Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was almost completely dark as Margo tore through her car, pulling everything out and digging under all of the seats as she looked frantically for the rings.

She’d gotten off of work an hour ago, and she was running late for her date night with Spencer. She should have already gotten home and been getting ready—Spencer was supposed to be at the inn to meet her half an hour ago, and she was sure he must have texted her by now wondering where she was. But she was determined to find the rings. She knew she’d be distracted all night worrying about it, and she wanted to just be able to enjoy the evening with Spencer.

But now she’d created a whole other can of worms, by being late. She felt guilty, and she ran her hand through her hair, huffing out a frustrated breath as she looked at the mess she’d made. All of that, and she still hadn’t found the rings. She had no earthly idea where they could be, and she had a feeling that she was just going to have to give up. She’d have to find a placeholder, and then re-order the specially engraved rings. The wedding was only a week away, there wasn’t time to get the engraved rings all over again.

Feeling defeated, she threw away the trash she’d cleaned out of her car and rearranged everything else, sliding into the driver’s seat and starting it up. She needed to get to the inn and meet Spencer for their date, before he really started to worry.

Of course, Spencer was waiting in the living room of the inn when she walked inside. She hurried over, giving him an apologetic kiss. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said in a rush. “I got held up, and?—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Spencer reassured her, returning the kiss. “I’m sure you want to change out of your work clothes. I’ll just wait here, there’s no rush.”

“I can go like this,” Margo protested, but Spencer shook his head, chuckling.

“I know you want to change before we go. It’s really fine, Margo. I promise. I’m perfectly comfortable here waiting, and I have been.”

“I shouldn’t have been late.” She twisted her lips, still feeling apologetic. “That wasn’t respectful of your time at all, when I know you’ve been so busy lately. You probably would have rather spent that half hour at your home relaxing, instead of waiting around in mine.”

Spencer took her hand, stopping her short. “A place isn’t my home, Margo,” he said sincerely. “You are.” He tugged her forward, close to him, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “My heart has found its home.”

She jerked backward, stunned, as her eyes widened. There was only one reason for him to say that.

But how…?

Spencer slipped a hand into the pocket of his chinos, producing the two small blue velvet boxes that she’d been searching for endlessly. He was smiling at her, amused and adoring all at the same time, and Margo’s mouth dropped open.

“Where did you find those?” she asked, gasping, and Spencer laughed.

“In the spice cabinet, for some reason? I was getting nutmeg for some tea, and they were right there. I thought maybe you had hidden them there on purpose, forgetting how much I love to top everything I drink with something from your mother’s extensive spice cabinet, but Rhonda came in and saw them and told me you’d been looking for them all over.” He chuckled, setting them down on the coffee table. “I don’t suppose looking for them had something to do with why you were hiding in Leon’s storeroom, making up ridiculous stories about orange boas?”

“Oh!” Margo covered her face with her hands, thoroughly embarrassed. “I can’t believe this.”

“So it definitely wasn’t on purpose, then.” Spencer still sounded amused. “Care to tell me how our wedding rings ended up in your mother’s spice cabinet? It sounds like a good story.”

Margo was sure she was going to sink into the floor, her face on fire.

“I remember now,” she mumbled, rubbing her hands over her face as the pieces she’d been trying to figure out for days finally clicked into place. “I had them with me when I came home from work. And I stopped in the kitchen before I went upstairs, to make myself an eggnog steamer for a treat after work. Mom came in, so of course I showed her the rings while I was working on it. I set them on the counter, and I was so frazzled that day with all of the decorations coming in, and work, and planning. I must have swept them up with the cinnamon after putting it on my drink, and put them in the cabinet by mistake.”

“That’s an amazing story,” Spencer said with a laugh. “I can’t wait to tell that one at every Christmas from now on.”

“ Stop .” Margo’s eyes widened, but his laughter was infectious, and she felt herself starting to giggle too. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“I absolutely can,” Spencer said. “And I love you for it.”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for them,” she said plaintively. “My room, my car, my purse, my office?—”

“Leon’s store?” Spencer supplied, looking as if he were about to break into fresh laughter. “I know. I was there.”

Margo started to laugh too, but stopped abruptly as the rest of what Spencer finding the rings meant, hit her. “The rings aren’t a surprise now,” she said sadly. “I had this whole plan for you to see them at the wedding for the first time, and now you know all about it.”

Spencer sobered instantly, the laughter fleeing as he saw the distress on her face.

“That doesn’t take away from the significance of the gesture at all, Margo,” he said gently, still holding her hands in his. “In fact, if anything, it makes me that much more eager to wear it, knowing you thought to engrave something so special inside of the ring for me. For us .”’

Margo nodded, biting her lip. “I know things were rocky sometimes, with me staying here in Evergreen Hollow,” she said softly. “I never intended to stay, initially. I thought I would just be here for a couple of months and then move on. And then when I broke my leg, I still didn’t plan on putting down roots. But even though I knew I was going to move on, I wanted to be with you every time I saw you. You made me laugh, and made me happy, and I was so glad to see you every time you came around.”

She smiled shyly at him, and Spencer squeezed her hands gently again.

“I felt the same way,” he told her quietly. “I knew I would have to let you go if you wanted to leave, but I couldn’t resist being around you. You were like a light, like a firefly in summer, and I loved watching you. I loved seeing you. I loved hearing your laugh. I wanted to be with you even if it was only for a little while. And when you decided to stay, it was the happiest moment of my life.”

“I know you worried about me being able to put down roots and be happy though,” Margo said, remembering the last Christmas, and how Spencer had feared she was getting restless. “I wanted to show you that I don’t have any doubts any longer, and I don’t feel restless or fidgety. I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good of a cook as my mother, or if I won’t lose my keys, or if I’ll remember all of the groceries even when I have a list, but I do know I want to stay here with you forever. I’m happy here, and I never want to be anywhere else but home. With you— my home , ” she added, her eyes bright as she looked at him earnestly. “You are my home too, Spencer.”

“And you always will be mine, as well.” He leaned in, kissing her there in front of the fire, the romantic words hovering in the air between them. “And I hope that you remember all of that to write it down,” he added with a teasing smile as he pulled back. “Because if you haven’t already written your wedding vows, those were perfect.”

Margo felt herself smile so widely that she thought her face might crack. “I can’t wait to say them again,” she whispered, as she leaned in for another kiss. “I can’t wait to become your wife.”