A Mrs. Miracle Christmas(54)

    Besides, the reason I’d waited this long was because I knew if I’d asked too soon and she didn’t accept, then it would have been awkward for both of us for the remainder of the time Josie had at the lodge. So I’d held off. It made sense at the time. Little did I realize how much pressure I was putting on myself to convince her to stay and to marry me by delaying it until the last night. I guess I’d hoped she’d be so madly in love with me that she wouldn’t want to leave. If that was the case, it wouldn’t be hard to convince her to stay.

“You have a lot to offer a woman, Palmer,” Alicia continued, once again interrupting my thought process. “For all you know, Josie could be impatiently waiting for you to say something.”

“I wish.”

“Just do it. You love her, right? Make your move.”

My move. That was a laugh. The most Josie and I had done was hold hands and kiss like it was the end of the universe. Those kisses rocked my world. And they were hot. Sizzling hot. I had to assume she enjoyed our kissing, too, because we both looked forward to the times we could be alone. I might not be a mind reader when it came to women, but I saw the light in Josie’s eyes when we were together, and I could live on one of her smiles for a week or longer. We had spent hours together over the past six months, and outside of our individual jobs, we were inseparable. I had grown to love this woman, and I could only hope she felt the same.

    Josie claimed my beard tickled her lips. I offered to shave it off for her. That was a mighty big sacrifice for me, but she shrugged and said it wasn’t necessary. That made me think she wasn’t open to sticking around longer than required, but I’d never know unless I asked.

“We’re going for a walk after dinner,” I told Alicia. “I plan on proposing then.” It didn’t help knowing that her suitcase was already packed. For the last week our conversations had revolved around her life in Seattle. It seemed she could hardly wait to get back. She talked endlessly about the job that was waiting for her. This was a huge opportunity for her. These chats weren’t the most encouraging discussions for me. Every time Josie mentioned Seattle, my stomach tightened.

“Promise you’ll call me afterward.”

    “Maybe.” I wasn’t making any such commitment. It all depended on how it went with Josie. If she turned me down, then I doubted I’d be in the mood to talk to anyone, including my persistent sister.

After my conversation with Alicia, I took time off to think everything through. I work as a master swordsmith, forging swords and other weapons from metal. I’d been working at my craft from the age of sixteen, when I became an apprentice. Because I was homeschooled, I’d earned enough credits to graduate early. College didn’t interest me. I’m a man who needs to work with his hands, not just his brain.

Currently, I was creating a replica of a Civil War sword. It was an important commission, as the job was bringing in more money than any of my other projects to date. I was fortunate enough to make a living doing what I loved. I worked most days in my workshop with my forge, hammer, and anvil. My needs were simple, and my work had gained a growing notoriety.

Since this evening was my one last shot with Josie, I had to do it right. Because I got tongue-tied every time I attempted to bring up the topic, I figured my best chance was to write down what I wanted to say. That was the only way I could ensure that I didn’t forget an important point.

I was sitting at the kitchen table with my dog, Hobo, an Alaskan husky, who was sleeping at my feet, while I composed a list. I was about halfway through making my notes when Jack showed up. As usual, he didn’t bother to knock.

    I glanced up from the table where I sat in my kitchen. Jack looked like he’d lost his best friend.

“You okay?”

“No,” Jack replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from me. “The lodge is closing.”

“It closes every year, Jack. That’s nothing new.”

Jack shook his head. “But Josie…She’s leaving. She’s the best cook they’ve ever had here.”

I never understood how Jack managed to keep his weight down. I swear my friend ate as much as a grizzly bear.

“She made the best moose stroganoff I’ve ever had.”

For me, Josie’s leaving meant losing a lot more than her great cooking. “Yup,” I agreed.

“She baked me a blueberry pie as a farewell gift, using the leftover berries she’d frozen. I ate the whole pie already, and that’s when it hit me that there’d be no more.”

I’d been the one picking those blueberries with Josie. I never thought I’d enjoy wandering around the lake’s edge, picking berries. Then again, I was willing to do about anything if it meant I could spend time with her. I had it bad. Even now, with the deadline closing in on me, I couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving. That made my growing list even more important. If ever there was a time I needed my wits about me, it was now.

    “You gonna miss her, too, right?” Jack asked me.

“Yeah, I suppose.” No need to admit more than necessary.

Jack frowned. “You do know that if you were to marry her, she’d be here full-time and could cook for us?”

“Us?” I arched my brows. I didn’t like the idea of Jack thinking he could drop by for meals anytime the mood struck him, but then that was Jack. He was clueless when it came to social etiquette. Knowing him as well as I did, I knew he’d be stopping by daily.