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“You’re right about that, Ruby. And no one sang tonight with more heart than you did. You radiate from inside.”
“I’m happy. I think that explains it,” she said in a soft voice.
Happiness. It wasn’t a concept he’d allowed himself to think about for some time. Not since his entire world had fallen apart in the wake of Ruby’s “death.” His feelings for Ruby were more powerful than he could put into words. He had always loved her, but now he was falling in love with her all over again. Step by step, moment by moment, she was making indelible impressions on his heart. And the sheer power of it scared him to death.
* * *
“You’re a beautiful woman, Ruby Prescott. Inside and out.” Liam reached out and ran his palm across her cheek.
He lowered his head
and captured her lips in a stunning kiss that took her breath away. Her legs almost gave way beneath her. It felt as if she was being swept away. Despite the frosty cold, Liam’s lips were warm and inviting as they moved against hers. Ruby reached up and grabbed the fabric of his coat, pulling him closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, anchoring herself to him. Ruby wanted to show him that she was in this—with every fiber of her being she wanted to be Mrs. Liam Prescott. She wanted him! And Aidan. And a life filled with all the blessings that had been on full display tonight.
As the kiss ended, she found herself standing on wobbly legs. With a grin, Liam steadied her by holding her arms. Who would have thought a simple kiss would feel so earth-shattering? The attraction between them was electric. It even managed to cut through the chill in the frosty night air.
“Let’s head inside. We need to give those two lovebirds a push in the right direction,” Ruby whispered.
“Just don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t work out the way you plan,” Liam warned. “As a Prescott, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected.”
“Have a little faith,” she said as they walked inside.
After taking off her winter parka, Ruby made her way into the kitchen, pleased that everyone was helping themselves to food and drinks. Prior to leaving for the caroling outing Ruby had laid out most of the food on the dining room table. Although they had only planned on a small number of guests, Ruby felt grateful they had enough food to accommodate a larger number of people. She busied herself filling up the punch bowl with eggnog and taking the shrimp and deli platters out of the fridge and placing them on the table. Honor had set up all the desserts on the side table. At the moment Aidan and a few of his little friends were helping themselves to cookies and brownies.
All of a sudden Jasper appeared at her side. He tugged at her arm. “Ruby, I need to talk to you in private.”
“Now?” she asked with a frown. “Is this about you-know-what?”
“If you-know-what involves the diamond ring sitting in my pocket...then, yes,” he responded with a loud whisper. “I’m about to burst.”
Ruby quickly led him to the office at the back of the house that Liam used when he worked from home. Once they were alone and she had closed the door behind them, Jasper began to vent.
“I’m not sure about this plan anymore. Seems to me that I would be groveling. Jasper Prescott doesn’t beg.”
“Jasper, this isn’t about your pride. It’s about repairing the damage you did the other night. That went down in a public arena, so it’s only fitting that you reverse things in the same way.”
His lips trembled. “But what if she says no, Ruby? I’m not sure this old heart of mine could take the rejection again.”
Sympathy flared inside her. At his heart Jasper wasn’t quite the curmudgeon he appeared to be. He was a man who hid a lot of his feelings behind a façade of irreverence. It was a mechanism he had most likely developed after the death of his first wife and the heartache he had suffered as a result of that huge loss. After all, it took a man with a mighty big heart to conceive of the Operation Love program.
“I’m not going to lie to you and say that it’s not possible, Jasper. But how will you ever know if you don’t try?” She reached out and squeezed his hand. He was trembling. “I know what it feels like to be afraid. I’ve been dealing with fear for the last two years. One of the bravest things I’ve ever done is get on that seaplane—destination Love, Alaska. And the second will be laying my heart wide open for Liam to claim it. Am I afraid that he won’t? Of course. But I can’t let that stop me. God led me home for a purpose. And I can’t run from that, even if it terrifies me at times.”
Jasper reached up and cupped her face between his palms. “You belong to us, Ruby. You’re a Prescott through and through, but you’re also a big part of this town. Love needs your big heart and your courage. I feel blessed to call you my granddaughter.”
Jasper pulled her into his arms. Ruby blinked away tears as she sank into the hug. Deep down, Jasper was a cuddly teddy bear. She loved this man, warts and all. And she wanted him to have his happy ending with Hazel.
“I think I’m going to need to borrow some of your courage,” Jasper said in a raspy voice.
“You’ve got this, Jasper. Just speak from your heart and try to focus on what Hazel brings into your life.”
“Hmm. Good things, right?” he asked with a frown.
“Jasper!” Ruby cried out, gently swatting him.
He threw his head back and laughed. “Just a little joke. I had to get it out of my system before I make my pitch.”
Ruby studied him. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” he muttered as he wrenched the door open and strode back into the party.
