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Hunter broke the kiss and laughed, looking past me. When I turned around, I saw Aspen and my parents standing there. My mother was wiping tears from her eyes…while Dad gave Hunter a single nod, communicating something silently that I didn’t understand.
“Actually, my father let me use his plane,” Hunter said, looking at me, “and I was hoping to invite you all to Hamilton to spend New Year’s Eve with us.”
Aspen’s eyes went wide. “Color me yes! I still have my suitcase from the Italy trip packed, so I’m ready to go!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Mom, Dad?”
“We packed when Lincoln called us last night and told us everything.”
My mouth dropped open. “You knew and you didn’t say anything?”
Dad shrugged. “It wasn’t our place.”
Facing Hunter again, I kissed him quickly before saying, “Give me thirty minutes!”
Hunter sat down next to me on the sofa and handed me a cup of hot chocolate. I snuggled against him and let my gaze sweep over the plethora of people in his parents’ house.
“I hate that I missed the real Christmas, but this do-over is crazy! I can’t imagine what it was like with all these people opening presents.”
When my parents and I got to the ranch, Lincoln declared we were doing another Christmas since I hadn’t been there to celebrate the first one. No one had touched the presents I’d bought for the Shaw family or those for my parents and me.
He chuckled, and I loved how it vibrated through my body. “You should have seen it when we were little. It was a nuthouse. Or that’s what Grams called it.”
My mind drifted back to earlier this morning. Stella, Hunter’s grandmother, had surprised me with a beautiful gift. It had been just me, Hunter, Stella, and Ty Sr. in his grandparents’ kitchen, eating breakfast. They’d invited us over for what Stella had said would be the only peaceful meal of the day.
“I wanted to give you this before the insanity that comes later,” Stella said with the sweetest smile on her face.
I took the bag and felt my cheeks heat. “That’s so thoughtful. I don’t have your gifts with me. They’re back at Lincoln and Brock’s house.”
She waved off my comment. “A gift is given out of love, not expectation.”
When I looked at Hunter, he winked.
I gently pulled the light-blue tissue paper out of the bag…and drew in a sharp breath at what I saw. Reaching in, I pulled out a pewter box with beautiful floral patterns. It was also covered in crystals.
“My mother gave me that box the morning of my wedding,” Stella explained.
Tears filled my eyes, and when I opened the box, my hand covered my mouth as the tears fell harder. Inside was a stunning silver hair comb adorned with small pearls.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, as I gently took it out.
“I think it will look stunning in your hair on the day of your wedding.”
My eyes snapped up to look at Stella and Ty Sr. “My…my wedding?”
Stella nodded her head to my left, and when I turned, Hunter was down on one knee, a ring box in his hand.
I instantly broke down and started to full-on bawl. At some point, Stella took the comb and box out of my hands, and I turned toward Hunter.
“I asked your dad last night, and he told me it was too fast. Then I asked my dad, and he told me it was too fast. Finally, I called Grams and Grampa…and they both told me to follow my heart.”
He looked at Stella and Ty Sr., and they both smiled. When he focused back on me, he drew in a breath and said, “So maybe fast is the way we go?”
I laughed and covered my mouth with my hand again.
“All I know, Kipton, is that I love you. I want us to be together, whether here on the ranch or anywhere else you want to live.”
Crying harder, I nodded and managed to say, “Here. I want to be here with you!”
