Page 64 of Architect's Christmas Nanny

“Maybe,” Josie said, frowning thoughtfully. “Is my dad going to help with your plans?”

“He’s making my biggest dream come true,” Jillian said, knowing it sounded cheesy, but not caring.

“You sound like a movie princess,” Josie said, rolling her eyes but still smiling.

“Sorry,” Jillian said.

“No, I like it,” Josie told her. “You should feel like a princess, because youarelike one—beautiful and kind.”

“Thank you,” Jillian laughed. “I think you just see me through rose-colored glasses.”

Then she’d had to explain to Josie what that meant, which was followed by reading to her for a few minutes, as had become their routine.

When Josie finally fell asleep, Jillian stared at the cracked plaster ceiling in wonder for a long time, her thumb caressing the golden band around her finger and thinking of what she’d learned about its history.

After they came in from the proposal and received hugs and congratulations from Josie and Annabelle, Brad had told her that he’d wanted to propose right away. But with the ice storm coming, there was no time to get to the village. And he just couldn’t wait another minute. So his mom had loaned him a simple ring to use for tonight, buthe would buy Jillian a bigger, fancier ring in the village tomorrow, or maybe even in the city, if she wanted.

“I don’t need a bigger one,” Jillian said, grabbing her hand protectively to her chest without realizing she was doing it. “I love this one. It’s perfect.”

“It was my mother’s,” Annabelle said softly, a fond smile tugging up the corners of her mouth.

“Oh,” Jillian said, feeling terrible. “Of course you can have it back.”

But when she moved to pull the ring from her finger, Annabelle had placed her hand over Jillian’s.

“No,” she said firmly, with tears glistening in her eyes. “You keep it. It’s just right for you to have an heirloom. You’ve been a treasured part of our family for such a long time.”

Then they were both crying and embracing, and Brad and Josie piled into the hug too, until the tears turned to happy laughter.

Annabelle stayed long enough to help them get their meal on the table, with all four of them working together, filling the kitchen with happy chatter. Then she hurried off to the big house.

“You’re sure you don’t all want to come stay at my place?” she asked as she headed out the door.

“We’ll make it over to you tomorrow, Ma,” Brad had said. “No amount of ice could keep us away on Christmas morning.”

But now, as Jillian gazed out the living room window, she wasn’t so sure that Brad had been right.

A layer of ice covered the porch railing, the snowy lawn, and the entire forest. The early morning sunreflected pink in the shimmering surfaces, reminding her of the sparkling diamond on her finger. The sight was so magical that it took her breath away, and made her itch to write again.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Brad asked softly from the kitchen.

“Oh,” she said, surprised to find him up.

“I couldn’t really sleep,” he admitted, giving her a lopsided grin that made her stomach do a little flip. “Thought I’d get up early and make coffee and biscuits.”

“That’s nice,” she told him. “I guess it will be a quiet Christmas here with all that ice.”

“I also put the chains on my tires,” he said. “Josie’s not missing out on Christmas with her cousins.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” she asked him.

“Now that I’ve got you?” he asked. “Nope. There’s nothing I want to do that we can’t do together.”

She smiled at that answer, and grabbed the kettle to get it started.

“Speaking of which,” he said. “When does school start for you?”

“I can join in after the holidays,” she told him, smiling. “As soon as I’m ready.”

---