8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain.
Add tomatoes, paste, water, parsley, salt, sugar, pepper, and oregano; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes.
Cook lasagna noodles as per package instructions.
In greased 13x9 pan, spread 1 c. sauce, then alternate layers of noodles, sauce, ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes. Allow to stand 15 minutes before serving.
Minnie’s Home-Made Granola Bars
4 c. dry quick oats
½ c. brown sugar
1 ½ c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. salt
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c. flaked coconut
1 ½ sticks melted butter
½ c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
½ c. honey
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
In separate bowl, combine next 4 ingredients. When smooth, stir into dry ingredients.
Press mixture into greased 10x15 baking dish.
Bake 10-15 minutes at 375° until golden.
When partially cooled, cut into bars.
Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.
Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in airtight container in fridge.
A word about the author…
Leanna Sain earned her BA from the University of South Carolina and now lives in the mountains of western NC with her husband. Her first novel, Gate to Nowhere, won Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year award in fiction. The sequel, Return to Nowhere, was nominated for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Magnolia Blossoms, the thrilling conclusion to this time-travel trilogy, was nominated for the Global Ebook Award. All three of the Gate Trilogy books won the Clark Cox Historical Fiction Award from the North Carolina Society of Historians. Sain’s fourth novel, Wish, is a stand-alone, YA crossover that is a change from her usual Southern romantic suspense or “grit-lit,” but fans will still get the strong, sometimes-snarky characters, gripping dialogue, and vivid descriptions that they’ve come to expect from her novels. Three additional GRITS novels are awaiting publication.
Sain has skillfully created her own character-supported, plot-driven style that successfully rolls Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all into one. Regional fiction lovers and readers who enjoy suspense with a magical twist will want these books.
She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her, visit: www.LeannaSain.com
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