Page 94 of Rancher's Return

“Well. I really fucked up. And I’m here to fix it. So thank God for miracles and snow on the beach. And stores that are open all night on Christmas Eve for people who don’t have all the shopping done. And also hopefully for forgiveness.”

Everyone turned to look at Lily, because he was looking at her. “Well, go on,” she said, trembling a little bit inside.

“I love you. And I’m sorry.”

That earned a whole lot of shocked looks all around.

“We were snowed in together for two days,” Lily said. “Things happen.”

“A lot of things,” said Colton. “I found my mom.”

“What?”

“I’ll give more details later. But the important thing, the really important thing, is that I realized I’ve been trying to live without hope. And that is a damned foolish thing to do. I took a leap. I found my mother. I got to tell her how much she meant to me. I... I hoped, and it worked out. And so it makes me wonder why I don’t just try to have everything. Including you. I love you, and I hope... I have hope. That everything is going to be wonderful.” And then he got down on one knee, and her heart stopped. He had a small ring box. “This is just a stand-in,” he said. “Because shockingly, places that are open twenty-four hours on Christmas Eve don’t do the best with this kind of thing. But it’s something.”

He opened it up. It was a diamond ring. An honest to God diamond ring.

“We’re still young. But we were young when we fell in love. And I just think it’s right. I hope that... I mean, I can move where you are, I don’t need to keep the chickens. I don’t need to keep the farm.”

“Yes you do,” she said. “And it’s okay. I’ve been wanting to come home anyway. But it was never going to be home unless it could be with you.”

“Well, now it can be. I love you,” he said. “I’m sorry that I was dumb.”

“I forgive you for being dumb,” she said.

And she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

“Well, I am totally lost,” said Buck.

“I’ll explain it to you later,” said Marigold, patting his arm.

“This is so weird,” said Reggie.

“So weird,” agreed Marcus. “Congratulations, bro.”

“Technically, I was dating her before... Never mind.”

“I’ll marry you,” she said. “I’m going to marry the hell out of you.”

“Well, it’s a Christmas miracle,” said Marigold. “Everyone is finally, finallytogether.”

Colton smiled, and Lily felt it echo in her soul.

Finally.

Epilogue

Next Christmas, they went to the beach house, and Lily and Colton were married. Colton’s mother was able to make the trip.

It snowed on the beach again.

And that seemed about right to Colton, because his life was rare and beautiful. Because he got miracles. Because he had hope. So why shouldn’t it snow on the beach?

Why shouldn’t it?