Ashley smiled as she poured hot water into a mug. “You’re really getting into the Christmas spirit. Would you like a lemon and honey drink? It’s not the same as eggnog, but it will warm you from the inside out.”
“That would be great. I’ll be back in a minute.” Matthew rushed into the living room and turned on the music. Everything looked as good as it was going to get. The garland he’d strung across the fireplace made the whole room seem more Christmassy, even if his tree was a little lopsided. The borrowed lights were still twinkling, and the pinecones that Catherine and Toby had decorated added a nice touch to the coffee table.
“Here you go.” Ashley handed him a mug. “Do you need me to do anything for dinner?”
“No. It’s all under control.”
“I’m impressed.”
He hoped so. The next part of the evening was something he couldn’t plan. “Ashley, I’ve got something I want to ask you.”
She scrunched up her nose. “You noticed, didn’t you?”
He had no idea what she was talking about, but he hoped it had nothing to do with getting married. “Noticed what?”
“The dent in my car. I had a small accident this afternoon.”
Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. “I didn’t see it. Are you okay?”
“Apart from feeling like a ding-a-ling, I’m fine. I was reversing out of a parking space and didn’t see someone driving toward me. We had a little collision.”
“How little?”
“Enough to dent my rear fender.”
“But you’re all right?”
Ashley nodded. “The man I hit was very nice. We exchanged phone numbers and insurance details. He didn’t have much damage to his car, so it shouldn’t cost too much to remove the dents. But if you hadn’t noticed my car, what did you want to ask me?”
Matthew took her mug out of her hands and left it beside his. “I’ll give that back to you in a minute.” He held her hands and took a deep breath. “I love you, Ashley. I never thought I could be so happy.”
A loud bang came from the hallway, and Sean rushed into the living room.
“Oops,” he said as he skidded to a halt.
Ashley let go of Matthew’s hands. “Are you all right?”
“I got two flat tires not far from town. The cell phone coverage was non-existent, so I walked back to Bozeman. Jake Stanley helped me find another tire, and we changed everything on the side of the road.”
“Do you want a hot drink?”Ashley asked. “I could make you a coffee or a lemon and honey drink.”
Sean glanced at Matthew. “Thanks for the offer, but I saw Nathan on my way home. He invited me to dinner at his place. Amy will have it ready by now.”
Ashley frowned.
Matthew moved toward his brother. “Did you find what you were looking for in town?”
“I did.” Sean looked at Ashley. “I’ll just borrow my brother for a minute.” He grabbed hold of Matthew’s arm and pulled him into the hallway. “I’m sorry it took so long. A builder must have dropped a bucket of nails on the highway. They shredded my tires to a pulp.”
Matthew looked over his shoulder. “Have you got the ring?”
Sean fumbled inside his pockets. “Darn fingers are still frozen. Here it is. I hope I’m not too late?”
“You’re just in time.” Matthew opened the box and sighed. The solitaire diamond sparkled under the pendant light.
“If Ashley turns you down, I know at least two other women who would marry you based on the size of that diamond.”
“I don’t want anyone else.”
Sean searched Matthew’s face. “I know. Now go and do what you’ve been planning for the last month. Otherwise, Ashley will think you’ve deserted her.”
He slipped the box into his pocket and gave Sean a hug. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me too soon. Ashley hasn’t said yes, yet.”
Matthew watched his brother leave. He had the ring, now all he had to do was ask Ashley to marry him.
***
With a pounding heart, Matthew walked into the living room.
Ashley was sitting on the sofa, flicking through a magazine. She looked up and smiled. “I’m glad Sean got home safely.”
“So am I.” He sat beside her and thought about what he wanted to say.
She left the magazine on the table and held his hand. “You’ve got something on your mind.”
“You’re what’s on my mind, Ashley. I can’t stop thinking about you. About us. It seems like half a lifetime ago that we first met, but even then, I knew you were special.”
She started to say something, then quickly grabbed a handful of tissues and sneezed. “Sorry. You’re telling me you love me and I’m spreading germs everywhere.”
“Don’t worry. After being around Catherine and Toby’s bugs, I’m immune to most things.” He handed her the box of tissues. “I just hope you feel better soon.”
“So do I.” She blew her nose and sighed. “I love you, too.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He cleared his throat and got down on one knee.
Ashley’s eyes filled with tears, although it could have been the beginning of another sneeze.
Before she did sneeze, Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out the box Sean had given him. “I love you, Ashley, and I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t imagine having a family or growing old with anyone else. You make my life complete, and I hope you feel the same way.” He took a deep breath and opened the box. “Ashley Fisher, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears fell down Ashley’s face. “I love you, too. It took me a long time to realize that my life isn’t the same if you’re not beside me.”
Matthew’s heart pounded. He felt like he’d run two marathons and was waiting for the next one to start.
Ashley wrapped her hands around his. “I couldn’t think of anything more amazing than marrying you.”
