Page 48

L ily eased out of bed, leaving Matt snuggled down in the covers.

She stoked up the embers in the fireplace, added a couple more logs, and pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders.

Yesterday had been her wedding day—nothing elaborate, just a simple ceremony at the church.

Matt had asked her where she wanted to go on the honeymoon, and she’d chosen the old shepherd’s shack at the far reaches of the farm.

The place was one room, with a bed in one corner, a cookstove in the other, and a small table with a couple of mismatched chairs.

She wrapped her shawl even tighter around her body and stared out the window at the white fields in front of her.

The snow wasn’t as deep as what Daisy’s latest letter had told her about in Nebraska, but the sight was still so beautiful that it took her breath away.

Her reflection in the window showed the same tall, red-haired woman who’d gotten off the train almost six months ago, but so much had changed.

She’d watched the events play out from then until that very day.

Daisy was happy in Nebraska, having just gotten there in time for the first snow in November, and they had already found a small sheep farm to buy and were settling in when she wrote.

Holly had landed a job helping Alma in the bunkhouse kitchen.

In the evenings she kept busy embroidering labels for all the garments the other three were making.

Beulah had reached out to a couple of folks she knew in Austin and Houston, and they were stocking their stores with Blue Jay creations that sold as fast as they got a shipment.

Abigail was engaged to one of the hired hands and planning a spring wedding.

That was one of the reasons why Lily wanted to keep things simple.

She and Abigail had mended fences and were becoming good friends.

Lily didn’t want to overshadow her new sister-in-law’s wedding and had even offered to use that lovely bolt of white brocade to design and create a beautiful wedding gown for her.

“Someday,” she whispered.

“Someday what?” Matt walked up behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her back to his chest.

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hope that someday Holly, Iris, and Jasmine will be as happy as Daisy and I are.”

His lips found hers in a passionate kiss. When he pulled away, he looked deeply into her eyes and said, “We could be at my house ... I mean, our house now,” he corrected himself. “Why did you want to come all the way out here for a honeymoon?”

“Because I get you all to myself for my Christmas present.” She smiled. “No one will come out here in this kind of weather, so we are alone for three whole days—or maybe longer if the snow doesn’t melt off. So, Merry Christmas to me and to you. We have everything we need right here.”

He scooped her up into his arms and laid her gently on the bed. “You are so right. Now, tell me one more time.”

“I love you, Matt Maguire,” she whispered softly in his ear.