Page 23 of Crewe (Nelson’s Honkytonk Saloon & Bar #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

C rewe got everyone situated in the horse-drawn carriage and then climbed in beside them. It wasn’t cold enough to need the blanket provided. At Crewe’s tap on the coachman’s seat, the man clicked his tongue and flicked the reins. The snow-white horses set off at a steady clip.

“This is awesome, Crewe,” Wyatt said, leaning around Crewe to see the side of the carriage. Crewe slipped his arm around Wyatt. He didn’t need this event ruined with Wyatt taking a tumble.

“Where are we going?” Ry asked, her arm around Freya.

“We’re taking a ride through Main Street, circling the Falls parking lot, and then we’ll come back to the resort,” Crewe said, lying through his teeth.

He wanted tonight to be a surprise, and Ry was too smart and would figure out his plan if he’d told her they were stopping at Mistletoe Canyon Falls.

He realized he was tapping his foot and stopped. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. He loved Ry. He’d told her he loved her, and she’d said it back. Why did tonight make him nervous? It was the next natural step to him being all in and all of them realizing it.

The kids oohed and aahed seeing Mistletoe Falls Road with all the shops lit for the night.

Multiple times this week, he’d heard Vivi, Ellie, and Ry talking about how festive the buildings looked with the lights outlining the rooflines.

Whiskey had mentioned to the cousins to be prepared to buy a huge amount of outdoor lights to outline their businesses this year.

The carriage made the turn to go closer to the Falls, which had the grove of mistletoe trees.

How it stayed perfect year-round was a mystery.

One shop owner had said they just accepted it.

But the Falls were nestled in a canyon so maybe that was why.

And maybe if he distracted himself with inane questions, then he wouldn’t disgrace himself by sweating or stumbling over his words.

The carriage slowed as it entered the parking lot for the Falls.

Instead of turning around, the carriage took a path across the grassy area leading to the Falls and stopped near one of the trees with lights strung through it.

It was far enough away from the Falls that they could still see them well, but the noise wasn’t quite so loud. Crewe didn’t want to have to scream his proposal. He was going for romance, not comedy.

“Folks, I know I was supposed to just turn around, but the sun setting over the mountains is gorgeous, and I know Ry is a nature photographer. You’ll have about thirty minutes before it’s gone.

Why don’t you get out? I’ll let the horses rest for a little bit,” the coachman said, getting out of the carriage.

“Well, let’s get out,” Crewe said, helping both kids out and then grasping Ry around the waist to lift her down. Her smile as he pulled her close for a quick kiss had his stomach knotting even more. He led them to the perfect tree, at least as far as Ellie and Vivi had said.

He maneuvered Ry in front of him with both kids directly to the right. He took a deep breath, dropped to his knees, and pulled the ring box out of his pocket, opening it.

“Ryanne Blackstone, you walked into our bar, and my life was forever changed. I didn’t ever know I could love someone this much.

My heart grew bigger because of you. I love everything about you.

Your love for your children. Your deep need to be strong and independent, which makes it so much sweeter when you rely on me to help in any way.

Even when I was teasing you and calling you Ryan to see you get that fire in your eyes, I was falling deeper in love with the woman I didn’t know I needed more than my next breath.

“I didn’t have an example growing up of a successful marriage. But my dad and uncles showed me how a family has each other’s backs and loves each other even through disagreements. Ry, I’m asking you to marry me and let me love you for the rest of our lives.”

He stared at Ry’s smiling face as her eyes filled with tears. She nodded yes, but he needed more.

“Baby, I’m going to need the words, or my brothers and cousins will never let me live this down,” Crewe said.

“Yes, I will marry you because you’re the man I adore,” Ry said.

Crewe stood, slid the ring on her finger, and claimed her lips—a short taste to seal their pledge, but he had one more thing.

Crewe reluctantly pulled away and knelt down in front of Freya and Wyatt.

“I love your mom, but since I met you, I’ve been falling in love with both of you too.

Each time we played a game or read a book, you burrowed your way into my heart until my love overflowed.

What I want more than anything is to be your dad.

I pledge to love you and shepherd you. My fondest wish is for you to grow up to live your dreams. Freya and Wyatt, will you agree to be my children and let me be your dad forever?

” Crewe asked, pulling two small bags from his pockets.

Freya and Wyatt threw their arms around his neck, crying and saying yes. He wrapped his arms around the children and sniffed back a tear. Ry wrapped her arms around them all. He pulled back and held the bags out to the kids.

