And then, instinctively, he looked toward the back of the barn.
Damian stood near the last row, coat collar turned up, hands in his pockets. His charcoal wool pea coat hung loose on his tall frame, showing off his massive weight loss. After their rescue, he’d returned to the rehab center, but the administrators had allowed him to come tonight. His expression was unreadable, his face half in shadow.
Then their eyes met. A moment passed between them. Not forgiveness. Not quite peace. But something close.
Abe turned back just as the music swelled to its crescendo. Daphne struck her final pose, arms stretched toward the stars, balanced on one pointe shoe, like a statue made of snow and light.
The barn went silent for a heartbeat. Then the audience surged to its feet. Thunderous applause echoed through the rafters.
Daphne lowered her arms slowly, then she curtsied and blinked like she wasn’t sure any of it was real. The girls squealed and clapped around her.
Abe stepped onto the stage, his boots heavy on the wooden floor. The room hushed again.
She turned, and her eyes widened.
He dropped to one knee. The velvet box was in his hand, open now, the diamond catching the string lights overhead.
“You already said yes,” he said, his voice low but unwavering. “But I didn’t get to do this the right way.”
Her hands covered her mouth.
“You’re the bravest, most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said, emotion thick in his throat. “And I want to spend the rest of my life making sure you never forget that.” He held the ring toward her. “Merry Christmas, Snow Queen.”
She laughed, choked on a sob, and launched herself into his arms.
In the back, Damian slipped out the barn doors, into the shadows.
His brother Luke stood in the back in jeans and a T-shirt, his arms crossed, frowning with that watchful, uncertain gaze Abe knew too well.
He couldn’t help smiling because Luke was probably annoyed that now he’d have to come up with some over-the-top, barnstorming proposal of his own… or risk looking like the emotionally stunted twin.
The crowd erupted, not just a cheer, but a full, rising wave of joy.
The girls swarmed Daphne, shrieking, laughing, tugging on her hands, wrapping her in hugs. One of them grabbed Abe’s hand, and before he knew it, he was pulled into the chaos, knee-deep in tulle and tights and squeals.
A former Army Ranger, once hardened by war, now stood in the center of a rickety stage beside his Snow Queen, surrounded by giggling ballerinas and an entire town clapping not just for a performance, but for healing. For love. For hope.
For home.
EPILOGUE
Close to midnight,the snow crunched under Daphne’s boots as she and Abe climbed the hill behind Mosby House. The entire town was already there, bonfires blazing, hot chocolate steaming, the scent of woodsmoke and cinnamon in the air.
Midnight wrapped the mountains in stillness. The bonfires flickered, casting golden halos around the gathered crowd. She was tucked inside Abe’s coat, having no idea what to expect.
The sky above was clear and sharp, the stars scattered like flung glitter. Her breath misted before her as she leaned into Abe’s side. He held her gloved hand in his bare one. Like he didn’t want anything between them anymore.
“Cold?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Just excited.”
They found his brothers and their wives seated on hay bales, bundled in blankets. Clara, the wife of Abe’s eldest brother Jacob, handed Daphne a sugar cookie, while Georgie, Abe’s teenage niece, darted over with a gooey plate of s’mores.
“Did you know,” Georgie said as she sat beside Daphne, “Caleb built his star for his wife, hoping it would help her come back to him?”
She nodded. “It’s so romantic.”
Abe made a noncommittal grunt and sipped his cocoa.
