Page 55 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas

FIFTY-TWO

JILL

Jill clasped her hand over her mouth and cheered as she watched Matt and Meg kiss. It was the kind of kiss that would make even the hardest of hearts believe in love.

It’s about damn time.

She chuckled to herself and gave them space, moving with the crowd toward the food table.

But her eyes scanned the room.

Where was Owen?

He’d been headed right for her before Matt’s impromptu speech and subsequent confession had taken center stage.

She could have sworn that he looked determined, as if he had something important to say.

But he’d vanished.

Again.

He’d either been swallowed up by the crowd—or worse… maybe he’d changed his mind. Maybe Matt’s impassioned speech had left him with second thoughts.

She did another turn through the room and made her way to the buffet, suddenly famished and out of ideas.

She filled a plate with puffed pastries, slices of thick ham, and cheesy potatoes. She eyed an empty table on the far side of the room near the dance floor and staked her claim. Johanna and a handsome man Jill recognized from TV joined her.

“Have you seen Meg yet?” Jill asked Johanna pointedly, nodding in the direction where Meg and Matt were still wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Get it, girl.” Johanna squealed and gave Jill a fist bump. “Have you met Connor?”

Jill shook her head as Johanna made introductions. She picked up on a serious spark between the two of them as well. At least her friends were lucky in love. That was enough for her for the moment.

Jill polished off her plate and was about to return for seconds when she heard her name. The MC was saying her name. “Is there a Jill Pettygrove in the house?” The announcer paused for a moment, reading from a slip of paper. “Jill Pettygrove. Jill Pettygrove, you’re needed outside.”

Outside?

Why?

She weaved through the crowd, stopping to grab her coat, and stepped outside. The cold air hit her cheeks and made her suck in a gasp.

But what she saw next took her breath away.

Owen stood on a patch of snow near the entrance to the lodge. He’d spread out a soft red blanket on the ground. Hundreds of white rose petals scattered like snowflakes on the fabric, mingling with flickering LED candles that cast a soft glow on the snow.

Two boxes sat in the center of the blanket—a long, tall, thin box wrapped in shiny silver paper and a tiny blue box tied with a silky ribbon.

“Owen, what is this?” Her voice felt shaky.

“Sit, sit.” He reached for Jill’s hand and gently guided her down to the blanket.

“What is this?” she repeated, her stomach somersaulting with nerves.

“Our Christmas card photo op.” He winked and then motioned to the boxes. “Open the big one first.”

Jill sat on the edge of the blanket, surrounded by endless white, glistening snow. “Owen, wait, I need to say something.”

He held up a finger, not unkindly. “Just open the gift first.” His voice was steady like he had everything under control. And for the first time in days, she didn’t feel afraid. Instead, she felt eagerly curious.

Jill carefully untied the ribbon and peeled back the paper to reveal a life-sized storybook. “Owen, what is it?”

“I made it.” He beamed, dropping to the ground and scooting next to her. “Turn the pages.”

“I don’t understand.” She ran her hand along the cover—a photo of them from their first Christmas together in their tiny studio apartment. She flipped the page, turning to see his first Christmas letter blown up. “You knew? You planned this?”

“No, I didn’t know about the baby. Not until today. When you told me, I was so excited. I’d already planned this.” He gestured to the candles and rose petals. “I had to rush to finish it.” He nodded to the book.

“But you just left without saying anything. I thought you were unhappy.”

“Me unhappy? Never. I’m sorry. As soon as you said you were pregnant, I knew I wanted to make this, so I called Lucinda, and she hooked me up with a local printer.”

“This is what you’ve been doing all day?” Jill’s hand traced the pages.

He’d made this? For her?

He cleared his throat and looked at her hopefully. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it, but seriously, you bailed. I thought you were gone for good.”

“Gone for good? Jilly, you’re never getting rid of me that easily.” He kissed the top of her head. “I guess I got carried away. I wanted to surprise you tonight.”

“Well, you surprised me.” She felt a surge of relief and also a touch of annoyance at him and herself for spending the day imagining the worst.

“Can you forgive me?”

She nodded, appraising the careful craftsmanship of their love story and how much time and detail he had poured into it.

“Open this one now.” Owen handed her the tiny box that fit in her palm.

The box was small and blue. A signature shade of Tiffany blue. “Owen?”

“Just open it.”

She opened it to reveal an antique platinum ring with a sparkling diamond mounted in the center. “Owen. No, you don’t have the money for this?”

“I’ve been saving for seven years. Since the first day I met you. I knew that night you were the woman I wanted to marry. You’ve seen the letters now.” He gestured to the book. “Did you finally crack my code?”

She nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from the ring. This was more than she could have ever wished for.

Owen positioned himself on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Jill stared into the eyes of the man she loved, the father of her child. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”