‘Oh, I’m sure.’ She spun around to face the nymph. His hand was on her abdomen and she pressed her right hand over his, as she took a deep breath, pulled back her left hand and let the coin fly.
His eyes stayed on the coin as it caught the sunlight as it arced through the air, but his left hand was flicking something else into the fountain at their feet.
The coin was on a direct path and landed squarely in the middle of the clamshell. Lucia let out a shriek. ‘I’ve done it! I’ve finally done it!’ She spun around and flung her arms around his neck. ‘I’ve finally done it.’
He picked her up and spun her around, her hair streaming out behind her. ‘You’ve done it,’ he cheered as he set her back down. ‘Now, what did you wish for?’
For the first time his stomach wasn’t in knots around Lucia. Slowly but surely she was turning back into the woman he loved. The dark shadows were going from her eyes. Her steps were lighter. She laughed more. She cried more. And she still loved to dance.
‘Isn’t the wish supposed to be a secret?’ she said coyly.
He swallowed. He’d never felt more nervous, or surer about anything in his life. ‘Look down,’ he said quietly.
She blinked. It obviously wasn’t what she had expected to hear. A frown creased her brow as she stared down, taking a few seconds to see the glint of gold under the clear water.
Her eyes widened and she bent down, putting her hand into the water and pulling out the ring.
‘Logan?’ she asked as a smile spread across her face.
It wasn’t a traditional flashy engagement ring. He didn’t want to waste any time. It was a gold wedding band studded with diamonds and rubies. It was a ring of promise. A ring of hope.
He didn’t hesitate, just got down on one knee in front of the woman he loved. ‘Lucia Moretti. You’re the woman of my dreams. The woman I love with my whole heart. You are my perfect match. The person I want to laugh with, cry with, play with and grow old with. I believe this was meant to happen. I honestly believe we were meant to meet again and mourn our daughter together. I don’t care where you want to make a life. I don’t care if it’s Venice, Florence, Rome or anywhere else. All that matters to me is that home is with you.’ He pressed his hand against his heart. ‘As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we are. You’re the person I call home. You’re all that I need. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?’
She was still staring at the ring, watching the sun glint off the little diamonds and rubies. The smile was permanently etched on her face.
She wrapped one arm around his neck and sat down on his knee. She didn’t hesitate to slip the ring on her finger. ‘How on earth could any woman refuse such a romantic proposal at Burano’s fountain?’ Her eyes were twinkling. She put her hand over his. ‘There’s no one else I ever want to be with. You’re the only man for me.’
He pulled something out from behind his waist. ‘I’ve brought you something else.’
She stared at the wrapped package. It wasn’t big, small enough to tuck into his waistband. Plain canvas tied with string. She pulled the string and let the package unfurl. It was new paintbrushes and some oils. Her mouth fell open.
‘How...how did you know?’
‘That you’d want to take up painting again?’
She nodded as her eyes glistened with tears. ‘Because we’ve come such a long way, Lucia. We’ve both moved on. You used to love painting and I know that you’ve found that little piece in your heart again that makes you ready to start again.’
She nodded her head slowly. ‘You’re right. I have. But I’d only just started to think about it.’ She looked around. ‘We’re in such beautiful surroundings I can’t help but feel inspired.’
He leaned forward to kiss her. ‘Which leads me to my next question. Where do you want to live?’
She smiled and looked around. ‘This might surprise you, but I’ve kind of grown fond of these Tuscan hills. I like the peace. I like the quiet. Maybe I’m not the city girl I thought.’ She bit her bottom lip. ‘How would you feel about finding somewhere to live around here?’
He stood and pulled her to her feet, holding her close. He ran his fingers through her hair. ‘I think that this is a good place, a healing place. And I’m sure there’s a Tuscan villa somewhere in these hills just waiting for us to renovate it. A villa where we can build you your own studio.’
She smiled again, ‘All work and no play makes Logan a dull boy.’
She was teasing and he knew it. ‘Who says anything about working?’ he murmured.
She pressed a little kiss against his lips. ‘Do you want to know what I wished for?’
‘Are you going to tell me?’
She nodded. ‘Someone must have been listening. When I threw that coin I wished for new beginnings.’
His eyebrows rose. ‘You did?’ It was perfect. It was as if everything was just meant to be.
‘I did,’ she said with confidence, and with that she rose up on her toes to kiss him. ‘To new beginnings,’ she whispered.
‘New beginnings,’ he murmured, and he kissed her right back.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from HOUSEKEEPER UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Cara Colter.
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Romance.
You adore a feel-good story! Harlequin Romance offers uplifting escapes featuring real, relatable women and strong, deeply desirable men. Experience the intensity, anticipation and sheer rush of falling in love.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Romance every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Housekeeper Under the Mistletoe
by Cara Colter
CHAPTER ONE
“UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES,” Angelica Witherspoon muttered to herself, as she drove down a main street where the summer sun was filtered through a thick green canopy of leaves, “this is the kind of place I would adore.”
The city of Nelson was nestled in the Selkirk mountain range of British Columbia. It was quaint and charming.
She angle parked her car and noted plenty of activity on the wide sidewalks in front of historical buildings. It made her feel safe enough to vacate her car and get out and stretch. Her muscles were cramped with tension. In the distance, she could catch glimpses of the sparkling waters of the west arm of Kootenay Lake.
Angie sighed with longing. “This is a place I would love to explore.” But she reminded herself, sternly, it was her old life that would have allowed her to explore the vibrant, artsy and scenic community.
In her new life she was extraordinarily tired and on edge. And it took money to explore. Angie had six dollars and twenty-two cents left to her name. She had allowed herself one cash machine withdrawal and was still in shock at how quickly two hundred dollars, the maximum she could take, had evaporated.
Under a colorful awning, just in front of where she had parked her car, there was an outdoor café. The savory smells of rich coffee and of spicy Indian food enveloped her. She felt a pang of hunger. It was the first time in a week on the run that her stomach had unknotted enough for her to feel hungry.
But, she told herself, if she bought a loaf of bread, and some sliced meat she could make her six dollars and change go a bit further than if she gave in to the temptation to sit down to a restaurant meal. She looked around for a corner store.
Tires squealed off in the distance, a jarring sound, and Angelica felt her heart begin to hammer, and a fine bead of sweat broke out on her lip. She fought terror as
she scanned the street, making sure she was not being watched.
Inwardly, she talked herself down from the ledge.