Her smile brought tears to his eyes. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “I had help choosing the ring. I hope you like it?”
“It’s beautiful.” She sighed as she hugged him. “This is a wonderful surprise.”
Matthew pulled her close. He loved her more than anything in the world. He didn’t know what he would have done if she’d said no, but he didn’t have to worry about that now.
“Were you expecting to see your family?” Ashley asked.
He turned toward the window and stared, open-mouthed, at the people grinning back at him. “They weren’t supposed to arrive until later.”
The front door opened and Nathan walked into the living room. “Surprise! We couldn’t wait for a text.”
Amy hugged Ashley. “From the look on your faces, I’d say we have a wedding happening soon.”
Matthew held Ashley’s hand. “We haven’t had time to talk about when we’re getting married.”
“Can I wear a princess dress?” Catherine asked.
“As long as it’s okay with your mom and dad, you can wear whatever you want,” Ashley said.
“Does that include me?” Bonnie stood beside Ashley, grinning at the surprised look on her friend’s face. “Harry and I arrived this afternoon. A little bird told us there might be something to celebrate tonight.”
Ashley’s arms wrapped around her friend. “It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to be here.”
“Is there room for another person in that hug?” Harry joined Ashley and Bonnie.
Ashley’s eyes filled with tears.
“You might need these.”
She turned around, and her dad handed her a bunch of tissues.
“Dad!” She hugged him close. “You didn’t need to come all this way.”
“Yes, I did. It’s not every day I get a phone call from my future son-in-law asking if he can marry my daughter. Trisha came with me.”
Ashley wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
Matthew watched
her walk across to Trisha and give her a hug. It was the first time he’d seen Ashley’s step-mom, and hopefully, they’d see a lot more of each other.
Sean stood beside him. “Don’t worry about your dinner. I took everything out of the oven.”
“Thanks. Did you invite Bonnie and Harry?”
His twin brother smiled. “It wouldn’t be an engagement party without them. Logan and Tess, and Erin and her husband, Jake will be here soon. Mom and dad’s flight from Florida was delayed, so they won’t be here until tomorrow, and Sally and Logan are bringing a whole lot of food over from Nathan’s house.”
“I can’t believe you organized all of this without telling me.”
“It wasn’t hard. You’ve had other things on your mind.”
Only one thing had been on Matthew’s mind. Worrying about what Ashley would say had been giving him nightmares. “I’m just grateful she said yes.”
“So am I. I’m not sure what we would have done if she’d said no.” Sean nodded toward Ashley. “Here comes your fiancée. I’ll go and see if Sally needs a hand.”
Matthew grinned when Ashley wrapped her arms around him. “How does it feel to be engaged?”
“Like I’m beginning the most important part of my life.” She rested her head against his. “I wish mom was here. She would have loved being with our friends and family.”
He held her tight. “She’s probably watching us now, sending her love to everyone.”
Ashley closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m going to enjoy being married to you, Matthew Gray.”
“I’ll enjoy being married to you too, Ashley Fisher.”
She kissed his cheek. “Is that a promise?”
“The best kind there is,” he whispered.
THE END
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Keep reading for a preview of Coming Home, Mia and Stan’s story, the fifth book in The Protectors Series!
COMING HOME
The Protectors Series, Book 5
“What about this one?” Mia held a watercolor canvas against the wall.
Claire shook her head. “It doesn’t look right. You need something more vibrant beside the other paintings.” She rushed across to the table in the middle of the room. “Here. Try this one.”
Mia swapped the canvases over. “Tell me quickly if it works. This one’s heavy.” After choosing where more than thirty paintings would be hung for their exhibition, her arms were aching. “Is it okay?”
“It’s perfect.”
“Thank goodness for that.” Mia carefully placed the oil painting on the floor, leaning the top edge against the wall. She looked around her grandfather’s art gallery and smiled. “This will be our biggest exhibition yet.”
Claire picked up her clipboard and frowned. “Everyone from the Bozeman Art Collective has dropped off their work except Elizabeth. I hope she’s okay.”
“I’ll give her a call.” Mia rolled her shoulders, trying to relax her sore muscles. At five-foot-three she wasn’t tall by anyone’s standard. Holding the paintings while they decided where to hang them wouldn’t have been difficult if she’d been Claire’s height.
The side door to the exhibition space opened and Claire’s sister, Hannah, walked inside. “Wow. You’ve done so much.”
“Granddad has organized his usual team to hang the paintings this afternoon. All we had to do was decide where they would go.” Mia tilted her head. “You look worried. What’s happened?”
Hannah dropped her bag on a chair. “Do you remember when I told you about the Jenkins’ wedding?”
“The one that would be Montana’s wedding of the year?”
“That’s the one.”
Claire’s mouth dropped open. “Did we get the contract to stage their wedding?”
“Not exactly.”
For someone who had been talking non-stop about the wedding, Hannah didn’t seem very excited.
“What did they say?” Claire asked.
