Page 84 of Silos and Sabotage

“We do.” She knew he was referring to their success in avenging her father’s death. The SWAT team had captured Blain, and Johnny had collared Cora. And because of Blain’s bragging, the SWAT team also managed to dismantle the bombs in the Bolanders’ silos before they went off. Like Billy Bob Bolander, the Strattens were now behind bars.

Another cause for rejoicing was Walker Radcliffe’s new lease on life. It was amazing how quickly his health was bouncing back now that he was no longer being poisoned by an employee he’d mistakenly trusted. Ella had no doubt that the peace he’d made with his Maker was helping, too. The locals were calling his long-overdue walk through the church doors last Sunday the biggest Christmas miracle Heart Lake had seen in years. It was right on the heels of announcing his intention to cover the cost of rebuilding Heart Lake Animal Rescue Sanctuary. Well, mostly. The Bolanders had already provided the replacement silos.

She blinked back happy tears as she dug the first box of ornaments out of the nearest shopping bag and popped the lid open. “Where did you guys find such a gorgeous tree?”

“We stole it from the mayor’s yard,” Johnny informed her blandly.

Since she’d purchased shatterproof ornaments, she launched one of the red balls in his direction.

He caught it behind his back, pivoted in mid-air to zing it like a baseball at Rock.

Rock shot a hand up to catch it, but his fingers closed around nothing.

“Gotcha,” Johnny crowed, waving the red ornament that he was still holding. He tucked it back in Ella’s box.

“Really?” she protested. “A full, MLB-worthy windup, and that’s all you have to show for it? Seriously, Johnny! It would’ve taken a lot less effort to go hang it on the tree.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he grumbled.

She slapped the ornament back in his palm. “How about you hang it on a branch and find out, Private Investigator Cuba?”

Giving a whoop of elation over hearing his new title said aloud, he jogged to the tree, pretending to dribble it before jumping into an impressively high layup to position it near the tip of the tree.

“Not there,” she scolded with a chuckle. “That’s where the star goes.”

Johnny spread his hands at Gage, who’d finally finished anchoring the bottom of the tree to his satisfaction. “There’s just no pleasing your woman, bro.”

“Only because you’re not doing it right.” Gage remained on one knee while Ella leaned around him to place a reindeer ornament in a perfect spot on one of the middle branches.

When she straightened, he was still kneeling there. “Gage, are you—oh!” She gasped at the sight of the black velvet box he was holding open in front of her. A square diamond winked up at her in the morning sunlight pouring through the window.

“You’re my best friend, Ella, and the love of my life. Will you marry me?” His dark gaze was fixed on her with so much hope, longing, and love that her hands flew to her heart. She would’ve dropped her box of ornaments if Johnny hadn’t swooped in to catch it.

“Yes!” She could barely squeak out the word he was straining her way to hear. As she reached for him, he stood and slid the ring on her finger. Then he dipped her back into an adoring kiss that left her breathless.

Johnny clapped loud enough to make her wince. “Congratulations! Now all the single and lonely guys in the room feel even more single and lonely.”

Gage shook his head at him as he straightened with Ella. “You can’t bethatlonely. You practically live here.”

“If you’re worried about how crowded it’s getting, it’ll be less crowded when Rock moves out,” Johnny assured.

“You’re moving out?” Gage’s head swung toward his younger brother. “When?”

“When he gets married.” Johnny moved back to the tree with Ella’s box of ornaments and started hanging more of the red balls. “Childhood pact. Double wedding. Blah, blah, blah,” he reminded. “If y’all keep your brotherly promise to each other, you can’t marry Ella until Soldier Boy over there gets back into the dating game.”

Ella glanced laughingly over at Rock, who’d parked himself in his favorite leather recliner.

Instead of raising the TV remote like he usually did to flip on a football game, he was riffling through a folder of papers balanced on one knee. “Congratulations, sis.” He winked at her. “Guess it’s time to up my game.”

* * *

Rock listenedto Johnny’s nonstop horsing around and discreetly watched the way Gage’s fingers kept brushing against Ella’s fingers as they hung ornaments on the tree together. Yeah, it was a miracle that Ella had managed to get a Christmas tree in his brother’s living room, but it was an even bigger miracle to see his brother so happy. He deserved it. They both did.

Which was why Rock was going to do everything he could to land a date soon.

No, Gage probably wouldn’t hold him to their silly boyhood promise of getting married on the same day. It had been more Rock’s idea than anyone else’s. After being orphaned at an early age and nearly plopped into the foster care system by an aging adoptive mother, he’d been terrified of being separated from his brother. Gage had enlisted in the Army by then, but that hadn’t stopped him from moving heaven and earth to convince a judge he could finish raising his nine-year-old brother alone. Then he’d gone and done it.

Yeah, I owe you buddy.

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