August
Eternity Springs, Colorado
The human heart is a curious thing, Molly Stapleton thought as she glanced down at the sparkling ring on the third finger of her left hand. How could it be so overflowing with joy and so consumed with misery at the same time?
Ten minutes ago, in a picturesque gazebo beside a bubbling mountain creek on the grounds of Angel’s Rest Healing Center and Spa, Charlie Malone had knelt on one knee and asked her to marry him. Of course, she’d said yes. She’d been in love with Charlie for the past three years. She was ecstatic, thrilled, elated—until she realized she wanted to share her news with the people she loved most—her parents.
That’s where the misery came in. She couldn’t share her news with one call. She had to choose which parent to call first. Her mom and dad weren’t together anymore, and while she handled that reality okay most of the time, at big moments like this, the sorry state of her family broke her heart.
“You’re crying,” Charlie said, his brow knitting in a frown. “What’s the matter? You don’t like the ring? You said you liked the ring!”
“I love the ring,” Molly assured him, smiling up into his worried brown eyes. Charlie was tall, with a lean, lanky build, sun-bleached hair, and a ready smile. She loved him with all her heart. “I love you.”
“Then why do you have a look on your face like somebody canceled Christmas?”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to spoil the occasion by bringing up her parents’ sad situation. “I’m sorry. I’m just feeling emotional. This is an emotional time for a girl.”
“Just don’t cry. Please?” He tucked an errant strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. “I hate it when you cry.”
“I’m not crying.” She blinked away tears.
His frown deepened. “And don’t try to give me that nonsense about happy tears. Tears are tears, Molly, and I don’t like ’em. Seeing you cry gives me heartburn, and I left my antacids in the pocket of my jeans.”
Molly smiled at him lovingly. Her nerdy engineering grad student rarely wore anything other than jeans, but he’d dressed in khaki slacks to propose. His effort touched her. Other guys went to elaborate lengths to create big events out of their marriage proposals, but by keeping it simple and private and beautiful, Charlie had done it just right and made it perfect. Well, almost perfect. He couldn’t do anything about Mom and Dad.
“I want to tell someone,” she said. Her thoughts went naturally to her college roommate, Eternity Springs native Lori Reese. “Let’s go find Lori and share the news with her.”
“Um …” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, his grin turning sheepish. “About Lori. She sorta already knows.”
Molly folded her arms and tried to look dismayed. He was quick to explain. “I wasn’t about to choose a ring all by myself, and since she’s your best friend, I figured she’d be the one to ask for help.”
“Does she know you were going to propose this afternoon?”
“No.” He scowled in affront. “This was private, just for you and me.”
He’s so perfect for me . “I love you, Charlie Malone.”
“I love you, too, Molly Stapleton soon to be Molly Malone.” He hesitated then, and asked, “You will take my name, won’t you? We won’t have the hyphen thing going on?”
“No hyphen thing.” She went up on her tiptoes and gave him a playful kiss on the mouth.
Charlie, being Charlie, took it from playful to passionate, and when they finally broke apart, he spoke with strain in his voice. “Honey, I think we probably better move to a more public place … unless”—he shot her a hopeful look—“you want to find a private spot?”
“Later,” she promised, happiness rushing through her. “I told Ms. Blessing that we’d help her tear down her Christmas-in-August market tent at four, and I told Lori we’d meet her there. We’d better head over toward the festival.”
“All
Eternity Springs, Colorado
The human heart is a curious thing, Molly Stapleton thought as she glanced down at the sparkling ring on the third finger of her left hand. How could it be so overflowing with joy and so consumed with misery at the same time?
Ten minutes ago, in a picturesque gazebo beside a bubbling mountain creek on the grounds of Angel’s Rest Healing Center and Spa, Charlie Malone had knelt on one knee and asked her to marry him. Of course, she’d said yes. She’d been in love with Charlie for the past three years. She was ecstatic, thrilled, elated—until she realized she wanted to share her news with the people she loved most—her parents.
That’s where the misery came in. She couldn’t share her news with one call. She had to choose which parent to call first. Her mom and dad weren’t together anymore, and while she handled that reality okay most of the time, at big moments like this, the sorry state of her family broke her heart.
“You’re crying,” Charlie said, his brow knitting in a frown. “What’s the matter? You don’t like the ring? You said you liked the ring!”
“I love the ring,” Molly assured him, smiling up into his worried brown eyes. Charlie was tall, with a lean, lanky build, sun-bleached hair, and a ready smile. She loved him with all her heart. “I love you.”
“Then why do you have a look on your face like somebody canceled Christmas?”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to spoil the occasion by bringing up her parents’ sad situation. “I’m sorry. I’m just feeling emotional. This is an emotional time for a girl.”
“Just don’t cry. Please?” He tucked an errant strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. “I hate it when you cry.”
“I’m not crying.” She blinked away tears.
His frown deepened. “And don’t try to give me that nonsense about happy tears. Tears are tears, Molly, and I don’t like ’em. Seeing you cry gives me heartburn, and I left my antacids in the pocket of my jeans.”
Molly smiled at him lovingly. Her nerdy engineering grad student rarely wore anything other than jeans, but he’d dressed in khaki slacks to propose. His effort touched her. Other guys went to elaborate lengths to create big events out of their marriage proposals, but by keeping it simple and private and beautiful, Charlie had done it just right and made it perfect. Well, almost perfect. He couldn’t do anything about Mom and Dad.
“I want to tell someone,” she said. Her thoughts went naturally to her college roommate, Eternity Springs native Lori Reese. “Let’s go find Lori and share the news with her.”
“Um …” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, his grin turning sheepish. “About Lori. She sorta already knows.”
Molly folded her arms and tried to look dismayed. He was quick to explain. “I wasn’t about to choose a ring all by myself, and since she’s your best friend, I figured she’d be the one to ask for help.”
“Does she know you were going to propose this afternoon?”
“No.” He scowled in affront. “This was private, just for you and me.”
He’s so perfect for me . “I love you, Charlie Malone.”
“I love you, too, Molly Stapleton soon to be Molly Malone.” He hesitated then, and asked, “You will take my name, won’t you? We won’t have the hyphen thing going on?”
“No hyphen thing.” She went up on her tiptoes and gave him a playful kiss on the mouth.
Charlie, being Charlie, took it from playful to passionate, and when they finally broke apart, he spoke with strain in his voice. “Honey, I think we probably better move to a more public place … unless”—he shot her a hopeful look—“you want to find a private spot?”
“Later,” she promised, happiness rushing through her. “I told Ms. Blessing that we’d help her tear down her Christmas-in-August market tent at four, and I told Lori we’d meet her there. We’d better head over toward the festival.”
“All
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