blushed. “I meant it. For you, at least.”
“It goes for everyone.”
“Thank you. You’re right. Buck and I really love our time together. This is right. I have you to thank for it.”
“No you don’t.”
“None of this would have ever happened had we not come here last Christmas.”
“If I remember correctly you were the one enforcing the get-together. And as I recall I had hopes we’d spend it in Paris. But that’s not what happened. Neither one of us had any control over this. And here we are.” Vanessa hugged her. “If you’d told me that the two of us would be living in a tiny town like this and finding our best lives, I’d have never believed it.”
“We’re so lucky.”
“Blessed,” Vanessa said.
A double knock sounded at the door. “We’re ready when you are,” the minister said.
“Thank you.” Vanessa took something out of her pocket as she lifted the simple bouquet of wildflowers. “Okay, the flowers are new.” She handed them to Anna, then tucked a pick with a flower made of blue buttons into the arrangement. “This button flower was made from buttons in Mom’s button tin.” Then she lifted her gold cross necklace over her head and placed it over Anna’s. “This was Mom’s. I know she’d want you to wear it today so she could be a part of this. That’s the borrowed.”
“Sweet Vanessa. Thank you.” She fondled the cross. “This is perfect.”
“You’re set.” She opened the door and reached for Anna’s hand. “We’re ready.”
They walked out of the dressing room and joined Buck, Mike, Edna, and Misty in the church.
The minister didn’t waste a moment.
Buck and Anna stood before him.
He rolled right into the ceremony, and it wasn’t long before all the “I do” and “I will,” and rings were placed upon the bride’s and groom’s fingers; then the couple turned toward the guests and the minister pronounced them to be husband and wife.
Vanessa dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.
Mike walked over to her. “You always cry at weddings?”
She nodded.
“I guess I better get used to it. Right, Misty?”
She nodded in a hurried response. “Yeah.”
Vanessa smirked. “You better not be thinking of marriage anytime soon, young lady.”
“Not me,” Misty said. “Not for a long, long time. I’ve got things to learn. A business to run.”
“Yes, you do.” Vanessa was thankful Misty wasn’t the type to rush off and do something crazy like marry before she was even out of college. She had a bright future.
Buck stood right behind Mike, holding Anna’s hand with a huge grin on his face.
“Yeah,” Mike said. “But if you’re going to cry like that, you might have a real problem on December twenty-first.”
“Why?” She sensed something was up, but she had no idea what it was she was supposed to be remembering. “Is that the tree lighting? Who’s getting…”
Mike lowered to one knee and took a ring box from his jacket pocket. “Vanessa Larkin. Will you marry me?” He nodded toward Misty. “Help me make sure this girl has someone to always talk to when the going gets tough? Be a part of our family? For as long as we both shall live?”
Her mouth dropped open. Her eyes flitted from person to person. “I didn’t. I—”
“It’s a yes-or-no question. I’ve talked about it with everyone here in this room, including the minister. I want to marry you during the holidays.”
“Oh my gosh. Really? That’s so fast. Are you joking?”
“This is not a joking matter. If it’s one thing I learned the hard way, it’s that life is unpredictable. Don’t make me wait. I don’t want to miss a single day with you in my life. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Misty said. “Both of you.”
“I love you both too,” Vanessa said. “I already feel like part of the family. I can’t believe this.”
“I might even teach you my secret chicken-stew recipe,” he said with a wink.
“Can we serve it at the reception?”
“Absolutely.”
“We’d get married here?” Vanessa asked.
“Well, I’m afraid we’re going to need a much larger place. We aren’t going to be able to get away with a private ceremony like my grandfather and your cousin. I was thinking in the barn. Or the big church over on Main Street if you prefer a church wedding.”
“As long as we have a minister perform the service, I don’t care where we get married.” She knelt down on the floor next to him. “I can’t believe this. Yes. I love you. I love this town. Misty, you’re okay with this?”
“More than okay!”
“You’ll be my maid of honor,” Vanessa said to her.
“That’s so exciting. You have to order my dress. You know I’m a disaster at that, and Porter. He has to be the ring bearer. Wouldn’t that be so cute?”
“Absolutely. We can buy him a little bow tie.” They all laughed. “Oh, Anna. This is your day, and I’m hogging all the excitement. I’m sorry.”
“No way. I’m so delighted.” Anna giggled, squeezing Buck’s hand. “It was so hard to keep a secret from you. Mike’s been planning this for a while. That ring is gorgeous.”
“You knew?”
“I did, and I’ll save the blue button flower for your bouquet. You can borrow it from me to cover old, borrowed, and blue.”
“That’ll be perfect,” she said to Anna. She turned and looked into Mike’s eyes. “Yes. I can’t wait to be Mrs. Mike Marshall.” Tears streamed down her face. “I can’t promise I won’t cry, but I do promise I’ll be the happiest bride in the world. I’d marry you anytime. Anywhere. I don’t have one hesitation.”
Mike leaned in and kissed Vanessa as if no one else were in the room.
She might have never seen fireworks from a kiss in her whole life until she met Mike, but this kiss … this kiss had her floating on air.
Also by Nancy Naigle
Christmas Joy
Hope at Christmas
Dear Santa
Christmas Angels
Visit www.NancyNaigle.com for a list of all Nancy’s novels.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
Also by Nancy Naigle
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Griffin, a division of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
A HEARTFELT CHRISTMAS PROMISE. Copyright © 2020 by Nancy Naigle. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Cover design: Kerri Resnick
Cover photographs: Christmas background © Image Source/Getty Images; puppy © cmannphoto/Getty Images; ribbon © Evdokimov Maxim/Shutterstock.com; ribbon © Picsfive/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Naigle, Nancy, author.
Title: A heartfelt Christmas promise / Nancy Naigle.
Description: First edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2020.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020019360 | ISBN 9781250312648 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781250312655 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Christmas stories. | GSAFD: Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3614.A545 H43 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019360
eISBN 9781250312655
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2020