“Just like Mom got a ring to seal our pledge, I have something special for both of you,” he said, pulling out silver bracelets with a silver disk engraved with Without Fail .

“These words mean I will always be there for you. Without fail, I will always show up. I talked to the jeweler who made these. As you grow, he’ll add links to the chain.”

He slid them on their wrists, letting the tears fall down his face. He was telling the truth. He hadn’t understood how he could love someone so much.

He stood up with his family to yells and congratulations coming from the trees. His family came out from where they’d been hiding to congratulate them. His dad was the first to pull Ry and the kids into his arms.

“Now it will be official, but you’ve always been mine,” Burt said.

Crewe accepted congratulations from his family, his Bluff Creek friends, along with the people he’d connected with at Mistletoe Canyon.

This time away had been exactly what he’d needed for he and Ry to move to the next stage of their love story.

And it was their love story because he was going to work hard every day to make sure Ry, Freya, and Wyatt knew how very much they were adored.

His phone rang, and he motioned for his dad to watch the kids as he walked a little away.

“Hello,” Crewe said.

“Crewe, I need help,” Penny said.

“Okay. Did your car break down again? I’m out of town but can definitely get someone to look at it,” he said.

“It’s more than that,” she said, with tears in her voice.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll help you figure it out.

What do you need?” he asked. He wondered if she was experiencing postpartum depression.

A single woman with twelve-week-old twins had to be struggling.

Vivi and Ellie had dropped off food and presents a couple of times and also offered to watch the babies.

“I relapsed and got caught. It’s either rehab for nine months or the judge is sending me to jail. I need someone to take my girls, and you’re the only one I trust. You know my parents aren’t a good choice. Will you?” she asked.

Crewe was stunned speechless. Take her girls? He was the guy who helped people find stuff. He’d never considered someone might ask him to do something like this. But he wasn’t in this alone anymore. He walked over to Ry and took her hand, leading her over where it was quieter.

“Umm, wow. I’m going to put you on speaker so my fiancée, Ry, can hear, okay? I think you’ve met her,” Crewe said .

Ry wrinkled her forehead at him. He’d never imagined he’d be asked to do something like this.

“Yeah, she brought me some baby stuff. I told Crewe. I relapsed and got caught. I promise I was clean all the way through the pregnancy, but I was just tired, sad, and in a weak moment took something I shouldn’t.

The judge gave me the choice of rehab for nine months or he’s sending me to jail.

I’d be in at least a year, possibly two.

I need someone to take my girls, and Crewe was the only man I knew who I could trust to keep them away from my parents.

My girls will never go through what I did.

Ry, will you and Crewe take care of my girls like they’re your own until I can be clean and there for them? ” she asked.

“Penny, I want to confirm you are wanting us to take custody of the girls while you are in rehab, with the plan of you completing it and getting clean. During that time, which would be at least nine months away, you would want us to have custody of the girls,” Ry stated.

“Yes, I don’t want them in the system,” Penny said .

Relief washed over Crewe at Ry’s smile and nod. His woman was on the same page as him.

“We agree,” Crewe said, looking around for his cousin Quinton. “I’m going to get Quinton so he can hammer out the details, so we have the authority to take the girls to the doctor and get them treatment if they get sick, and do whatever is needed for them.”

“Okay,” her timid voice said.

Crewe kissed Ry on the cheek, mouthed I love you, and walked over to where he’d spotted Quinton. Crewe explained the situation to him, and Quinton nodded and took the phone.

He made his way back to where Ry was chatting with Freya, Wyatt, and some of their family. He slid his arm around Ry.

“We get to be big brother and sister for a while to the babies, and Père Noel gave me my Christmas present. Best Christmas ever!” Freya yelled, dancing around.

Wyatt nodded. “I’ll be a good big brother while we take care of them. Then I’ll still be their friend when they go back to their mommy,” he said solemnly.

Crewe bent down and hugged both kids, fighting tears. Just when he thought they couldn’t burrow any deeper into his heart, they did something like this.

“So let’s celebrate, and then we can make a plan after Quinton gets the timeline for us.

Who wants some snacks to celebrate?” Crewe asked his family.

His little family of four was growing to six for a little while.

He wasn’t going to say no to having the family of his dreams, and if he had a few extras to love on for a while, then he was more than fine with that.

Penny’s parents weren’t worth the space they occupied.

Crewe slid his arm around Ry and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you,” he said.

“Crewe, I’ll always support you in helping people. We’ll just have more kids to love for a while. You’ve given me my dream,” Ry said.