Page 74 of From Rivals to I Do

“Well, I can’t exactly take this one back,” Eli says with a chuckle. “But it requires everyone to get their coats on, and it’s not just from me really, it’s from everyone.”

I’m confused, but I get up and put on my coat, and everyone else follows suit, with impish smiles on their faces. Eli pulls a bandana out of his pocket, and then twirls me around.

“Gotta make sure you don’t peek,” he says as he puts it over my eyes.

“But how will I get out there?” I ask.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” he says as I feel his hand slip into mine.

We head out onto the porch, and he helps me get down the path, and I can hear the crunch of dirt and rocks beneath my shoe. Where are they taking me? I wonder as I can tell we’ve already passed the cars, but I can’t tell what direction we are going.

I hear a creak, and the smell of hay, and I immediately realize we are in the barn. What did he do? Get me a new saddle? I ponder as I hear a horse let out a whinny.

“Alright, just one second, okay?” I hear Eli say as he pulls my hand, turns me toward something, and then lets go. I hear him messing around a bit, and then I hear him walk back to me as everyone behind me is giggling and whispering. “You ready?” he asks.

“Yeah, I mean, I think so,” I say with a chuckle, and he pulls the bandana off my face.

My eyes flutter open, and I am expecting a saddle or a new bridle since he knows I’ve been riding the same mare since our Valentine’s date. But my heart skips a beat as I see a familiar face staring back at me, her brown eyes seeming to light up as she nickers lightly, and my eyes tear up so bad I can hardly see.

“Laney,” I whisper as I begin to sob. “It’s my baby, Laney!”

There she is in all her glory, a beautiful red bow around her neck.

“Sure is,” Eli says as he rubs my back, and I reach out and touch her velvety nose.

“How did you get her back?” I exclaim, pressing my face against her nose and kissing it, which she seems to welcome with open hooves, appearing to be just as excited as I am.

“I told him who you sold it to,” Sparrow says as she steps in next to me with Jade in her arms.

“It wasn’t easy, but I got him to part with her once I told him our story and the real reason that you sold her to him,” Eli says. “He’s got a good heart that one.”

“And a deep wallet,” Zack says.

“Zack!” Noah scolds him, and I can’t help but laugh.

“I can’t believe this,” I say, and I kiss her nose again before spinning around to look at everyone. “Thank you so much! This is the best Christmas ever.”

“We still aren’t done,” Eli says.

“Huh?” everyone says, looking around the room in surprise.

“You got me more?” I ask.

“One more thing,” Eli replies with a smile. “You mind checking her bow?”

“Oh, okay,” I say, turning to grab the bow around her neck and begin searching through it, coming up empty. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing there—”

I stop short as I glance back to see Eli on one knee, holding a velvet box in his hand—the whole barn has fallen silent.

“Darla, you are my world,” Eli begins. “When I met you, I truly was a broken man. . . and then I got messed up again. I couldn’t remember what we shared. And that was truly a tragedy.”

“Oh my. . .”

“But then I slowly remembered it all, and even when it got scary and hard, or when I needed extra help. . . you never quit on me. You kept showing me love, no matter what, and for that, I am the luckiest man in the world,” Eli says as he opens the little box. Inside there was a diamond ring, shaped like a lily with little diamond chips down the side. “I learned that life is short, and I don’t know how long I have left, but I do know I want to spend the rest of it with you.”

“I want to wake up next to you every morning, cradle you in my arms, raise our little farm animals, and have our beautiful, blended family. Not just today, but forever.”

“Eli. . .”

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