Sleigh Bells in the Snow (32 page)

“You’d do that for me?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to have you in my life.”

She felt a burst of happiness. “I’m glad you feel that way because I called Brett and told him I don’t want the promotion. It was a long conversation, but basically I’m going to stay in my current job. That way I can be more involved with Snow Crystal. And I can work from here a few days a week and commute backward and forward. It might be complicated at first, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

“Hell, Kayla—” there was a look of disbelief and uncertainty on his face “—you worked hard for that promotion. And there’s no corner office here.”

“But there are other things. There are trees, mountains, snow, moose—don’t forget the moose—and there’s your family—” Tears slid down her cheeks and she wiped them away with her palm. “And there’s you.
You’re
here. That makes it the only place I want to be.”

“Are you sure? I can’t believe you did that for me.” He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, relief flooding through her.

“I did it for me. For us. I can’t believe you booked a flight to New York.”

“Good job I had to mend the trail first, otherwise we would have passed each other on the road.”

“When you didn’t answer the phone I was terrified you might have changed your mind.”

“I’m never going to change my mind.” He cupped her face in his hands. “You think it’s that easy to switch love on and off?”

“I don’t know anything about love, Jackson, except that it makes me do crazy things. And you. You’re doing crazy things, too. You’ve known me a week. That’s not long enough.”

“Do you really believe that?”

She gave a choked laugh. “No. The truth is you know me better after a week than anyone else has after years. I came here to avoid Christmas. I didn’t expect to enjoy it. I didn’t expect to be welcomed the way your family welcomed me. I didn’t expect to feel included. I’ve been the outsider for so long I had no idea how good it would feel to be on the inside. But it felt good. It
feels
good.”

“Kayla—”

“I love you, Jackson. I’ve never said that to anyone before, but I’m saying it now. I love you, and I want to live my life with you. I want you to be there to pick me up when I fall down and I want to be there to do the same for you.”

He hauled her against him and hugged her tightly. “I love you, too. All I want is for us to be together. The rest of it, we can work out.”

“I was thinking that in the long-term I might think about starting my own business. You talked about it the other night, and I think it might be something I’d love.” She was stammering. “To be honest I have no idea how we’re going to do any of this, but I know we’ll work it out somehow.”

“Are you sure this is what you want? I can spend time in New York, too. If you want that promotion, you should take it.”

“Everything I want is right here. You’re right here.”

“Are you sure? You’re a city girl.”

“Turns out I’m not as much of a city girl as I thought. And if I stay, I can wear these gorgeous warm boots I bought and the gloves you gave me. I can drink hot chocolate and learn to ski without landing on my face. I can see what summer looks like from your bed.” She hugged him tightly. “I love you, Jackson O’Neil, and if you’re still carrying that diamond ring in your pocket, now would be a good time to give it to me and ask the question you asked yesterday.”

He pulled out the box and slid the ring onto her finger.

It sparkled in the winter sunshine, the diamond catching the light like a snow crystal.

Her throat felt thick. “It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

He lowered his head and kissed her gently. “Marry me, Kayla.”

“And those are the best words anyone has ever said to me,” she whispered against his mouth. “Yes.”

The sound of bells interrupted them, and they pulled apart, ready to move out of the way of the horse-drawn sleigh.

“Merry Christmas.” Walter sat in the driver’s seat, his hands on the reins while Alice and Elizabeth sat snuggled together under a rug in the backseat. “This is supposed to be a moment she remembers forever and you pick a hole in the trail and a gas-guzzling snowmobile? Get in the back and do it again so you can tell your kids you proposed in a horse-drawn sleigh.”

Jackson closed his eyes. “Gramps—”

“There are still some things I know more about than you. Now get in.”

Laughing, drowning in happiness, Kayla jumped into the back of the sleigh and was immediately hugged by Elizabeth and Alice. Maple popped her head out from the protection of Elizabeth’s warm coat and barked.

“This is the best Christmas present.” Alice took Kayla’s hand and studied the ring. “And you’re wearing the scarf I knitted you.”

“Of course she’s wearing it,” Elizabeth said. “Why wouldn’t she? It’s a beautiful scarf.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Jackson sprang up next to her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Of course she’s sure,” Walter said over his shoulder. “She’s here, isn’t she? Now get on with it. Just pretend we’re not here.”

“I’ve already done it, Gramps. She said yes, although she might be about to change her mind now you’ve reminded her what marrying me entails.”

“I’m not going to change my mind.” Kayla couldn’t ever remember a moment more perfect. She took Maple from Elizabeth and tucked the puppy inside her coat. “I’m really not.”

“Are you sure?” Jackson put his arm around her and snuggled her against him. “I can’t pretend it’s not going to be a challenge.”

“Haven’t you heard? Challenge is my favorite breakfast dish, along with a side of difficult marinated in the impossible. Only these days I’m adding in a taste of maple syrup. I find it adds that extra special something.”

“I can’t believe you’re staying.”

“I fell in love—” tears shone in her eyes “—and not just with the man. With the place. That’s what happens at Snow Crystal. It’s magic.”

And it felt like magic with his arms around her, his mouth on hers and the soft flutter of snow falling like confetti.

* * * * *

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, a huge thank-you to my readers who continue to buy my books thereby giving me the opportunity to write more.

Special thanks to my brilliant and talented editor, Flo Nicoll, for her enthusiasm and insight. Working together on this book has been more fun than anyone has a right to expect from a job.

I’m grateful to my agent, Susan Ginsburg of Writers House, for her wise advice, and to the fantastic team at HQN and Harlequin UK for their support and hard work.

Without Kimberly Young and Lucy Gilmour I doubt my career would have reached this point. I owe them both a great deal.

Particular thanks to Dianne Moggy for her encouragement and for allowing me to use real-life Maple as fictional Maple in this story. All errors my own.

Love and thanks to Laura Reeth for her friendship, support and astute observations on life.

All writers need writer friends. I am fortunate to have more than I can mention here—you know who you are!—but I am particularly indebted to Carol Marinelli and Nicola Cornick.

Writers also need nonwriter friends. Love and thanks to Sue, who has been there through thick and thin and occasionally forces me to talk about real people as well as fictional ones.

I am fortunate to have a wonderful family. Love to my parents and also to my fantastic children for the hugs and laughs and for never complaining when I’m on a deadline and make them eat pizza.

Finally, love and thanks to my husband for proving that romance can happen outside the pages of a book. I am grateful to him for teaching me to ski and for patiently picking me up when I landed on my face, thus providing me with plenty of material for this story!

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ISBN-13: 9781460320990

SLEIGH BELLS IN THE SNOW

Copyright © 2013 by Sarah Morgan

All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical,
now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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