AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, will you?” someone in the crowd yelled.
“Say yes,” someone else said.
“Yes,” Roni blurted and threw herself into his arms. Still on one knee, he wobbled slightly as he caught her, smiling and laughing, while she cried tears of joy. How she could have any tears left in her, she didn’t know. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I thought you’d never ask.”
He laughed, slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her, holding her tight against him. As she broke the kiss, she looked down at the ring, her happiness eclipsing all her doubts and fears and instantly healing her broken heart.
“I love you, Roni. I’ve always loved you.”
“I love you too.”
The crowd whooped, yelled, and clapped.
“What’s going on here?” a voice demanded.
Roni looked up to see Jimmy’s parents standing above them. His dad was smiling, and his mom’s eyes were wide with surprise.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in Denver?” his mom asked, her voice hard.
“Dad, aren’t you supposed to be in bed?” Jimmy said, standing and helping Roni to her feet. His arm instantly went around her and he pulled her tight to his side.
“When I heard about the Caroling Kickoff, I insisted we come,” his dad said, smiling. “I’m officially off bed rest.”
“As long as he takes it easy,” his mom added.
His dad turned to Roni, and he stepped forward and took her hand. “Roni, I’ve always loved your coffee shop. We went there for years to get peppermint lattes and molasses cookies while your grandmother was still alive. In fact, it was your place that inspired Frankie’s.”
“It was?” Roni had to admit that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.
“When I heard about the Caroling Kickoff being held on the same night, I insisted we come,” he added.
“What about your tree trimming event?” Jimmy asked, looking at his mother.
“Tanya is handling it,” his mom said. Her gaze fell to the ring on Roni’s finger. “What happened to Denver?”
“Nothing happened,” Jimmy said. “You told me to be sure what I wanted. I went back, and the moment I walked into my empty apartment, I knew I didn’t want to be there any longer. I wanted to be back here, with all of you. With Roni.” The way he smiled down at her stole her breath. “Mom, Dad, I’ve asked Roni to marry me, and she said yes.”
Roni held her breath as his mom’s face softened. She held out her arms and took a step toward them. “Welcome to the family, Roni.”
A lump lodged in her throat as she hugged her future mother-in-law. “Thank you.”
“Now don’t get concerned when the moving truck arrives tomorrow,” Jimmy said. “We’ll just put everything into the garage until Roni and I figure out where we’re going to live. We have a lot to talk about and a lot of decisions to make.” He put his arm around her again and pulled her to him. “Together. No more making them on my own; it’s the two of us now. The start of our family.”
“Don’t forget about Spooky,” Roni said, thinking of her wonderful, magical cat.
“And Spooky,” Jimmy agreed.
Warmth radiated off his chest as she leaned her head against it, and the woodsy scent of him filled her head. Her gut clenched at the memory of how she used to love breathing him in at every opportunity. Now she wouldn’t have to just dream about it. He was finally hers.
Now she’d never be alone again.
He looked down at her with love and excitement sparkling in his eyes. “Any ideas where you want to live?”
She shook her head, feeling light and giddy and fighting the need to pinch herself. All her dreams were coming true.
“What’s the rush?” his mom asked.
“We have a lot of time to make up for.” Jimmy pulled her tight and kissed her again.
