Page 17 of Let it Snow
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Max
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For the entire restof the ginger biscuit decorating event, the smile never left Max’s face.He was back where he belonged, with Lucy, the woman he loved and would never get enough of.When he told Lucy about his family finding him bad company, he wasn’t lying.From the moment he watched the sight of Lucy and the Blackthorn Inn disappear from view as he rode with Brent to the train station, his mood had soured.Leaving Lucy had felt so wrong, but until he had more solid plans in place, he had to respect her wishes for no promises he couldn’t keep.He had spent the entire train ride making as many plans as he was able, but a lot of them hinged on Lucy feeling the same way about him that he did about her.That wasn’t a guarantee, and the idea he had found his special person and her possibly not loving him back had him a bit down in the dumps.
His parents took one look at him at the train station in Edinburgh, and immediately had known something was off.After giving them the brush-off for most of that first day, his mother had finally demanded an explanation, so he gave her one.He told her, his father, and the other members of his family all about how he had spent five of the most magical days of his life snowed in with Miss Lucy Shaw, how he had fallen in love with her, and how he wasn’t sure what to do about it.Max’s father had simply rolled his eyes at his moodiness, telling him simply, “Marry the girl, you git.”The rest of his family had a good laugh at the remark, and it worked to lighten Max’s mood.
That night, as Max pondered over his father’s words of advice, he knew marrying Lucy was exactly what he was going to do.He thought about what he would do for work as well, finally coming to the solution that had presented itself to him while he had been staying with her.The basement.It was completely possible he could turn it into his very own commercial kitchen of sorts.He could bake breads and pastries for the Inn as well as other local businesses, even selling them at local markets on the weekend.
It would be far less stressful than owning his own shop or working in a hotel kitchen, but beyond that it would be a good way to earn a little extra income while he helped Lucy run the Inn, and they saved for a family.They had both talked about how much they wanted children of their own.With him earning a little extra on the side, certainly they could make that a possibility sooner rather than later.All he had to do was present her with the possibility, and all she had to do was say yes.
Asking someone to commit to you for the rest of their life after knowing them for less than a week was a big ask, but Max had already spent too long waiting for the right person to come along.Now, he knew exactly where she was, and even if her answer was no, he didn’t plan on leaving her.He would move to Upper Middlewood and find work wherever he was able until he could woo her, show her how committed he was to making a life with her there until she was ready.
He had been so convinced of this plan that the next day he went shopping with his mother for an engagement ring.The band that looked like two vines twisted together with a smattering of rose-colored gems throughout was the perfect purchase.She was his beautiful English rose, and hopefully their lives would forever be entwined just as the vines were.Currently, that ring was in a box in his pocket, just waiting for the right moment to be presented to her.Now that the event was over and the last of the guests had left, that moment was now.
After making a quick escape over to the ginger cottage replica, Max went back into the kitchen.Spying Lucy at the sink drying off dishes, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her back into his chest.“Leave those for me,” he said.“I promise to get to them later, but right now I want to give you your Christmas present.”
After tossing her tea towel to the side, Lucy spun in his arms and rested her chin on his chest.When she looked up at him, it was with so much love that he knew her answer would be yes.It just had to be.“You’ve already given me the best present ever,” she told him, tipping her head up to kiss him.“You got me you.”
Max smiled at the sentiment.She didn’t know just how long she had him.Lucy was stuck with him now, and he wasn’t going to leave her ever again.“Thank you, but there is still a little something else, if you’re amenable.”
Lucy’s hands slipped down to his lower back and teased the waistband of his trousers.“Oh, I’m very amenable,” she whispered huskily.
Lucy’s body wiggled closer to him, the feel of her soft curves brushing up against his hard muscles had him plumping in his trousers.A low growl rumbled from his chest as he drank in the sight of her.She was beautiful, and there was no doubt he wanted her.Later,he thought to himself.They can celebrate after.First, he wanted to secure their forever.“Let me give you your present first, then I can give you something else,” he teased.
Lucy pouted for a moment before breaking out into a grin.“I suppose I can curb my need for you for another moment,” she told him as she sashayed to the door.“But no longer than that.”
Max chuckled and walked out into the family room with her.“Don’t worry, my darling.I don’t want to delay that any longer than necessary.”He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it as he led her over to the ginger cottage on display at the reception desk.
When he stopped in front of it, Lucy looked over at him.She glanced at the cottage for a split-second before meeting his gaze again, smiling as a puzzled expression painted her face.“What are we doing here?”
Max smiled, his belly filled with nerves as he nodded over to the replica.“Take another look,” he whispered.
His eyes remained glued to the expression on her face as her gaze ran over the gingerbread structure.Finally, when she came upon the smaller version of him that he had created earlier and saw the engagement ring dangling from its arm, her eyes widened and her head whipped back to him.Her mouth opened to speak, but before she could say anything, Max snagged the ring, dropped to one knee, and took ahold of her left hand.
