By late November I could detect not a bump, really, but a new roundness to my belly. It was firmer to the touch than usual, too. And as uncertain of the future as I was, I was also thrilled. It was at Dallas's cabin one night, after we'd spent most of the afternoon in bed, that he caught me standing sideways in front of the mirror.

"There," I said, guiding his hand to the tiny protrusion in my midsection. "Can you feel that? It's definitely new. Unless I'm just eating too much."

He spread his fingers out and squeezed, very gently. "I did that, didn't I?"

I turned to him as he grinned behind me, as proud as a rooster. "Yeah," I giggled. "You did."

My phone rang just as Dallas was nudging his fingers under the waistband of my panties. Marcy. I playfully admonished him to keep his hands to himself for five minutes and took the call.

"Tia? Are you busy? We're doing something on Saturday afternoon, just wondering if you wanted to come along."

"Sure," I replied, assuming it was going to be one of our usual gatherings at Amber's apartment to eat junk food and gossip to our heart's content. "Is it at Amber's?"

"Well," Marcy replied, sounding slightly odd, "no. It isn't. We, uh, we thought we might go for a hike."

"A hike?" I asked. I wouldn't describe my friends in Montana as couch potatoes, but I wouldn't describe them as outdoorswomen, either. "Where?"

"Oh, um, just up one of the ridges outside town. Amber, uh, she said it might be fun."

"Amber said that?" I asked suspiciously. Something wasn't right. Marcy sounded completely unconvincing.

"Yeah. And it sounded pretty important. That you be there, I mean. Not that it's this huge deal or anything, I just, uh –"

"What the hell is going on?" I asked. "You're acting strange. Why do we have to –"

Dallas suddenly grabbed the phone out of my hand and spoke to Marcy himself.

"She'll be there."

Then he hung up and handed it back to me, shrugging. "It's just a hike, Tia. It'd be good for you to get out there in the fresh air, and it's not strenuous at all."

"What is this?" I asked, baffled. "Some kind of conspiracy to turn me into a hiker? What about the bears?"

"No bears, especially not at this time of the year. Go on, she said it was important, right?"

I threw my hands up. "OK, OK! I'll go on the damn hike! I just don't see why everyone is being so weirdly insistent about it."

A few days later I found myself packed into Amber's car like a sardine along with Amber herself, Marcy, Kayla and Madison, driving up into the foothills that overlooked River Bend. It didn't take long for me to feel an odd, excited energy in the air. My friends were practically levitating off their seats. But when I asked what was going on they all looked out the windows and swore up and down that I was imagining things.

"You're all crazy," I told them. "Dragging me out here to hike up a mountain for no reason on a Saturday! We could be eating chocolate cake at Amber's right now, and instead we're out here trying to get eaten by wild animals."

No one responded, apart from a few knowing grins, and soon enough we arrived at a little clearing in the trees. Amber parked and turned the engine off. I looked outside, and then down at my phone.

"It's three-thirty, you guys. It's already getting dark. Are you sure this is a good –"

"Yes," Marcy responded firmly, opening the door and pulling me out behind her. Everyone else followed and it didn't take me long to notice they were all looking at me.

"What?!" I demanded, exasperated. "Why are you all looking at me like that? You invited me on this hike, remember? I have no idea what we're doing so, uh, someone else better lead the way."

They stayed where they were, expectant smiles on their faces. It was Marcy who finally broke the stalemate, pointing to a spot in the trees directly behind me. "What's that?"

I turned, at first seeing nothing and then noticing a faint glow. "What the –?"

I walked over to where the light was coming from, assuming the rest of them were behind me, and pushed the prickly branches of a fir tree aside so I could get a look. I blinked and did a double-take, unsure as to what I was seeing. Lights. Tiny white Christmas lights dotted the branches of the trees on either side of a narrow path that was itself lined with tea-light candles, their flames flickering in the breeze.

"What is this?" I asked, thoroughly confused, turning around to see all four of my friends still standing beside the car. "What are you guys doing? Come look at this – it's beautiful."

"No," Madison called back, "it's OK. I think you should check it out yourself, Tia."

I obviously knew something was up by then, but I still didn't know exactly what it was. I turned back, stepping onto the path as it led me into the woods. Someone had hung ornaments in the trees, delicate little colored glass stars and flowers, twinkling in the candlelight. I continued tentatively, rounding a corner and then gasping with delight.

