Dreaming of His Snowed In Kiss - Jessie Gussman Page 0,58

encompass everything in the room that made it look like Christmas. “And you took care of the children...Pastor Race said it was all your idea.” She lifted tired eyes to West.

“It was. But I wouldn’t have had the idea to do all this without Poppy. I’ve got a feeling all the good ideas I have from now on will be because of her.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’ve had plenty of good ideas in your life without me, and you will continue to do so.”

“We can argue about that later. I’m going to win. Just saying.”

“I think I’ll win. But I’m definitely up to the challenge.” She wanted to stare into his eyes, which was really crazy. She should have better things to do.

She did actually. So she drew her gaze away and looked back at Minnie. “I’m sorry. He’s distracting.”

Minnie looked serious. “From the minute you walked down the church steps the first Sunday I was here, I knew you were perfect for him. And I hadn’t even seen him for years. Just from what he’d been when we’d been teenagers...he was so straight and sure, and of course, he did some things he probably wishes he hadn’t—so did I—but you were a kindred spirit to him. It was so obvious when I saw you.”

Her thin shoulders moved on the bed. Maybe it was a little shrug. “Since my cancer has gotten worse, it’s almost like I see things that I didn’t use to. Spiritual things.”

That was getting a little deep, and Poppy shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t want to see anything spiritual. Not actual spirits anyway. The idea made her want to walk out of the room. Instead, she pressed closer to West, and he tightened his arm around her.

“It was in that moment, when I saw you, Poppy, on the steps, that I knew I was going to say what I’m going to say right now.”

She looked between the two of them, and her fingers, which had been tracing the edge of her blanket, stilled. “I’d like for you to take my children. I want to give them to you. Whatever paperwork we need to do, it’ll be easier for you and for them if we do it now. Faster. The transition’ll be less bumpy. That’s the thing I want, beyond what you gave me tonight, which was a Christmas with Gabriella. I know it’s probably selfish of me to ask this, but I’m a mom, and my children mean everything to me. I know I’m not long for this world, and my leaving will be peaceful if I know they’re taken care of. Which, if you two have them, I know they’ll be taken care of.”

Poppy didn’t gasp, but she wanted to.

What really surprised her, though, was that beside her, West didn’t even twitch. Not a move.

Had Minnie’s request shocked him that much?

“Of course, that’s something we’ll have to think about,” she began, since West seemed to be frozen in place.

“I don’t have to think about it. I’ll do it. As long as you’re with me.”

Poppy’s head jerked to him. “What?”

She couldn’t believe it. Yeah, sure, they’d talked yesterday some about everything changing, but...this was huge.

“I’d actually had that thought yesterday when we were talking. It was something I wanted to talk to you about, but obviously we had things we needed to do, and this is a pretty big step. But I know with all my heart it’s a step I’m ready for. Only with you.” His voice was confident with absolutely no hesitation.

Maybe the day had been too long, or too emotional, or there’d been too much going on, too many things to smile at, too many things to try to not think about, but Poppy was pretty sure she was going to cry.

“This is something that we should think about and pray about and take a really long time to make a decision on.” She swallowed, thankful that her tears hadn’t overflowed. “But I don’t need to, actually. I’ll do it.”

“Well, I guess I should have qualified,” West began, and her heart tripped. That didn’t sound like cold feet, but maybe it was.

“What?” she asked, trying to make the word come out with a confident sound.

“I’ll do it, but I want to marry you first.”

That time, she did gasp.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have a ring, I don’t have a plan, and I didn’t have a plan. This was not what I was thinking and not the way I wanted it to happen. But I just didn’t want