Page 86 of Sweet Trouble
She didn’t say what she was really thinking—that she was worried they mightneedher here with them.
“You’ll be right across the way,” Grampy laughed.
“We can practically see Lawrence Farm from the kitchen window,” Gram said. “You can still see us every day if you want, especially if the girls would still like to come see us after school.”
“Yes,”Mari and Posey said at once.
“And now that the third floor is almost done,” Grampy said. “You can stay over whenever you want, or your parents and your sister can come and stay for the holidays next year.”
“It would be lovely to have everyone close,” Gram said with tears in her eyes.
Jillian turned back to Tripp, amazed that everyone in the family was content, like their whole future together could start just like that.
If she said yes.
“You can think about it as long as you want,” Tripp said softly. “I won’t ever change my mind, Jillian. I can hardly wait to love you forever.”
“Yes,” she cried, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“Really?” he asked, hisvoice husky.
“Really,” she said.
He slid the little ring onto her finger and stood to pull her to him and hold her close.
She leaned against his muscular chest, drinking in the sound of his steady heartbeat as her family made happy sounds of celebration.
Then she pulled back to look at him and he bent and kissed her so that a thousand doves seemed to take wing in her chest.
And she knew it didn’t matter where they lived, his strong arms would always feel like home.
When all thehappy tears were shed, and the delicious breakfast was eaten, and the kitchen was sparkling clean again, everyone bundled up and headed out to the cars.
“We gettwoChristmases,” Mari told Posey as they headed up Fox Hollow Road and right into the driveway with the Lawrence Farm sign.
“We could have walked here,” Posey said.
“Yes, but we brought presents and cookies,” Jillian reminded her.
“And Gram and Grampy are in Tripp’s truck with him,” Mari said.
“They sure are,” Jillian said, nodding and feeling moved all over again that the Lawrences had invitedallof them over for Christmas Day.
She parked in the driveway, next to a whole host of other cars, and smiled as they all piled out and headedup to Tripp’s truck, where he was helping her grandparents out.
The little farmhouse looked like a Christmas card. Smoke swirled from the chimney, and every light seemed to be on, glowing warmly in the windows and spilling out onto the snow. It was a cheery sight in the shadow of the mountains beyond.
Somewhere down to the right was a great big Victorian house, waiting for Tripp, Jillian, Mari, and Posey to move into it. When that day came, this farm would be their home too, along with Tripp’s parents, and all his brothers and sisters and their children—a whole village of people to love and be loved by.
The idea brought fresh tears to Jillian’s eyes and she fought them back, not wanting to scare the girls or slow them down when they were so excited to share all the treats and gifts they were bringing.
Gram and Grampy each took the hand of one sweet little girl, and Tripp turned to Jillian.
“We’ll just go in and say Merry Christmas first,” he said, his thumb sliding over the ring on her finger in a way that told her he wanted to share their happy news. “Then I’ll come back out for all our stuff.”
“That sounds good,” she told him.
They followed her grandparents and the girls, their shoes crunching in the snow.
