Just for Christmas - Emily Harvale Page 0,65

of New Year’s Eve party-cum-engagement celebration for Chance and Jolene, and actually invited Molly to it? Surely no one was that insane?

Vicky and Bruce stepped aside as Sarah and Terry reached Molly’s side.

‘Is that Chance?’

Sarah pointed towards the figure in the hall. He was standing in shadow but it was obvious to all that it was him.

‘What’s he doing here?’ Terry said. ‘I thought he was in New York.’

‘So did I,’ Molly said, turning away from the door.

‘Molly! Don’t go.’ It was Vicky who said that.

‘Please don’t,’ Chance added. ‘There’s something I need to say to you.’

She turned to face him and scowled at Vicky, Bruce, and him.

‘What could you possibly have to say to me that I want to hear?’

‘I don’t know if you do want to hear it. But I really hope you do. How about if I start with, I’m sorry?’

‘Not as sorry as I am.’

She turned away again.

‘What if I said I never meant to hurt you?’

She spun on her heel and glared at him.

‘And that makes everything okay?’

‘No.’ He stepped forward into the light and smiled. ‘It doesn’t. But I’m hoping that this might.’

He took a small, velvet covered box from his pocket and she gasped and took a step back.

‘You’re going to show me your engagement ring? The ring you’re about to give to your girlfriend. Your pregnant girlfriend, I might add. Thanks. But I really don’t want to see it. Especially as it’s been in Miracle’s throat and covered in his vomit. Oh God. I don’t suppose she knows that, does she? I honestly didn’t mean to blurt that out. I can’t be here. I need to leave. Goodbye. Good luck. Happy bloody New Year to one and all.’

‘Molly!’ Chance sounded a little cross. ‘Okay. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. It seemed so much better in my head. But for your information, this isn’t the ring that Miracle swallowed. I took that back to the jewellers and told them what had happened. They’re having it professionally cleaned and they gave me a really good price, all things considered. And Jolene isn’t here. I’m not planning to propose to her tonight. Or ever. Thankfully, she discovered the other day that she isn’t, in fact, pregnant. It was a false alarm. If she’d waited a couple of days, none of this would’ve happened. But she genuinely thought she was and she wanted to tell me on Christmas Day. She was under the impression I’d be thrilled.’

‘And weren’t you?’

He shook his head. ‘Surely you know the answer to that? As soon as I knew I wasn’t going to be a dad, and that I didn’t have to stay with her, I went to New York to tell her face to face that it was over between us. Because that’s just not the sort of thing you should do by text, or phone, or video call. And if you would stop scowling at me for a second and really look at me, you might realise that I’m standing here and offering you my love, my heart, my home, and everything else I have to give you. Including a new ring that I bought in New York before I left today, just for you. Because I love you and I want you to be my wife more than I’ve ever wanted anything.’

‘Bloody hell,’ Sarah said. ‘That was almost as good as your proposal, darling.’ She smiled lovingly at Terry.

Molly turned to Sarah and Terry and mouthed the words, ‘Did he just say he wants to marry me?’ Only she said them out loud as well.

‘He did.’ Sarah nodded and beamed at her.

‘Yep,’ Terry said, a huge grin spreading across his face.

‘I did,’ Chance said, his voice cracking with emotion. ‘I do. I love you with all my heart. I think I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t realise that until this Christmas.’

Molly turned to face him and saw the smile and the tears of joy on Vicky’s face. Even Bruce looked emotional. In a good way. They both stepped aside.

‘We’ll leave you two to it,’ Vicky said, kissing Chance on the cheek. ‘Happy New Year’s Eve, darling. Good luck. Not that I think you’ll need it. Bruce and I are going back to mine. The dogs are waiting.’

‘Happy New Year’s Eve, Mum. And thanks for everything.’

Vicky and Bruce walked towards Molly, hand in hand and beamed at her as they did so.

‘Happy New Year’s Eve, sweetheart.’ Vicky kissed her on the cheek just as she had