Chapter Sixteen

 

Mac wound an arm firmly around Phoebe’s as they walked from the church to his truck. Despite the mens’ best efforts to clear the snow and spread salt, the parking lot remained an icy, snowy mess.

“I’m surprised the service had such a high turnout.” Phoebe took careful steps to avoid visible slick spots. “Bad weather usually keeps people away.”

“They all wanted to experience Pastor Gray’s last candlelight service in his official role as pastor.”

“At least we have six months until Elijah takes over, but Pastor Gray will be missed.” She stopped at the truck.

He opened the door and helped her in. On the way to the driver’s side, Mac hit a patch of ice and had to balance himself against the truck. He glanced inside, relieved to see she hadn’t seen his near fall.

Phoebe stared at her phone with worry etched into the lines of her face. Something was wrong—she hadn’t acted like herself all evening. Until they’d left the church building, she’d been abnormally quiet. He’d ask her about it once he started the truck, and they warmed up. If he could fix whatever bothered her, then he would. They’d waited too long to share Christmas as a couple.

Her frown disappeared the second he entered the cab, and she dropped the phone in her purse. “I’m starving. I can’t wait to eat your mom’s ham. That glaze she makes is to die for.”

“It’s an old family recipe.” An initial blast of cold air burst from the vents, followed by warmer air. The service hadn’t been long enough for the engine to cool down completely, and he was thankful they wouldn’t have to wait for heat.

He gripped the steering wheel loosely with one hand and looked at her. Should he let it go since she seemed fine now? Or had she only pretended to be for his sake? Considering how she’d abruptly stopped frowning when he’d gotten in the truck, he decided on the latter. “Can we talk?”

“What about?” Her even tone suggested she already knew.

“You’ve acted bothered all night. I can tell something’s bothering you.”

She sucked in a long gulp of air, releasing it after several seconds. “There is, but I don’t know if I should tell you.”

He shifted in the seat, clasped her shaking hands in his, worried about whatever upset her so badly. “You can tell me. I don’t want anything to come between us. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you’ve been nothing but great.”

“Then what’s going on?” A million reasons for her worry flashed through his mind, and his imagination jumped out of control.

“It’s Deena.”

The reasons fled as quickly as they’d formed, and he almost laughed with relief. “What about her?”

“I overheard a conversation between her and Lynz today. It wasn’t pretty.”

“Unless they’re about to commit a crime you need to report, don’t let it bother you.” He regretted his joke when he saw a tear in Phoebe’s eye. “They aren’t really planning a crime, are they?”

“No, but Deena isn’t a good person, Mac.” The story as Phoebe had heard it spilled out.

“So she used me as an attempt to repair her reputation?”

“That’s how it seemed.” Her forehead wrinkled. “I’ve been struggling to know if I should tell you or not. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

The contrast between Phoebe and Deena glared at him. How could he have been dumb enough to waste his time with Deena, even before knowing he’d been used? “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

A slow smile crawled across his mouth. “I’m not. Deena’s opinion and actions don’t bother me, but I am grateful for her.”

Phoebe tilted her head and studied him. “That’s an odd statement.”

“If not for her, how much longer would we have avoided being honest with each other? We probably wouldn’t be sitting here tonight if not for Deena.”

“I hadn’t thought about it in those terms, but you’re right.” She twisted her hands from his. “There’s one more thing. I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, but there’s a chance she might come back to you, apologize for her behavior, and try to win you back.”

“I doubt that. Deena doesn’t strike me as the type to grovel.”

“If it benefits her, she will.”

He shrugged it off. “Either way, it wouldn’t make a difference. She could never compete with you.”

The moon peeked through a cloud, giving enough light to see shades of pink creeping up her neck. “Thank you.”

“I mean it.” Overwhelmed with love for her, Mac couldn’t keep it to himself. He took a strand of her glossy brown hair and wound it around a finger. “You’re smart, hardworking, innovative, creative, honest, selfless, generous, and beautiful. You do for others and expect nothing in return, and you look for ways to bring smiles. You’re dedicated to your family and faith, and you don’t look to tangible goods to bring you joy.” He unwound the tress and trailed a finger along her cheek. “You’re the whole package, Phoebe Graff, and that’s why I love you.”

A contented sigh glided off her lips, and she leaned into him. “I’ve dreamed of hearing you say that. I love you too.”

“I’ll say it often, every day for the rest of our lives if you’d like.”

Her eyes glimmered with happiness. “Is that a promise?”

Palpitations made his heart beat at an uneven rate. He hadn’t planned to do this until later, but the moment had presented itself.

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small box. “Yes, it is.”

Phoebe gasped and blinked. Opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.

“Our relationship is new, but we’ve been working toward this all our lives. You know me better than anyone in this world and still love me as I am. I know without any doubt that you are the woman God gifted to me to be my mate to share this crazy life with. Phoebe, will you marry me?”

Her voice shook, and her eyes filled with tears. “Yes, Mac. Absolutely yes.”

