And, before the end of the night, he’d know if she felt the same way, too.
* * *
Katie lookedaround the crowded exhibition and frowned. She wasn’t superstitious and she didn’t have premonitions, but she did believe in God, angels, and a beautiful place called heaven. She’d even felt the healing power of prayer. But, in all her life, she’d never been quite so aware of her grandma.
It was almost as if she was beside her, showing her the journey that had brought her into the world and made her the person she was. Even the scent of her roses seemed to follow Katie, enticing her to stay a few minutes longer at different displays.
“Are you all right?”
She looked at Peter and forced a smile. “The excitement of the day must be getting to me. I keep thinking Grandma’s going to suddenly appear and give everyone a guided tour of the things we found.”
“From what you’ve said, she would have enjoyed that.”
A strong scent of roses tickled Katie’s nose. “Can you smell that?”
Peter sniffed. “What am I supposed to be smelling?”
“Roses. Sweet, pungent roses that almost make your eyes water.”
He sniffed again and shook his head. “All I can smell is someone’s perfume and it’s more fruity than sweet.”
Katie rubbed her nose. “It must be allergies. Have you seen Mom and Dad?”
Peter looked around the room, then froze. “They’re standing in front of the dresser where you found the letter. Your dad…”
If she wasn’t holding Peter’s hand, she wouldn’t have felt him flinch. “What’s Dad doing?”
“He’s bending down.”
Before Katie knew what was happening, Peter pulled her across the room. Her breath caught as adrenaline surged through her body. Peter was the most level-headed person she knew. The only reason he’d move so fast was if her dad was having a heart attack or some kind of medical emergency.
“Can you still see him?” she asked as they dodged someone carrying a tray of wine glasses.
“He’s—”
Her dad turned and frowned. “Has something happened? Mabel said you were rushing across the room and I thought Diana—”
“She’s fine.” Peter’s gaze shot to the dresser. “Did you open the drawer where you found the letter?”
Allan shook his head. “Someone bumped into the rope and it fell off the stand. Mabel’s going to ask Chloe why it’s there. We thought her staff might still be working on the restoration.”
Peter shook his head. “There’s another reason why the rope’s there.”
Diana, Ethan, and Penny joined them.
“Is everything okay?” Diana asked. “Ethan saw Peter run across the room and we thought something must have happened.”
Katie was as confused as the rest of her family. “Everyone’s okay. What did you think was happening, Peter?”
He took a deep breath and held her hand. “You’re the reason the rope is stopping people from getting too close to the dresser.”
“I am?”
“I wanted tonight to be special, not only for what your family found, but to celebrate your grandma’s life. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have stayed in Sapphire Bay, and I wouldn’t have met you.”
By now, the crowd of people watching them had grown. Katie had no idea what Peter was doing, but Chloe was smiling as she made her way toward them, so it couldn’t be too bad.
He unclipped the rope and took a pair of gloves out of his pocket. Instead of pulling them on, he turned to her and held her hands. “You weave words into stories, create worlds that children can dream about. I don’t want the story of your family to end with the discovery of the letter. I’d like it to continue into forever with you beside me. I love you, Katie. I thought you were special when I first met you. That feeling grew when I saw how kind and generous you are to the people around you. And, by the time we had Christmas together, I knew I’d love you for the rest of my life.”