Hannah crossed her arms. “Mrs. Jenkins wants us to organize the whole wedding.”
“Everything? But were not wedding planners. They only asked us to stage the wedding.”
“I know. But Mrs. Jenkins and her daughter saw what we did for the Trembaths’ wedding. They want something similar, only bigger.”
Claire frowned. “But the Trembaths only had fifty guests. At last count, Beverly and Craig’s guest list was up to 258.”
“I tried telling Mrs. Jenkins that this would be the first wedding we’d ever managed, but she wasn’t worried.”
Mia watched the two sisters digest what an event of that size would mean. As well as being talented artists, Claire and Hannah ran their own event staging company. It had taken a lot of hard work, long hours, and a folder of glowing referrals to get them to where they were today.
Claire bit her bottom lip. “The Jenkins family own one of the largest ranches in Montana. There will be people coming from across America for Beverly’s wedding. We can’t say no.”
Hannah opened her laptop. “I’ve looked at our schedule. We already have a lot of pre-Christmas events to stage. And we know what Mrs. Jenkins and her daughter are like from the engagement party. They might say they want something similar to the Trembaths, but they’re just as likely to change their minds.”
Mia was so glad that all she had to worry about was the art exhibition. “I don’t mean to state the obvious, but why don’t you ask someone to help you?”
“We won’t be able to find anyone on such short notice, especially this close to Christmas,” Claire said with a sigh. “The part-time staff we hired aren’t ready for the responsibility of organizing a huge wedding.”
“Not the wedding,” Mia said. “The other events you’re staging. If the Jenkins contract will attract more clients, maybe you should concentrate on their wedding.”
Claire looked at her sister. “Mia’s right. We need to prioritize.”
Nick Costas, Mia’s grandfather, walked into the exhibition space. “How are my girls doing?” His eyebrows rose when he saw the frown on Claire and Hannah’s faces. “It can not be as bad as that.”
Mia handed her grandfather a brown paper bag. “This is from Tess. She made huckleberry muffins this morning.”
Nick’s smile was instant. “She is a woman after my own heart.”
Her grandfather’s thick, Greek accent made Mia chuckle. “You’re nearly seventy-five years old, granddad. Tess is married and too young for you.”
“I am young at heart. Now tell me what is worrying you, Claire. It is not like you and Hannah to be sad.”
“We’ve been asked to plan a huge wedding, but we can’t fit it into our schedule.”
“Show me this schedule.” Nick perched his reading glasses on the end of his nose and peered at the computer screen.
Claire stood beside her sister. “Most of the work has already been done for the local high school and mall contracts. I could still do the corporate Christmas party.”
“And these?” Nick pointed to something on the screen.
“They’re our regular events,” Hannah said. “Our part-time staff could look after them.”
Mia moved closer. Even though she knew Claire and Hannah were busy, she was surprised at the number of events they were juggling.
“This is the one that worries me the most.” Hannah tapped her finger against the screen.
Nick leaned closer. “A charity gala for the hospital?”
“They booked us six months ago. We can’t let them down.”
“What does this charity gala involve?”
Hannah opened another file. “It will be a Christmas themed event. There’ll be a buffet dinner, dancing, and a charity
auction. As soon as the hospital director approves the concept plans and budget, we’ll start booking what we need.”
Mia studied the photos that Hannah had opened. It looked like your typical North Pole Christmas scene, complete with snowmen, candy canes, and Santa’s reindeer.
Nick pursed his lips. “I have an idea. Mia can work on the hospital gala for you.”
Mia shook her head. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life, granddad. It would be a disaster.”
“Your friends need help.”
“It’s okay,” Claire said. “You don’t have to help us. You’re busy teaching at the college and your next exhibition isn’t far away. We’ll just tell Mrs. Jenkins that we can’t organize her daughter’s wedding.”
Mia pulled out a stool and sat down. “When are Beverly and Craig getting married?”
“The second Saturday in January. They didn’t want a long engagement and that was the only date the caterer could manage.” Hannah closed the Jenkins’ file. “It’s a big ask for anyone to organize a wedding of that size in four month.”
Mia glanced at her granddad. Big mistake. His pale blue eyes bored into her soul, making her feel guilty for not saying yes straight away. “You know how busy I am.”
“You are a good girl, Mia. You will do the right thing.”
She sighed, wondering how on earth she could say no to her granddad and two of her closest friends. “I’ll let you know tomorrow morning if I can help.”
Claire and Hannah’s relieved smiles made her feel worse.
Nick patted her hand. “Your pappouli has complete faith in you.”
And those, thought Mia, were the words that would ultimately seal her fate.
***
A light tap on Stan Lewis’ office door didn’t stop him from typing. He needed to finish the report he was writing by the end of the day. Nothing, barring a bomb threat or an outbreak of the plague, would stop him.
“How can I help, Gina?”
“Sorry to interrupt, but have you had a chance to look at the proposal for the charity gala?”
The Promise (The Protectors Book 4) Page 23