Page 40 of Peacocks

He thrust it toward me, and my heart stopped. “I made you this,” he said. “It’s not as beautiful as yours, but it’s the best I could do. The very best, because you deserve my very best, Jay, and I want to give it to you. Even if youdidleave a wreath on my doorstep instead of giving it to me in person.”

“Lane,” I breathed. I stepped toward him to take the wreath from his hand. It was made with the thin, whippy vines, the ones you had to source weeks before the Entwinin’ before they were all gone.

And it was in the shape of a piece of bow tie pasta.

“This is the most perfect thing I ever saw,” I said, meaning every word.

“Good. Because…” Lane cast a quick glance around, aware of everyone’s eyes on him. He cleared his throat and stood up straighter. “Because I love you, Jaybird Proud, and this Entwinin’ wreath represents what I love about you most: your generous spirit and the way you care for others. You are the epitome of love, Jay. You might not say it, but youshowit. You display your love like peacock feathers. You live the spirit of the Entwinin’ every day of your life.”

There was a mix of gasps andawwsfrom the people around us.

Lane blushed harder. “I love how much you love working at the Suds Barn. I love that you give yourself wholeheartedly to everything you do. And I love the way you take care of people. Whether it’s taking extra care with Penelope Jackson’s wheelchair ramp at the car wash, checking on Skeets Miller’s moody furnace, leaving Italian Gentleman on my doorstep after I’ve had a long day, or letting a bunch of peacocks take over your yard, you are always looking out for others. You are everything good in the world, and you deserve to have someone looking out for you too. Iwantyou to expect things from me. I want you to Entwine me. I want you to…” His face was red all the way to the tips of his ears. “Go steady with me, Jaybird.”

I stared at him. He’d said a lot of words, and I hoped I’d remember them all, but to be honest, my mind had short-circuited after the first and most important bit. “You… love me?”

Someone in the crowd muttered, “I didn’t know you could leave someone gentlemen from any country on their doorstep. Is that Instacart or Uber Eats?”

Lane shot me a grin that said he’d heard the comment and wanted to share his amusement with me. Like he enjoyed this town and its wacky residents as much as I did. “I do, Jay. So much.”

I turned the wreath over, studying the intricate knots. Suddenly, the little nicks and cuts on Lane’s hands these past few weeks made sense. I couldn’t believe he’d been working on this, forme, for so long.

The wreath swam in front of my eyes a little bit, and my cheeks felt damp. “I can’t… I’ve never… Are you sure?”

Lane seemed to understand what I was asking. He stepped closer and lowered his voice so only I could hear. “Baby, I’m positive.” He lifted his hands to my face, and his thumbs brushed away my tears. “You’re enough, Jay. You always were,and you always will be. I’m the one who’s worried that I’m not enough for you.”

“What?” My eyes snapped to his, my tears forgotten. “How could you worry about that?”

“Uh, because you haven’t told me you love me yet?”

“Oh!” God, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t said the words out loud, despite how hard I’d been thinking them for months. “I love you! I love you so much. Of course I do.” My cheeks ached from the size of my grin. I didn’t think. I didn’t stop to worry or doubt or second-guess. I just moved. My hands were on him, pulling him closer, and then I kissed him—hard and desperate, like I needed him to feel everything I’d just confessed.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but all I could hear was the sound of Lane’s breath mixing with mine. It was the kind of kiss we’d remember years from now when we thought back to the Entwinin’ declaration we’d made.

When we finally broke apart, Lane was smiling at me like I was the only thing in the world he wanted. Like I was the prettiest peacock in the flock. Like I was the one he’d chosen.

People surged around us. Their comments ranged from speculation that we’d simply been overcome by the spirit of the season to comments like Pete’s “It’s about damned time.” I didn’t have much care about any of that since I was too busy soaking in the commitment Lane had made by ensuring his declaration was so public, so permanent that I’d truly believe it.

“I have a confession,” I whispered. “I, uh… I don’t just work at the Suds Barn. I… I kinda own the place?”

Lane’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. Long story, and I promise I’ll tell you all of it, but?—”

“Oh, who cares about that?” Ava Siegel said, waving a hand in the air while holding a baby on her hip with the other. “We’re so happy you two found each other!”

Amos tilted his chin down. “While I can think of a better way of declaring your love in this town, I have to say I’m happy to have a vet in the family, yes I am. Old Clarabelle isn’t carrying her letter boards the way she used?—”

“Oh, hush,” Grandma said, grinning at us as she tucked her hand into Amos’s elbow. “We’re pleased as punch to have you in the family, Lane, because you’reyou. And Jaybird deserves someone who recognizes how special he is. Even if you don’t know how to twine a wreath worth a dang. Is that a butterfly? Because it’s missing antennae.”

His eyes never moving from my face, Lane pressed his lips together like he was trying not to laugh.

Ava stepped closer and looked at the mangled bow tie wreath.

I blinked. Now that she mentioned it… it did kind of look like a butterfly without antennae. “Huh,” I said, turning it around. “It’s multifaceted.”

Amostsk’d. “It’s a right mess is what it is. You need to give that boy some lessons in twinin’ a vine, Jaybird. He needs some help.”

In the circle of my arms, Lane’s shoulders shook like he was about to erupt with laughter.

---