BONUS CHAPTER

Abby shouldn’t have felt nervous for a dinner date with her love, but for some reason jitters made her hands shake as she slipped a bracelet onto her wrist. She took a good look at herself in the mirror and decided she looked all right. Grace had gotten her a new pink cashmere sweater for her birthday, and she’d paired it with a pair of tight black jeans. The weather was frigid, so she wore boots.

Luke had asked if she’d like to return to Mia’s to celebrate Valentine’s Day, where they’d had their first date. He’d asked if she would mind celebrating the day after, so they could spend the fourteenth with the kids for a family party. She’d happily agreed.

What a great night it had been, too. They’d made homemade pizzas in Abby’s newly remodeled kitchen and watched Nemo afterward, all five of them snuggled together on the couch. As much as she enjoyed alone time with Luke, she loved the times they spent with the children too.

As before, Samuel picked them up in the sleigh and drove them to the restaurant. Unlike the clear night back in December, the stars and mood were hidden by clouds. They were unusually quiet on the way there, with the just clopping of the horses’ hooves and twinkling bells to interrupt the still night. Typically, after work while they prepared dinner together, they chatted nonstop, filling each other in on their days and anything else that came to mind. Tonight, however, Luke seemed preoccupied and a little nervous. Maybe it was something in the air? Or had he picked up on her unexplained anxiousness?

She couldn’t help but feel something big was about to happen. Was he planning to propose? It would be the perfect night to do it. Or would he think it too soon? She was ready to start life with him as his wife, but she suspected he felt cautious about remarrying. After what happened with his first wife, she could hardly blame him.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Luke helped her out of the sleigh and escorted her inside. She’d expected the restaurant to be full but instead it was empty, with only one table set for the evening.

Remi nodded politely, welcoming them, before escorting them to the table in front of the fireplace.

“Why is there no one here?” Abby asked in a hushed tone.

“Mr. Hayes reserved it just for the two of you,” Remi said.

“Luke? Really? This is such a surprise.”

“I wanted tonight to be special,” Luke said.

“Shall I tell you what Mia’s prepared for you tonight?” Remi asked.

“Yes, please.” Abby had no idea how or why Luke had gone to so much trouble. It must be costing him a fortune. However, if he wanted to do something romantic, she wasn’t going to complain. For as tough and burly as he appeared on the outside, the past few months had proven how sentimental and tender he was on the inside. How she loved him.

Remi began to describe their dinner, clearly unaware of the way Abby’s heart thumped for the man, not the food. “We’ll start you with oysters served with a sparkling prosecco and shallot mignonette, followed by burrata with blood orange and pistachios, served with crusty Italian bread. For your pasta course, she’s created heart-shaped beet-infused pasta filled with ricotta, lemon zest, and a touch of truffle oil, served in a brown butter sage sauce with a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts.”

“That sounds amazing,” Abby murmured.

Remi smiled, looking pleased. “You won’t be disappointed. Your main dish is a slow-braised short rib served atop a creamy saffron risotto, garnished with microgreens and a hint of gremolata for brightness. We’ll finish the meal with an arugula and fennel salad to cleanse the palate. For dessert she’s prepared a chocolate fondant with amaretto cream.”

“Mia’s outdone herself,” Luke said.

Abby glanced over at him, surprised to hear the tremor in his voice. When Remi walked away, she placed her and on his knee under the table. “Are you all right?”

“To be honest, not really.”

“Oh my God, are you breaking up with me?”

His eyes widened, then narrowed. “What? No, of course not.”

“Yeah, I guess no one would go to this much trouble to break up with someone.”

He placed both hands on the tabletop and drew in a deep breath before speaking. “I was going to wait and do it during dessert, but I’ve decided I’d like to actually enjoy the food instead.”

“I’m not following.” Was that sweat on his forehead? Luke Hayes never sweated.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. “There’s something I want to ask you.”

Oh my God. He was proposing. Was he? He must be. Yes, he was opening the box. But his hands were visibly shaking and instead of presenting it to her, he dropped it on the floor. “For heaven’s sake,” Luke muttered under his breath. He leaped from his chair and dived under the table.

Abby had to bite the knuckle of her thumb to keep from laughing.

He was rooting around on the floor, with just his feet sticking out from under the tabletop. “Got it.” He rose up quickly, bumping his head on the way out.

Rubbing the top of his head, he returned to his seat. “Okay, this isn’t going as smoothly as I hoped.”

“Is your head okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Let’s start over.”

“I’m ready.” She casually put her hands on the table, just in case he wanted to put a ring on her finger any time soon.

“Abby, you’ve become my whole world and I’m madly in love with you. I never thought I could feel this way. I utterly adore you—for your big heart and kind spirit and intelligence and sacrifice. I want to help you raise Sophie and Jack. I want you to be the mother Lily needs. Mostly, I want to spend the rest of my life next to you. Will you grow old with me?”

Her eyes filled with tears, rendering him a blurry mirage. She could barely speak, but she managed to croak out, “Yes, I will.”

“Thank God.”

“You didn’t think I would say no, did you?”

“I didn’t think so, but I don’t know, I was nervous anyway. It’s a big step, and we haven’t known each other that long.”

“But we know, don’t we? I mean, I’ve known since the first time we met.”

“When Rufus attacked Lily?” Luke’s eyes sparkled with humor, teasing her. One of his favorite pastimes, and she loved every moment.

“Well, maybe after the attack. You know, once you’d recovered from completely overreacting and acting like a dog-hating lunatic.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Give me your hand. You’re ruining the moment.”

She grinned back at him and placed her hand on the table. He tugged the ring from its box and slid it onto her finger. “Perfect fit.” Luke’s gaze softened, and his voice grew husky. “My mom was right about the size. Do you like it?”

Abby gazed at the ring, smitten with the princess-cut solitaire but absolutely in love with the man who gave it to her. “I love it. I love you.” She leaned close to give him a kiss. “Thank you for making me the happiest woman in Sugarville Grove.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make sure you stay that way.”

They were interrupted by Remi bringing a plate of oysters and glasses of sparkling wine. Abby sat back, ready to enjoy the night she’d been dreaming of from the moment she set eyes on Luke Hayes.