Page 268 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

"Are you telling me there is something inside that one?” Grandma C looked perplexed.

Wade tipped his head to one side. "I guess we'll have to find out." He shot a look at Rem. "Roll ‘em."

Rem grabbed his phone and pressed the screen once again. This time, a familiar melody began to play. In fact, it was the song Nash sang in the flatbed of the truck—Always. It declared that no matter what happened, their love would always be there.

The pumpkin got passed around the circle as the music played, from Grandma C to Jackie, Jackie to Lloyd, and on it went, drawing closer to Ellie and Nash with each pass.

At last, it got passed to Nash, who moved to hand it over to Ellie when the music stopped. Just when she expected him to open the lid to see what was inside, Nash surprised her by shifting out of his seat and getting down on one knee.

He held the pumpkin in one hand before her.

Ellie stared at it before shifting her gaze back to Nash, his eyes working to hide a sense of excitement.

"Open it!" Rosie cheered excitedly.

Ellie looked to see that there was, in fact, a perforated edge around the entire stem of the pumpkin. She reached out, heart fluttering a million miles per hour, and took hold of the stem to lift it away from its base. Dangling from the center on a gold, silky ribbon was a diamond ring.

Emotion welled so thoroughly within her that Ellie sniffed back a sob.

Nash helped her remove the ring from the ribbon and handed the pumpkin to Wyatt, who stood close by.

Still on one knee, Nash held the ring between his finger and thumb, those honey-gold eyes set on her.

"Eleanor Blaire, I never thought in my wildest dreams that my desperate attempt to meet you would lead the two of us here.

“You’ve often said that I’ve been living the life thatyouonly dreamed of. Now, I hope that we can lead the lives we’ve both always dreamed of—together.

“So, Ellie, will you join me in making our dreams come true and be my wife?"

Tears pouring down her cheeks, joy bursting from her heart, Ellie rushed in to kiss Nash's cheek. "Yes,” she said before kissing him again and again.

"Say that a little louder for the camera," Jackie urged.

Ellie glanced over to see that Jackie was capturing the moment with her phone. She chuckled. "It's a yes! Absolutely! I can't wait!"

Laughter and cheers filled the space as Nash slid the ring onto her finger. He stood next, gathered Ellie in his strong arms, and lifted her feet off the floor to whirl in place.

Ellie squealed in delight as they spun, her joy full and complete. Once she was back on her feet, Nash brought his mouth to hers for a slow, passionate kiss.

Hoots and hollers sounded. Someone whistled a long cat call as Nash dipped her low and drew out the kiss in a playful tease.

Jackie cleared her throat. “Oh, that’s enough, you little devil,” she teased.

Ellie felt Nash grin against her lips as he pulled back at last. “To be continued,” he promised under his breath. Then, he stepped back and threw his fist high in the air. "We’re getting married, everyone,” he bellowed. “Yah hoo!"

A new lineup began, the family shuffling in, offering their congratulations and delight. With each officialwelcome to the familyshe received, the joyous truth sank in a little deeper. She was Nash Copeland’s fiancée! They were getting married!

Nash had been right—Ellie was still living out the experiences she’d only dreamed about, and today, she could add a new character profile to her real-life repertoire: the role of the happiest woman in the world!

EPILOGUE

Nash stood at the head of the chapel, Pastor Dean at his side, eyeing the group gathered to celebrate their special day. They’d created a rather modest list of guests, consisting mainly of folks right here in town.

Aside from the Copeland crew were the Emersons, who had, in recent years, become like family with as much as they had in common. Not only had both groups assisted in harboring those in need, but they were also heavily involved in the goings-on around town—the barn raising, the pudding pie party, and holiday events such as the corn maze and, more recently, the Christmas Festival, where the families teamed up with the town’s quilting group to make and sell quilts for a local charity, and boy had Ellie enjoyed that.

Nash and Ellie set the ceremony for the first week in January, a month that reflected fresh starts. Plus, Ellie had said she wanted to be back from their honeymoon in time to take part in the Valentine Barn Raising celebration in town.

A quick look at the front row showed that both Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jackie had tears welling in their eyes. Grandma C, who was already dabbing her face with tissues, extended the box to the pair.