I was in a tiny clearing, not bigger than four feet across, and the trees here had been absolutely festooned with the tiny lights, white and blue, so the whole space around me glowed surreally.

"Oh!" I said, delighted. A sudden rustle in the undergrowth caught my attention and who appeared but Beau the dog.

"Beau," I greeted him, kneeling down to scratch his ears. "How did you get all the way –"

"Tia."

I looked up, recognizing his voice before I'd even laid eyes on him. And there he was, Dallas Corbett, looking like a God in a suit, his hair freshly shorn.

"Oh my God!" I gushed. "You did this? Dallas – and you're in a suit! Why are you in a suit in the middle of the forest? Not that it doesn't look good, I mean."

It did look good. It looked so good I almost couldn't believe it was him, standing there all crisp and tailored like a freakin' billionaire from a movie.

"I clean up good, don't I?" he joked, taking my hand and planting a kiss on the tip of my nose.

"You're so cold!" I exclaimed. "How long have you been out here? What are you doing?"

"A long time," he chuckled. "In fact I was starting to worry I was going to freeze to death before you girls got your act together. Do you like it?"

I looked up at the lights in the trees, as random soft flakes of snow began to float down from the darkening sky above. "Yes," I whispered. "Yes, Dallas. It's beautiful. It looks like a fairytale, or a –"

My voice caught in my throat as I suddenly noticed a framed photograph had been placed on a stump just to one side of me. My parents. Their faces blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. I looked back at Dallas and for a few seconds, didn't realize what he was doing down on one knee in front of me. When it sank in, I almost lost it completely.

I should have known. Why else would he have set up this little fairy's grotto in the woods? All the weirdness from him and my friends made sense now.

"Don't you start," he said gently, looking up at me. "I'm not finished yet, Tia." He nodded at the photo of my parents. "I thought you might want them here for this."

My knees felt weak and wobbly, and I was struggling to maintain my composure. I managed, though, with Dallas's strong hand squeezing mine and his blue-eyed gaze steadying my heart. I watched, speechless, as he pulled a small jewelry box out of his pocket and opened it up facing me. Inside was the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. A single, perfect diamond threw off sparks of light and I put my hand over my mouth, awed.

"Oh Dallas," I whispered. "Oh. It's so beautiful! You didn't – it's so lovely! You didn't have to do that! I –" I stopped, unable to utter another word, when he squeezed my hand to let me know he wasn't finished yet.

"You're the one," he said, his deep voice cutting through the pine-scented air. "You're the one, Tia. The one I never even allowed myself to dream I'd meet. The girl who's already made me a much better man than I ever could have been without you." He reached up and touched my belly tenderly. "You said you wanted to do this right, didn't you? Well that's what I want, too. For myself, yes, but mostly for you and for this little girl or boy. It's funny, isn't it? I thought I was doing so well out here alone, away from all the entanglements of other people – and then you came along and showed me just how wrong I was. I love you, Tia Kinsley. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and felt hot tears streaking down my cold cheeks. It couldn't be happening. Could it? Could something this wonderful be happening to me?

"Hey. Hey, babe."

"Yes?" I breathed. "I'm – Dallas, I –"

"Will you marry me?"

I laughed through my tears, realizing I hadn't actually answered him yet. And when I said that word – 'yes' – he took the ring from its nesting place in the jewelry box and slid it onto the fourth finger of my left hand. I looked down at it, moving my fingers delightedly, surprised by how heavy it felt. Then Dallas stood up and took me in his arms, twirling me around in the cold air and burying his face in my neck. When he put me down we stood there for a few seconds, staring at each other, smiling so hard it felt like our faces might break. Then he leaned his head back and shouted "YES!" at the sky. "Yes! She said YESSS!"

Suddenly Amber, Marcy, Madison and Kayla appeared. "So," Madison deadpanned, having heard Dallas's announcement. "I assume you said yes?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without crying, and found myself smothered by hugs and kisses and congratulations. Dallas stood back, watching happily.

"I guess I should give you a hug, too," Amber joked, "even if you have been a major pain in the ass ever since you arrived in River Bend."

"Yeah," he said, "about that. I'm not going to make a big song and dance about it, ladies, but let's just say I know I haven't been the friendliest guy in town, and that part of my life is over now. Mostly thanks to this lovely lady," he added, gesturing towards me, "and her magical, jerk-transforming powers."

