A Winter Wedding at Primrose Hall (Primrose Woods #6)

Chapter 29

29

‘Are you happy?’

Rhi turned to look at Luke, who was observing her closely, warm affection flickering in his always expressive eyes.

‘Yes!’ She held her arms open wide. ‘You know this is my happy place! Just look at the tree and the lights, and that smell.’ She inhaled a deep breath. ‘It’s so Christmassy. It reminds me of being a little girl and being swept away by the magic of it all, honestly believing that if I looked long and hard enough, I might be able to see Santa Claus and his reindeer up in the sky.’ She grinned, tipping her head back to look upwards.

‘Look over there!’ Luke turned and pointed into the night sky and Rhi laughed, shaking her head.

‘I am not falling for that one again.’

He played that trick on her before during the snowstorm that had fallen on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago when they’d been visiting Lizzie’s for drinks. Along with Bill, Abbey, Sam and Katy, they watched in awe as the heavy downfall covered the ground, making a picture-postcard effect outside and the roads impassable. Lizzie insisted that everyone stay overnight to avoid any accidents and they’d all hunkered down with blankets and duvets, chatting and laughing over the unexpected turn of events. Later, when the others were asleep, Luke and Rhi had slipped outside, making footprints in the thick deep fresh snow and when Luke spotted something in the distance, Rhi had been totally invested in his wonder. When he’d urged her to look, asking her if she’d seen the lights trailing across the sky, the big fat guy in the red suit pulled along in a sledge by nine reindeer, her mouth had dropped open and she’d laughed uncontrollably, realising she’d been totally duped.

Memories flooded her mind, happy memories, knowing even then that she’d fallen in love with this kind, sweet-hearted guy, but not knowing if their fledgling romance would ever come to anything, when Luke was due to move away to start another job in the new year.

Now, as she snuggled up closer to him, she was very glad they’d been able to make it work. She felt a blast of happiness at being in the moment with the man she loved, seeing all her friends around her who, funnily enough, had all gathered in the same spot as them.

‘You know I love you, right, Rhi?’ Luke’s declaration distracted her and she turned to face him, taken by the intensity of his words. Luke had his romantic moments, but normally they came with his cheeky tell-tale grin and a wisecrack, but now she could tell he was being deadly serious.

‘Yes, of course I do. And I love you too, Luke,’ she said, trying to see beyond his earnest expression, to find any hidden meaning behind his words. ‘What’s got into you tonight?’ she said with half a smile. ‘You’re being all soppy.’

‘Well, I suppose it’s a big occasion. Two years of being together as a couple. Who’d have thought it, eh?’

‘Not me, that’s for sure. Not when we first met at work, and when you used to go out of your way to annoy me.’

‘Ha ha, I was being friendly, Rhi, but you didn’t want anything to do with me back then!’

‘Don’t remind me!’ Rhi grimaced, digging Luke in the side. He pulled her closer. She was only grateful to him that he’d stood by her when she’d made some very dubious decisions, like getting involved with that guy at work who turned out to be a liar and a cheat. When she discovered the truth of that situation and she’d walked out on the relationship and her job, nursing her embarrassment and shame, Luke had never judged her. Never said ‘I told you so’, even though he’d tried to warn her about that sleazeball. When it had imploded all around her, Luke had been there, checking up on her, making sure she was okay. Luke’s offer of friendship had meant the world to her when she’d been at her lowest point. He’d provided a listening ear, which had marked the beginning of a deeper connection for them both.

‘I’m just grateful that you never gave up on me, Luke. It makes me shudder to think that we might never have got together because our timings were out, that we could have gone our separate ways, oblivious to what could have developed between us. It’s mad when you start thinking like that, isn’t it?’

‘I think we were always meant to be,’ he said, squeezing her hand tight. ‘It was probably written in those stars twinkling up above us,’ he said, pointing up into the dark sky.

‘Aw, that’s so romantic. I’m not sure what’s got into you tonight, but all I know is that I like it.’ She giggled.

He pressed his lips against hers and his touch sent a warm feeling running around her veins, in spite of the cold taste of winter she detected on his lips. He pulled away, his gaze roaming her face.

‘You look beautiful tonight,’ he whispered. ‘Look, I should take a photo of you by the Christmas tree. Go on,’ he urged.

‘We should take a selfie.’

‘We will but let me take one of you first. We want to capture this moment for posterity, Rhi. It’s such a great backdrop.’

She walked forward towards the imposing sparkling tree, only feeling the slightest bit self-conscious as she glanced at Pia and Sophie out of the corner of her eye, standing to one side, giving them a wave. She turned round, dropped the hood of her coat and ran her hands through her hair to tidy away the wayward strands, adopted a pose and faced Luke who was… tying up his shoelaces? What exactly was he doing down there? It took her a moment or two for the whole scene to compute in her head. For her to realise that he wasn’t tying up his shoelaces, but that he was actually kneeling down, on one knee. She could have sworn her heart stopped in her chest at that moment. Luke looked up at her with a light in his eyes, an uncharacteristically heartfelt expression on his features, before it was replaced with that cheeky, irrepressible half-smile on his lips that she knew so well.

‘Rhianna West, I love you. With all my heart. I have not stopped smiling since the day I met you and I never want to imagine a time in my life when you’re not at my side. Would you make me the happiest man in the world, Rhi, and agree to be my wife?’

‘Oh my God! Stop it! Is this really happening?’ Rhi’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she looked to Luke and then to the small group who had gathered to witness the proposal. ‘Do you mean it?’ Rhi rushed over to view the little black box that Luke was presenting.

‘Yep, I absolutely mean it, Rhi,’ he said, wobbling on his knee, looking as though he might fall over at any moment.

‘Oh, Luke, I love it!’ she said in a breathy whisper as he climbed to his feet, and they drew together, clasping hands. Carefully, he extracted the ring from its box and slipped it onto Rhi’s finger. He’d taken no chances and borrowed one of her rings from the dressing table to find the correct size. The ring, a halo of brilliant diamonds with a striking centre gem on a platinum band, slipped easily onto Rhi’s finger.

‘I love it,’ she repeated, gazing at the stone, still with a sense of disbelief and awe. ‘And I love you! And yes! Yes, yes, yes! I’d love to marry you,’ she said, jumping into his embrace, so that her legs wrapped around his body. Luke laughed and swung her around to a huge round of applause and a cheer of congratulations from the assembled crowd.