Merry Mended Hearts (Santa’s Radio Christmas Romance #1)

Epilogue

One Year Later

Grace

“What about this one?”

“Too scrawny.”

Boone trudged a few paces away, bending backward as if trying to see just how high up the tree climbed. “This one?”

I shivered. I still wasn’t good with being out in the snow for too long, though I loved to sit inside and stare out at its beauty. Then again, I had Boone to warm me up whenever I got too cold.

I shook my head. “Too tall.”

My husband gave me an exasperated sigh. “You’re impossible.”

“Admit it,” I said, looking at the forest landscape, the snow glinting off the branches of trees. Pine trees of every shape and size stood like spokes in the snow, spearing upward toward the cloudless blue, December sky. “Most of these will be too tall for the cottage.”

The home we now shared.

“We need something with a little personality,” I added. “Something short and squat.”

Boone repositioned his grip on the chainsaw and glanced around. “All right, then. Take your pick.”

I trudged through the snow in new boots that were much better quality than those I’d worn during our first adventure in these woods. I also wore much thicker socks, so my toes were toasty warm.

My stomach grew queasier the longer I stood here, but we couldn’t go back to the cottage without our tree. Boone had harnessed Hazelnut to a special kind of sled, one that would drag our Christmas tree behind the sleigh as we made our way back.

Everywhere I looked, the trees were just so…high.

“I don’t see anything short enough—wait.” I rotated on the snow, gripping my stomach and waiting for the nausea to pass.

I swallowed. There, behind me, stood the perfect little tree. Its branches weren’t completely full, but it wasn’t too high, and the scraggly twigs bespoke of its character.

Boone crunched through the snow toward me. He wore his wool-lined coat, a cowboy hat, and thick gloves.

“This one? You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” I became more attached to that little tree the longer I looked at its stout stature.

It was almost like it was trying its hardest to be the kind of tree it was meant to be. I could already envision the colorful bulbs I wanted to wreath it with. And the little sleigh ornament Boone had given me during our first sleigh ride together.

Not wanting to wait any longer to be together, we’d gotten married during the summer, and I hadn’t had the chance to hang that ornament up yet.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

Taking a battle stance, he revved the chainsaw. It whirred to life, and he hacked into the trunk with mechanical power. I lost count of how long it took, but soon enough, the little tree released a few crackling sounds and toppled to the snow.

Grinning with excitement, I hurried back to where Hazelnut stood with the sleigh. I gripped the horse’s reins and guided it just the way Boone had taught me, back to where he stood inspecting the newly fallen tree.

I’d already learned so much. Since I’d returned to Montana, I’d spent every possible hour I could in Boone’s company. Junie hired me for upkeep and room checks. It was now my job to clear rooms once guests checked out, to replace bedding and look for items that had been left behind.

I also left mints on the pillows and delivered fresh towels to each room. This saved Junie time enough to deal with balancing the books and the appointments.

I’d gotten much more accustomed to being around horses than I ever thought I would be. Boone had taught me how to clean, feed, saddle, and ride Hazelnut and the other horses at the inn. Junie joked that soon enough I would be driving the sleighs, but I declined.

I was happy working inside, out of the cold.

Besides, soon enough, I’d be too busy to keep working at the inn anyway.

I’d just received another rejection on my manuscript. I’d expected to snag a publishing contract right away because who wouldn’t want my novel? But no one had.

I found I could handle the rejections easier this time around. Boone encouraged me in that regard. He was way better than any book boyfriend I’d ever read. He wasn’t perfect, but then, neither was I.

We had our fair share of squabbles, but we had a good time making up after them, too.

Still, the books all over the shelves I’d had him build in our cottage were evidence that a girl still loved to read about a swoony hero once in a while.

But the books weren’t the reason I wouldn’t be working. I hadn’t yet spilled the beans on our good news yet—and I couldn’t wait to see what his reaction would be once he found out.

“Ready to head back?” Boone asked, holding the chainsaw at his side.

“You bet.” I stepped out, helping him secure the tree to the back of the sleigh.

Once the tree was situated, we climbed back in, and my heart began to pound. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for. I’d known for about two days now.

I’d taken multiple tests just to make sure I got the same response every time. Sure enough, each one showed two lines.

I was pregnant, and I couldn’t figure out the best way to tell him.

This was a big deal, especially since he and his wife had lost their baby before.

A romantic ride through the snowy woods was the perfect setting for sharing secrets, but I waited until we got back. Until we got the tree set up. I was aiming for romance here.