He removed the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. The small diamond was all that could detract from this perfect moment. “I’m sorry it’s not fancier. One day I’ll replace it with the diamond you deserve.”

She pressed a palm against his heart. “This one is perfect. I’ll wear it proudly to symbolize my love and dedication to you.”

He kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She looked out the window. “And I love this moment, but we should leave unless we want to be stranded in the church parking lot all night.”

He watched the snow fall harder than it had all day. “Considering our history with snowstorms, you’re right.”

“Can we tell our families right away?” She held her hand out and admired the ring. “I don’t want to hide our engagement and have to take off the ring.”

“Yes, we’ll tell them when we first get there.” Any insecurities he’d had about the ring disappeared. He should have had more faith in Phoebe, known she wouldn’t care. “I can’t believe both of our families are together. Even Faith is home this Christmas.”

“I can’t help but think God orchestrated it this way, so they could share this moment with us.”

“Me too.” His smile never left as he navigated the snowy roads. “Maybe next Christmas, we can host the family dinner in our home.”

“I’d love that.” She paused and pursed her lips before giggling. “I don’t even know why I’m laughing, other than I’m so happy.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” He’d hold one of her hands if he didn’t need them both on the steering wheel.

“I can’t believe I get to live in the house I’ve always admired driving back and forth to Farthington,” she said. “The stone will make the perfect backdrop for fresh evergreen wreaths.”

He listened to her talk, letting her excitement fill his heart with pure contentment. “The house is more evidence of God working in our relationship. I had no idea you even knew which house it was, let alone that you’d thought of buying it as well.”

“I love my cabin, but I want the freedom to do what I want, like get a cat.” She smirked. “Can I adopt a kitten?”

“You can even get two.” He cast a wink. “If I can get a dog.”

“It’s a deal.”

When he reached his parent’s driveway, his chest constricted. He knew the exact moment Phoebe saw what he did.

She let out a low whooshing sound. “I told you she might come back.”

“Maybe there’s another reason for a limo to be sitting in my parents’ driveway.”

“Sure, and Santa’s stuck in the chimney.”

He erupted into laughter. “We’ll just send her on her way and continue on with our celebration. She can’t ruin anything unless we give her the power.”

Parking to the side of the driveway, he took a deep breath. He’d witnessed Deena’s vitriol firsthand when she’d experienced his rejection. Would she act out again tonight? “Can we pray before we go in?”

Phoebe nodded.

Closing his hands over hers, Mac prayed for Deena to be reasonable, to find the Truth, and for blessings on his and Phoebe’s engagement and marriage. Peace settled in his soul, and he and Phoebe walked inside to face Deena.

His mom greeted him at the door with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I tried to send her away, but she broke down in tears and insisted on waiting for you.”

“It’s okay, Mom. We’ll take care of it.”

“I started to worry when you took so long getting—” His mom stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth while staring at Phoebe’s hand. “Now I see why. Congratulations.” She pulled Phoebe into a hug. “I always knew I’d have you as a daughter and couldn’t have picked a better choice for my son.”

“Thank you.” Phoebe returned her hug.

“Don’t say anything yet, Mom. We want to announce to everyone at the same time, but we have to take care of Deena first.”

“What are you going to do?” Unease creased the corners of Mom’s eyes.

“Tell her the truth.” Calmness that could only come from above filled him. He wove his fingers with Phoebe’s and marched to the family room.

Deena jumped from the sofa with Lynz at her side. “Can we talk privately, please?”

He shook his head. “Anything you have to say can be said in front of everyone here.”

She faltered. “I wanted to apologize for how I treated you and ask for a second chance.”

“Apology accepted, but there’s no second chance.” He squeezed Phoebe’s hand. “We’re not compatible, Deena, and I love Phoebe.”

Deena looked down her nose. “She’s a rebound.”

He bit his cheek to prevent words from slipping out that he’d need to apologize for. “I’ve loved Phoebe for most of my life, and she’s agreed to marry me. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time on Christmas to come here, but I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Gasps circled the room. Eyes darted from him, to Deena, to Phoebe’s hand.

Her face turned red and cheeks puffed out. Lynz gripped Deena’s arm and whispered in her ear. After several tense seconds, they stomped from the room, and then the house.

Phoebe looked at him, and they both exhaled in relief. The quiet was short-lived as their family surrounded them within seconds to embrace them with well-wishes and congratulations. Mac managed to pull back from the hugs and backslaps to watch his fiancée interact with their families.

Love, joy, and peace pushed any and all negativity from his emotions. He felt sorry for Deena, but he couldn’t do anything for her but pray. Their brief relationship had changed his life in unexpected ways. He hadn’t found material riches, but he’d discovered his true love. To the world, he’d be relegated to a tabloid page as the man America’s Sweetheart briefly dated, but in his world, he’d be a devoted husband to Phoebe, and, Lord-willing, one day a father to their children.