AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, you look beautiful,” Marlow says.
“Like a princess!” Dakota adds.
Scarlett and Sofie both look like they might cry.
“So beautiful,” Scarlett says.
Sofie hugs me first. “I said I wasn’t going to cry, but I already feel the tears coming.”
“You all look so beautiful too,” I tell them.
“It’s not every day we’re invited to a wedding party. It’s like a hipper version of a reception,” Scarlett says. “I’m all about it.” She looks at the living room. “Whoa. It looks even more beautiful than when I was last here!”
Marlow glances behind her. “Do you think you could come outside for a minute?” she asks. “There was something going on with the porch light?”
I frown and move toward the door. “Really? Okay, I’ll take a look.”
I open the door and Callum is at the end of the walkway in front of a horse and a carriage lit up with lights. I gasp.
“So you had this surprise planned when you were giving me grief about my surprises?” I call out.
“Got to keep you on your feet, Sunshine.” He walks forward with a fluffy white wrap. “And you’re still the one surprising me.” He takes my hand and twirls me around. “This is my favorite one yet.”
“I thought it might be.”
He puts the wrap around me. “Take a little ride with me?”
“I’d love to.”
I glance back at the girls, but they’ve disappeared. We get in the carriage and he leads us to an area behind the barn. It’s where we found the Christmas tree, and now the ones that were left are all lit up, and there’s a pretty arch in the middle. Surrounded by the lights and trees, all bundled up, are our families. And so are Dolly, Delphine, and Irene. They each have floral wreaths around their necks that are lit up.
“What have you done?” I ask, my voice full of tears.
“I would’ve had the whole barnful out here, but it would’ve gotten chaotic,” he says, laughing. “Had to be selective.”
He helps me down and I hug my parents.
“Thank you for coming,” I tell them, ready for new beginnings. There will be time for deeper discussions later.
I walk with Callum to the arch. He faces me and then turns toward the family.
“We’ll keep this brief since it’s cold out here, but I wanted to say in front of our families, our animals, and under this beautiful, wide open sky, how much I love this woman next to me. Ruby Sunshine Jones took my breath away the first night I met her and she’s been injecting life into me every day since. I’m honored to have you as my wife, honored to love you until the day I die, and honored that you want to be a Landmark here by my side.”
He lifts my hand to his and kisses it, and everyone cheers.
When they quiet down, I say, “You are the best thing to happen to me, Callum Landmark. All of you are. I feel like my life has just begun, and each day with you, Callum, I can’t even believe the happiness.” I turn and put my hands on his cheeks, leaning in and kissing him hard.
The cheers erupt again and when Callum and I break apart, an array of fireworks go off above us.
“My surprises have nothing on yours,” I tell him.
“I’m a simple man. I just need you.”
“Well, that’s easy. I’m all yours.”
He kisses me again and leads me back to the carriage, driving us home.
“You’ve created an evenmoremagical winter wonderland inside, haven’t you?”
I laugh, glancing over at him. “What makes you think that?”
“Besides the amount of lights taking over our house since the time I left? It could be the way you’re all lit up, Ruby Sunshine.”
“That’s all you, Callum Henry,all you.”
He sighs, leaning in to kiss me once more before we go inside. “I’m so glad you’re mine.”
