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“We can.”
“Good, then that’s what I’ll do.” She sat back and thought for another moment. “Where do you want to get married?”
“I’d think you’d want to marry in Marietta. Maybe St. James?”
“No, not necessarily.” She chewed her lip. “I was thinking maybe we should do a destination wedding. Marry where this whole thing started.” She gave him a hopeful look. “How about a winter wedding at Little Teton? That way most of our family could drive there and they could ice-skate and ski and I’m sure your friend Peter would welcome the business.”
“And your friend Tricia Thorpe could actually see the resort for herself.”
“You invite some of your major league player friends and they can see the resort and tell their friends, and maybe even a real sportswriter will go and write about it in a national paper or magazine.”
He started to laugh. “Wait a minute. Is this all a ploy just to help out the resort?”
“It is a very nice resort.”
“It is,” he agreed, brushing a kiss across her lips.
“And it is where we met,” she added.
“I love the idea,” he answered, kissing her again before drawing her against his chest. “And I love you even more for wanting to help out Peter. You have a huge heart, Charity Wright. I love your beautiful heart so very much.”
“And it all belongs to you,” she murmured, happy, so happy just to be in the circle of Quinn’s arms and feel the magic and wonder of his love. It was truly the most amazing thing.
Quinn Douglas loved her. He loved her, Charity Wright, the woman who had almost given up on her happy-ever-after. And just when she didn’t think she could hang in there any longer, Quinn appeared, stronger, smarter, and braver than any romance hero she’d ever read in any of her books.
“I love you,” she whispered lifting her head to smile up at him, tears stinging her eyes. She reached up to lightly touch his mouth. His lips were firm against her fingertips. She blinked back her happy tears as she replaced her fingers with her mouth. She kissed him gently, sweetly. “You are the best Christmas gift ever.”
“I’m just glad you said yes.”
“Did you even doubt it?”
“It was a very whirlwind courtship and I know you are risk averse.”
“I am, but you’re my safe place. I know without a doubt that you have my back.”
“I do.”
She was silent a moment, listening to the crackle and pop of the fire. “Because of you I’m no longer hunkered down behind my wagon. I’m out there, living again.”
“Taking risks, having adventures,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Because I also know that we’ll always be able to come back here. This is home.”
He smiled. “Exactly.”
“You don’t really know how many years of baseball you have left, do you?”
Quinn shook his head. “There may only be one year left. Or, if I’m healthy and playing well like I did this year, there might be another couple of years in me. I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to know. I’m going to be fine living in Seattle, or wherever you are, because where you are is where I want to be.”
“I thought you couldn’t stand the thought of living in Pray.”
“I think I would have been happy, if Joe had been the right one for me. But he wasn’t. You’re the one I need. You’re the one I want.”
He cupped the back of her head, and drew her close to kiss her. “Now that I’ve found you, I can’t imagine a future without you. I can’t imagine happiness or family or children with anyone but you.”
“Not happiness or family,” she echoed, the corners of her lips lifting. “Or Christmas,” she added, kissing him back. “After this, it wouldn’t ever be Christmas without you.”
Epilogue
It ended up being a huge wedding at the Little Teton Resort.
Everyone invited came, from Quinn’s teammates to friends from college. All of Marietta and Paradise Valley seemed to have made the drive over the Teton Pass, too, with the exception of Sawyer and Jenna Gallagher who were home with their newborn son, but they sent love. Indeed, Quinn and Charity felt nothing but love from all their family and friends who’d traveled to Wyoming to celebrate their big day, which was really a big weekend, packed with laughter, activities, and fun.
The weather held up all weekend, with just a dusting of snow as the ceremony began in the little chapel on the outskirts of Little Teton. Charity’s four bridesmaids—Jenny, Mandy, McKenna, Sadie—looked beautiful in shades of deep blue, each of them wearing a custom gown designed just for them by Charity. McKenna and Trey’s little girl was the flower girl and TJ played ring bearer. Charity designed her own dress, and it was the kind of dress a romantic would wear for a winter wedding, and of course Amanda did her hair. Charity felt like a princess as she spotted Quinn at the front of the church. Quinn and his groomsmen were dashing in black tuxedos but Charity only had eyes for Quinn who took her breath away.
She loved him, profoundly.
He’d changed her world. Because of him, she had so much more confidence and she viewed the future with humor and hope.
Life was good, very good, and her glass wasn’t merely half-full, but overflowing with blessings.
The End
