Page 75 of Lone Wolf in Lights
Willow laughed, glancing to Jaxon who shrugged apologetically. “I wouldn’t have expected otherwise,” she said turning to her parents again. “It is Christmas Eve after all.” And her parents loved fine whiskey.
Her mother gave Eli a big hug and then asked, “Did everything go well at the shelter?” Willow had told her parents the truth about Eli, the fake relationship and all of it, when she got home last night. They were happy for her, even though she knew Eli would have to prove himself worthy to them. As her parents, they’d been through lot, but Willow knew Eli would win them over soon enough.
Willow’s attention was drawn toward Aubrey and Charly who were busy constructing gingerbread houses. “Everything went wonderful,” Willow said, focusing back on her parents.
Eli agreed with a nod. “It’s an amazing place.”
“We should donate some money there,” Diane said, spinning around to Cliff. “Don’t you think so, honey?”
“Hmm,” Cliff said. “Sounds like a wonderful cause.” To Willow, he said, “You just let us know when we should donate.”
“Thanks,” Willow said. “I’m sure the shelter will appreciate that.”
Her father finished the remainder of his drink. “Oops, looks like I need more.”
Her mother rolled her eyes and said to Eli, “I might need some help getting him home later.”
“That’s not a problem,” Eli said, laughing as her mother chased after her husband.
Willow snorted a laugh. “I love how she talks like soon she won’t also need help getting home herself.”
Eli gathered Willow in his arms, holding her tight. “They’re having fun. Nothing wrong with that.”
Willow just smiled. Everyone she loved was there, and for all that had gone wrong, it felt like life was just how it should be. As if all the bad that had happened had to, so she could find this new journey.
The laughter and competitive cheers that had been fueling the room’s energy dipped into silence as Jaxon stepped forward, his presence commanding the space like a gentle but unyielding force.
Standing by the fire blazing in the fireplace, he cleared his throat, his gaze flitting across the crowd before coming to rest on Charly, who stood with a half-built gingerbread house in her hands, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“Could I have everyone’s attention, please?” he called.
The cowboys and their families turned, curiosity alight in their eyes.
Jaxon offered a nervous smile, so out of character for the man known for his charming, cocky ways. “Charly,” he began, his voice rich with emotion, “you came into my life like a storm—unexpected and powerful—and you changed everything.”
With every eye in the room trained on the unfolding scene, Jaxon took a deliberate step closer to Charly, and Willow could barely breath. She took a quick look at Aubrey, whose eyes were wide, showing the whites, her hands covering her mouth.
The gingerbread house forgotten, Charly watched him, her heart in her eyes. Then, to the collective gasp of the crowd, he dropped to one knee before her, his gaze never leaving hers.
“I love you. I want forever with you,” he said, opening a little black box revealing an oval diamond ring inside. “Charly Henwood, will you marry me?”
In the span of a heartbeat, the air seemed to still, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Charly began crying, the surprise etching itself into every delicate feature of her face. For a moment, no one moved; even the crackling fire in the hearth seemed to pause in anticipation.
Then, as though released from a spell, Charly’s lips parted, a sob that was part laughter, part disbelief escaped her.
“Yes,” she whispered beneath her hands. “Yes, Jaxon, I will marry you.”
The room erupted—the sound of applause and cheers. Cowboys whistled, children clapped their hands and the women dabbed at their eyes, caught up in the magic of the moment.
Willow felt a surge of happiness so potent it nearly took her breath away...again. When Jaxon finally moved away, she rushed forward, as did Aubrey, throwing their arms around Charly before taking a better look at the ring.
As the last echoes of celebration and congratulations faded, Eli’s gaze found Willow. The radiant joy for their friends still danced in his eyes, but there was something else too—a depth that seemed to pull at her very core.
She moved to him, drawn by the magic between them. He gathered her in his arms, holding her close.
“Someday, when you’re ready... I’ll be the one down on one knee for you.”
His declaration, soft and fierce, sent a shiver up her spine. She searched his face, finding more love than she ever could have dreamed of. “And someday, I’ll say yes.”
