“Would you like to meet them?”
“Should we just show up like this? I didn’t even bring a dish.”
“I think it will be alright.”
If it had not been for Grant’s steady hand, I would have fallen out of the sleigh while looking at the house. “My goodness Grant, they even have an archway over there. Is that not just beautiful? I’m not sure what to look at first. Is that a swing under that tree?”
“I believe so, come on before you turn into a popsicle.”
Stomping our boots off on the walkway, Grant holds my hand as we walk up the steps. Bolt is standing still for a change, simply watching us. When Grant pushes the front door open without knocking, I try to pull him back.
“Grant, what has gotten into you? You can’t just walk into someone’s home.”
He smiles mischievously down at me before picking me up and twirling me around in a very open but empty house. The only thing besides the massive fireplace that takes up the entire wallis a lone Christmas tree with a single bow in the middle, made of bright blue material.
“What do you think?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“The house, what do you think? Here, let me show you around. Of course, this is the main living space. I think a couple of couches and chairs in this location would be the warmest. At this end there are two bedrooms, separated by double doors that can be opened in the summer to help cool the place down. Now, over here is the kitchen and prep area. I think these butcher-block counters are beautiful. But these are not the best features … come on.”
I’m walking, or I should say being pulled behind him, to the other end of the house where he swings open a massive door. Large glass windows look out on the porch that wraps all the way around the home, along with another set of double doors, but he doesn’t stop in here, just tugs me into another area where I gasp when I see a huge claw-foot tub sitting in the middle of the floor.
“There are built-in wardrobes over here and linen closets, also room enough to add things like a built-in commode when I can get it shipped here.”
Grant just keeps talking, but the more he shows me, the more confused I am, and he must have finally noticed. “What’s wrong?”
“Why are you showing me all this?”
“Damn, I am doing this all wrong … I got so excited over …”
Before he finishes his sentence, he has me in his arms, heading back out to the main living area, sitting me down in front of the tree.
“Would you open that bow for me?”
“It’s so pretty, I hate to touch it.” But I reach up gently, tugging on one end, only for a box to appear in the middle. Grant takes the box, then gets on one knee in front of me, opening it up slowly.
“Lauren, my Little Mouse, will you marry me?”
I look down at him, then at the large sapphire-and-diamond ring sparkling in the firelight. “According to you, we already are.”
“Yes, but I want you to choose me of your own accord. I want to be your choice, the one your heart wants to be with for life.”
“Oh, Grant honey, yes! I would marry you a dozen times and never regret it.”
Just as he’s sliding that stunning ring on my finger, whoops and yells suddenly surround us as people start coming out of a room I hadn’t noticed behind the kitchen. Old man Harvey, Beatrice, Reggie, and Pastor Owen all gather around us, full of congratulations.
“Grant, when you started pulling her all over the house, you had us worried there for a minute,” Reggie yells out.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you all doing out here?”
Mr. Harvey pulls me close, hugging me affectionately before saying, “We wanted to celebrate this with you and be here to witness your wedding in your new home.”
“My home?”
Everyone gets quiet, all eyes on Grant.
“This is all ours, Little Mouse. It’s what I have been doing all this time. The days you thought I was working in the mine, I was here with the crew trying to get this finished before winter set in. I have told you so many white lies that in the end, I was avoiding you because I didn’t know if I could whisper another one. You have no idea how many times it almost slipped, and Reggie almost spilled the beans when you told him I was up at the mine because I had been writing to him about the house, and he knew that’s where I was working most days. He rode all the way from Boston to personally give me my mother’s ring so I could give it to you. I know she would have loved you.”