"So when is it?" Kayla asked excitedly. "The wedding, I mean?"

Dallas and I looked at each other. "I have no idea!" he replied. "I guess that depends on Miss Tia, here, and we haven't really had time to discuss the details."

"A winter wedding would be sooo romantic," Madison gushed. "You could do it on your ranch, outdoors in the snow!"

"No way," Amber said. "Everyone would freeze to death. Spring, though. Spring would be perfect. May, maybe? Or you could wait until next summer?"

I laughed out loud. "OK, you guys. We'll have to think about it. But winter or spring or summer – or fall – sounds good."

We were all in high spirits, but the girls knew I needed to be alone with my fiancé. Amber ostentatiously drew her scarf a little tighter around her neck about ten minutes later. "I'm getting cold. Maybe we should head back to my place for some hot chocolate and let these two lovebirds plan their wedding?"

"Yeah," Madison agreed, "but let's just get a few photos first, OK?"

That was actually a good idea – I was so surprised by the whole situation that it hadn't even occurred to me to take pictures. We had an impromptu photo-shoot on the spot, and only when everyone was satisfied that we'd captured everything for posterity, did the phones get put away.

After they left, when Dallas and I were alone with the airy silence of the woods once again surrounding us after the giddy chatter of my girlfriends, he reached down and touched my cheek. "We should get back, too, babe. You're cold."

"I don't know. It's so nice out here, with the lights and the trees and... everything. I think I want to stay out here all night, I don't want to break the spell."

He looked down at me, his blue eyes shining. "There is no spell, Tia. There's me and you. And it doesn't matter if we're out here in the forest or in a yurt in Mongolia, the spell is just us together. Isn't it?"

He held out his arm for me and led me back to the pick-up truck, which he'd parked some distance away. As we approached I heard the sound of what I thought was an engine running.

"What's that?"

"A generator – I had to figure out some way to get those lights to work, didn't I? You have no idea how many feet of extension cords that took. I'll come back out tomorrow and clear it all up."

He opened the passenger side door and I hopped in, followed by Beau. When Dallas joined me he handed me the photo of my parents.

"Your great-aunt Jenny gave me that, I went to see her a couple of days ago."

"Did you? Did you tell her why?"

"Of course I did. They were touched, even if both of them seemed a little doubtful you'd say yes. I didn't realize I was quite so notorious in this town – your great-uncle even tried to make me swear not to let you near Ranger again."

Dallas maneuvered the truck gingerly over the rough ground while Beau and I sat beside him, bouncing slightly every time we hit a bump. I felt safe. And loved. I glanced down at the photograph of my parents and then at my man.

"I'm so happy," I told him, as he turned off the dirt track and onto Old Ware Road. "Everything is so wonderful it's hard to even believe it's happening. I just wish they were here with me."

He took one hand off the wheel and squeezed my thigh. "I know, Tia. I know. I feel the same way. I'm actually looking forward to the future now, and I don't know if you understand what a huge thing that is for me – or how big of a part you've played in it – but there are people I always thought would be there with me, too. And they won't. Maybe all we can do is remember them?"

I ran my finger over the image of my mother's face in the photograph. They both looked so young in it, their hair darker and their waistlines trimmer than I remembered. Dallas was right. The people we'd lost were gone. All we could do was remember them, and honor their memories by trying to live the lives they would have wanted for us.

It was in this odd, half-melancholy, half-joyful mood that we arrived back at Corbett Ranch. When we got out, Dallas snaked his arm around my waist and pointed up the cabin. "I'm thinking modern ranch. Two floors, lots of glass and light. What do you think?"

"What?" I asked, confused. "Are you going to put an addition on the cabin?"

"An addition? No. A whole new home. And not here, either. There's an area of high ground out past the pastures, great view from the top. That's the spot I was thinking of."

I gazed up, checking his face for signs that he was joking, and saw none. "A whole new house? Is that a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea? This cabin is barely big enough for me. I don't want our child growing up in a cramped place like this, good though it's been to me – do you?"

"Well," I hesitated, "no, but – Dallas, isn't that going to be expensive?"

He shrugged. "So what if it is? I finally have something worthwhile to spend my money on, don't I? Here, come inside, I want to show you something."

