I walk over, kissing her nose. “Merry Christmas,sweetheart.”
Her mom enters and then her sister comes barreling down thestairs. “Santa came! Oh! My Santa never fails.”
Hadley’s mother huffs. “Give it up, Beth, you’re almosttwenty! We know you don’t believe.”
Beth grins. “You really shouldn’t ruin the hopes and dreamsof your children, Mother. I know that Santa is real. How else would we have thepresents like we do? It’s a miracle and each year he reminds me of the miraclesthat occur.”
She and Logan would get along perfectly. Both are smartassesand have that sense of humor that only they understand.
Hadley reaches over into the bag she brought and pulls out agift, handing it to Beth. “Here, Santa came to my house for you too.”
Bethanne grins and takes it. “The spirit of Christmas livesfor us believers.”
Her mother turns to me while I have my arm thrown aroundHadley as her hand sits on her stomach. “I wish I knew you were coming. I hatethat you’re just sitting here with nothing to open.”
“I promise, this is great. I don’t need to open anything. Iappreciate that I’m not dead or digging my own hole in the field.”
Her father laughs. “That can always be arranged.”
“It’s probably no less than I deserve. I know my mother isgoing to want to kick my ass when we head there tomorrow.”
“The firm doesn’t really care about holidays and we’re bothtrying to make partner. Our time is just limited,” Hadley explains. “I’m sorry,Mom. I know I’ve been away, but we’ll come out for a weekend soon.”
“Now that she doesn’t have to hide the pregnancy, she cancome back all the time,” Beth unhelpfully adds.
Hadley sticks her tongue out and Beth returns the gesture.“Well, I have a present for Cayden. Since I knew he was coming.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
I like those words from her lips. Not wanting to delay anylonger, I get up as well, and grab the bag I had on the side of the couch. “Ihave something for you too, but I want you to go first.”
Hadley unwraps the larger box, to reveal a smaller boxinside. “Cayden? What is this?”
My heart is pounding, but as nervous as I am, it’s more thatI’m just ready. I want this with her and I don’t want to wait any longer.
I hear her mother or sister gasp as I take the velvet boxfrom her and drop to my knee. Hadley’s eyes fill with tears and I open the lidto show her an emerald cut diamond ring sitting in the center. “I wanted tocome here with you so that I could talk to your dad before I did this. I fellin love with you the first time you argued with me in class. You’re smart,funny, beautiful, kind, and so much more. I spent two years just trying to getthe courage to ask you out and when I did, you said no.” They both laugh andshe sniffs at the same time. “After our first date, where you spent two hoursscolding me about how I was wrong about my stance on a law, I knew there was noother woman for me. Hadley Arrowood, I want to spend the rest of my life lovingyou and I’m asking you to do me the honor of being my wife?”
She launches herself forward, tears falling and kisses myface. “Yes!”
“Thank God, because it was going to be an awkward ride toTennessee if you said no.”
Her laughter fills the room and her lips find mine again.“How could I say no to you when I have waited my whole life to love someone theway I do you?”
Bethanne squeals and runs to her and they hug and laugh.Connor comes toward me, hand outstretched. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.”
“Just do right by her and we won’t have any issues.”
I nod once. “I promise.”
Hadley shows her mother the ring and they both cry and hug.Then Ellie makes her way to me. “Oh, I’m so happy. Congratulations! And you’resure you have to leave today?”
“I wish we could stay, but it’s a long drive to Bell Buckleand my parents are anxious to meet Hadley.”
Her dad laughs. “Who would’ve thought the man who gave mydaughter her horse almost twenty years ago is going to be herfather-in-law…you’ve made her very happy and for that, I thank you.”
