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“I got a little carried away. I hope it doesn’t go to my head. I’m not used to getting big checks like I’ve gotten.”
She’d had two more wins and received her share. Her confidence level was at an all-time high, but she was trying to not let it go to her head.
Even Cal had moved on. Tyler was in jail. The brewery was doing well, but she expected no differently with the way Cal seemed to have the golden touch with business ventures. Cal had even purchased the house that his employee Mike had told him about to help out a family member and that was making him money too.
“You need to splurge now and again,” he said. “But those look like things for the house.”
“They are,” she said. “Some of them. New curtains and throw pillows. Sheets too.”
She’d taken over the bedroom upstairs as her office, putting a desk in the corner. Cal had said he was going to clean everything out of the closet and she’d felt bad. But when they went together to donate most of his things to a group home for kids, she realized he was ready to move on.
Just like she was, wanting her office in the room that she knocked Tyler out in.
Cal hadn’t donated the video game system. It was out of date anyway. He’d thrown it out, but he did buy new systems for the group home, saying in theory it was the same to him.
She was proud of him and how he was so easily able to let go last month when they’d set up her office. She’d like to think he saw how well she was doing and followed suit.
“I just want you to feel at home here,” he said.
“I do,” she said. “You know that.”
She walked into their bedroom and dropped her bags.
“Come upstairs with me,” he said. “I’ve got to show you something.”
“Okay,” she said. There was a playfulness to him again. Like the one she’d seen when they first met.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs and her jaw dropped. “What do you think?”
“I think I’m confused.”
There was a Christmas tree in the corner of the loft fully decorated.
“Haven’t you ever heard of Christmas in July? We’ve got the liquor stores all decorated for it.”
Mia laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard of it. But you don’t decorate for Christmas.”
“I didn’t before,” he said. “I will. Starting now. But you see, I couldn’t wait until December to do this. I’m lucky I could wait until now.”
“Wait for what?” she asked.
He pulled her closer to the tree. “There is a little stocking there with your name on it. Open it.”
She’d seen the three stockings. One for each of them and then for Harley.
She pulled it off the limb of the fake tree and pulled a ring box out. “Oh my,” she said.
He took it out of her hand, got down on one knee and then flipped the lid. “My grandfather told me months ago that I’ve never bought jewelry for a woman before. I guess I never realized it until I thought more about it. That the last woman before you I’d given jewelry to was a pair of earrings to my mother for her birthday before she died.”
Her eyes started to fill with tears. “Oh, Cal.”
“It’s a good memory,” he said. “I think subconsciously I knew I wouldn’t do it again until I could find a woman I loved as much as her. Deep down I think I always knew it’d be you. So I’m asking you in front of this Christmas tree in July, if you will be my wife. If this hasn’t proven to you how much I can move on with my life, I’m not sure what has. I want to move on with you.”
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’ll be your wife.”
He stood up and put the ring on her finger. She’d been all but blinded when he flipped the lid but was paying more attention to him than the jewelry. Now she looked down at the oval ring surrounded by a cluster of more diamonds.
“Good,” he said. “I hope you want a fast wedding. You know, like your sister did. I’d like to get married in December. Full on Christmas theme.”
Mia burst out laughing. “No,” she said. “No red and green. Not for a wedding.”
He grinned and kissed her on the lips. “How about silver and blue? Does that work?”
“That works beautifully,” she said. “Just like we work beautifully together too.”
“That’s right,” he said. “We do. Don’t ever forget it!”
The End!