I didn't think Dallas was poor. He owned Corbett Ranch, after all, and I had a vague recollection of him mentioning that his parents had money. But I didn't think he was rich, either. At least not rich enough to start building houses willy-nilly. When we got inside and out of our winter gear, though, he showed me a few photos on his phone. Architectural drawings and computer-generated pictures of houses like he'd been describing, involving a lot of glass and exposed wooden beams.

"What do you think?" he asked, as we cuddled up to each other on the sofa, looking at the images.

"What do I think? I – they look nice, Dallas. They look really nice. I just, uh, I just don't know if –"

"Don't know what? They're just ideas, Tia. If you don't like them, we can explore other styles, it's all open right now."

He wasn't understanding me."It's not that I don't like them," I told him."It's that they look really expensive. Do you have enough money for a house like that? Because I certainly don't, not with my wages from Parson's."

He went quiet for a minute before turning to me, a quizzical look on his face. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?! Why are you acting all mysterious? I just don't think it's a great idea to be getting into a lot of debt, is all. That's not how my parents raised me."

"You never Googled me?" he asked skeptically. "Never? Not once? Never Googled my family?"

I shook my head, exasperated. "No. Why would I do that? And I don't know your family, why would I be searching the internet for information on them?"

He sat back, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth or not, which I was. And when he finally seemed to accept it, he laughed.

"What?" I asked. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny, Tia. I don't know, I guess I assumed you would have figured it out by now."

"Figured WHAT out?"

Dallas pulled me onto his lap and passed me the phone so I could flip through the various pictures we'd been looking at. "Here's the thing, Tia. I am rich, to put it bluntly. Not just can-afford-a-Mercedes-and-a-ski-condo rich, either. I mean absolutely, totally, filthy rich. It's family money, obviously, the military doesn't pay that well. But I've got a trust fund that's more than enough to cover a house like this," he pointed down at an animated picture of a dwelling that looked liked something I might see on the cover of one of those architectural magazines, "probably twenty-five times over."

I blinked. He was joking. He must be joking. He didn't look like he was joking, though.

"For real," he said, seeing the look on my face. "It doesn't have to be this house, or that one. I'll build you a castle, if that's what you want. With turrets and a moat. You can stand up on top of a turret and watch me come home in the evenings. I'd like that, to see you up there waiting for me."

"You're serious, aren't you?" I asked, bemused and not really quite comprehending what I was being told.

"Yes, I am. It's never really been a thing for me, Tia. That's easy for me to say, I know, but honestly, for most of my life it's been something I kept to myself. People make too many assumptions about rich people – especially about the children and grandchildren of rich people. I wanted to make my own way, without using my family connections or money to make something of myself. And now, none of that matters anymore."

"It doesn't?"

Dallas slid his hand up under my shirt and cradled my little bump. "No, it doesn't. What matters now is you, and whoever this little person is in here. I got these photos from an architectural firm in Boulder, by the way – I've hired them to design the house. So you need to get to deciding, woman, because I don't want to be in this little cabin with a baby any more than you do."

I giggled disbelievingly. "So let me get this straight, Dallas. You just dropped a bomb on me, didn't you? An oh-yeah-I'm-super-rich bomb? I'm not saying it's bad, it's just funny. If it was something like, oh yeah I forgot to mention I'm allergic to peanuts, or oh yeah I don't really care for sci-fi movies, that's one thing. But oh yeah, I have more money than anyone you've ever met? I mean, damn. I don't even know what to think!"

He rested his chin on my shoulder, gazing down at my belly alongside me. "Well I had to make sure you weren't a gold-digger, Tia. You seemed like one, when I first met you."

"What?!" I exclaimed, turning around and catching the wide grin on his face. "You ass! Stop teasing me!"

"OK, I'll stop. But you really do need to look at the pictures. How long do we have? Six months, at best? And we still need to decide when we're actually going to get married, and how big it's going to –"

"Shhh," I said, kissing Dallas's mouth and wrapping my arms around his neck. "It doesn't matter. It does matter, obviously, but the truth is I don't care as long as I'm with you. If you want a castle, build a castle. If you want a – what did you call it? a modern ranch? – build a modern ranch. If you want to get married here in January, we'll do that. If you want to get married in Antarctica in June, we'll do that. As long as I'm with you."