Mallory changed for the hike and emerged from the bedroom, arms splayed to her sides. “Tada! I’m ready to cut down a tree in the forest.”
He scowled. “Not in those boots you’re not.”
Mallory’s eyes went to her lovely new suede boots that she’d ordered on sale from the ski accessory shop in town. “Why not?”
“You’ll ruin them,” he said and reached inside the hall closet. He came out with a pair of man boots which gave new meaning to butt ugly. “These are big for you, but you can’t ruin them.”
“Even if I did, would you care?” She sat on the bench by the front door and pulled them on her feet.
The things she did for love. Oh, well. She didn’t want Liam to call her his little Miss Fashionista forever. Sooner or later, she’d acclimate to this town because she loved this man and she wanted to be with him. She loved Pine Gulch, too.
The town reminded her of the mountain ridge version of Starlight Hill. A close-knit community of folks who cared for each other. She’d joined the book club at the Little Bookworm, suggested they all read a steady diet of romance books, and managed to make new friends. Now if only she could figure out what was wrong with Liam and why he was acting so strangely.
They trekked through snow drifts, Mallory carrying Sugar, who might get swallowed up by the deep layers of snow. Liam went ahead, seemingly intent on finding the perfect tree. She saw plenty that would work, but he just kept hiking, swinging his ax.
“What about this one?” she pointed.
He went around the back of the tree. “Nah, this part didn’t get enough sun so it’s sad looking. We’ll find something.”
And he kept walking. “C’mon, babe. This way.”
Mallory was a little out of breath. She was in pretty good shape but still trying to adjust to the altitude. It made hiking more of a challenge. Finally, thank you God, Liam found the perfect tree. She didn’t think it was any more special than several she’d seen on the way here but wasn’t about to argue with the man. He went about hacking it down with big powerful swings of his ax.
It took a while and he at least looked a little winded when he was done. Now he’d also have to drag the tree back to the cabin. Mallory felt useless. She hadn’t even located the perfect tree. That was all Liam. He’d found it, cut it down, and would now haul it back.
A couple of hours later, Liam had the tree set up in the living room with the vaulted fourteen-foot ceiling. She would maybe be able to decorate the lower half. With a ladder.
“Why did we get such a huge tree?” she asked.
“I thought you wanted a big tree.”
“Not this big.”
“You should have said something.” He shoved a hand through his windswept dark hair, appearing irritated. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I did say something,” Mallory said to the empty room.
Not wanting to feel sorry for herself any more, she took a sauce pan from the cupboard and made hot chocolate while Sugar dozed nearby. Then she pulled out all the decorations she’d bought at the hardware store in town and started trimming the tree.
Suck it up, soldier.
Liam was far more nervous than he’d ever been in his life, which didn’t make sense. But, he told himself, Mallory could always say no. She could always say, “it’s too soon.” Or worse, she could confess this wasn’t working for her and she wanted to go back to Starlight Hill where the weather wasn’t as cold as a Colorado mountain town in winter.
But this wasn’t too soon for him. He was in love and knew this feeling would last forever. His brothers had known it the moment they’d seen him with her and expressed both shock and dismay that he’d somehow managed to “bag a babe like Mallory.”
He removed the engagement ring from under the pile of shirts in his dresser drawer. Two days ago, she’d almost caught him. He would have asked her then, but he’d planned this down to the letter. Christmas Eve. He would chop down the best tree in the forest for her because nothing else but the best would do. Then he’d build her a fire and get down on one knee. He hadn’t expected his nerves to get the better of him or the fear that coursed through his blood at the thought he might lose her.
When he walked back to the living room, the box shoved in his pocket, he found her sitting cross-legged in front of the Christmas tree. She turned and smiled, and he seriously thought his heart would burst out of his chest. He was a tough guy, but some days he didn’t think his heart would hold up.
“I made hot chocolate,” she said.
And she’d decorated the lower half of the Christmas tree. Yeah, he was an idiot for getting one this tall. “It looks really good, babe. I’ll get the top half, don’t worry.”
“I’m sorry I thought it was too big. It’s actually perfect.” She went into his arms.
His head fit snugly as he rested it on hers. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m the sorry one. I’ve been a grump and I know it. I just had to talk to you about something, and I kept putting it off. Because I’m nervous.”
She pulled back to look up at him, her eyes wide, and he wasn’t entirely sure if that was fear or surprise flashing in her gaze. Her lower lip trembled. “Why are you nervous?”
He took a step back to have the space to do this right. Sweaty hand full-on shaking, he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and went down on one knee.
“Mallory, would you—” But he didn’t get the rest of the words out, because she jumped him, pushing him back to the ground.
“Oh, my God! Yes, yes, yes!”
Sugar leapt from the pillow she usually dozed on and barked, apparently worried she had to defend him. “Yark! Yip! Yark!”
On his back, he held up the open box. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”
She was straddling his hips. “I didn’t let you finish. Go ahead. It should be easier now that you know my answer.”
He laughed. “Will you marry me and put up with my crazy ass for the rest of your life?”
“Yes, Liam Turlock, I will, because I love you and your ass so much.”
Then she kissed him, hard, and he felt it all the way to his heart.
She held out her finger and he slipped the ring on. “It’s so beautiful,” she said, her eyes watery.
He stood up, taking her with him. “Whew, I’m so relieved.”
“I can’t believe you doubted for a minute I’d say yes.”
“Probably because sometimes I think this is too good to be true. I’m a lucky man.”
“No. I’m the lucky one,” she said.
Then he picked her up and carried her into their bedroom to celebrate.
Thank you fo reading Liam and Mallory’s romance! To read any of the other books in the Starlight Hill 8-book series of standalone books, go here.
You may also like the Wilder Sisters, another small town romance series with two standalone books, Country Gold and She’s Country Strong.
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Also by Heatherly M. Bell
THE HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE BOOKS:
BREAKING EMILY’S RULES: HEROES OF FORTUNE VALLEY
AIRMAN TO THE RESCUE: HEROES OF FORTUNE VALLEY
THIS BABY BUSINESS
THE RIGHT MAN, a novella
THE WILDER SISTERS BOOKS:
COUNTRY GOLD
SHE’S COUNTRY STRONG
COMING IN 2019
MIRACLE BAY
And
FROM HARLEQUIN SPECIAL EDITION:
MORE THAN ONE NIGHT
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THE STARLIGHT HILL COMPLETE COLLECTION: 1-8 Page 135