For a short time, the sleigh’s runners slicking over the snow was the only sound between us. Eventually, the cottage and its quaint stone exterior came into view.

Boone had wanted to marry at the cottage, but the inn was more accessible for guests. This adorable little place just didn’t have the space. My parents had flown up for the ceremony. I’d worn a lovely, slim gown with simple fabric and lacy sleeves. And the bed I’d once shivered alone in now kept Boone and me perfectly warm.

My cheeks heated just thinking about it.

I braced open the cottage door and then ran out to help him with the tree. He stood at its lower end, already lifting it by the trunk. I attempted to grip it around a few different places at its top, but everywhere I tried, branches only poked me in the face.

“Where am I supposed to hold it?”

Boone laughed and lowered its end. “Here, switch me places.”

I did so. The trunk end was much easier to grip. Boone carried most of the weight, I could tell, but I did my best to keep up and help get the little tree into our home.

Soon enough, it was positioned in the stand we’d prepped beforehand, in place of where the dining table usually sat by the window. I poured water into the base, breathing deep. The natural pint scent seeped into my senses.

“Mmm, that is so delicious,” I said, standing.

Boone was ready with a strand of lights, and together, we trimmed the tree. I’d replaced the old curtains on the windows with rustic, modern prints. In fact, I’d insisted we take down anything that wasn’t directly Boone’s, which was a lot.

And we filled the walls with our own memories.

Not that I had anything against family or heritage, but this was our home. I didn’t want to spend my time here looking at things that had no emotional connection to either of us.

The bookshelf Boone had built for me stood in the empty space near the door leading to our bedroom and bathroom. We both filled it with even more books, and someday, I hoped it would hold some that were written by me, too.

Junie had joked about having us take the radio to our house, but we’d both declined.

“We’ve had enough help from that thing, thank you very much,” Boone had said.

“Hang on,” I said, retrieving the box of ornaments from its place near the couch.

The fire crackled at me in the hearth, filling the room with warmth and the slightest traces of ash. I’d set the sleigh ornament on the mantle and snatched it, hurrying back across the front room.

“Where are you hanging that?” Boone said.

“Right in front,” I said, holding it for him to see.

Boone cradled my hand in his, and together, we hung the ornament at a spot for prime visibility. Then I stepped back, right into his arms, which slid around my stomach. He propped his chin on my shoulder, and I felt the traces of his scruff scratch my skin.

I placed my hands over his. “Now, we have a tree.”

“We do.”

My heart fluttered, and I didn’t want to wait a second longer. My fingers flattened over his, and I leaned my head against his.

“I’m glad,” I said, “because I have an early Christmas present for you.”

“Oh? Why not wait until Christmas?”

Nerves lodged in my throat, and the nausea that had been plaguing me during our entire adventure to find this tree twisted in my stomach. I muscled it down and turned in his arms.

“Because I think you’re going to start wondering why I’m not feeling all that great right now.”

Boone blinked. His gaze flicked down my body and back to my face again. “You’re not…”

I placed a hand on my stomach, feeling nerves twinkling over me just as much as the colored lights on our tree behind him.

“I’m feeling sick,” I said. “Your aunt loaned me this book about it. They tell me the nausea will last the first few months…”

Boone brushed my hair away from my shoulders. “Grace, are you trying to tell me you’re expecting?”

I grinned, loving the delight dawning on his face. “We won’t be able to wrap his or her presents since whoever this baby is won’t be born until July. But?—”

I didn’t get the chance to finish. Boone gathered me in his arms and spun me in a circle. Which would have been romantic any other time, but it only served to stir the unease in my stomach.

I may or may not have dry heaved. Not really the romantic celebration I’d been hoping for.

“Sorry,” he said, stroking my face. “I’m…this is amazing. You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” I said, pressing a hand to my mouth.

“Do you need…? Can I get you anything?”

I closed my eyes. “I think it’ll pass.”

Boone held me as I rested my forehead against his collarbone. I breathed him in, and he rubbed my back. Sure enough, the stirring in my stomach eased once more.

He pressed his lips to mine. Then, with a sense of curiosity in his eyes, Boone sank to his knees in front of me. He placed his hands on my stomach, staring at it. Then, with his hands on my waist, his eyes trailed up to me.

I went weak in the knees. He’d knelt like this when he’d asked me to marry him only a few months after I’d come to work at the inn, but having him kneel before me again now, held a newfound sense of wonder.

Carefully, intentionally, he leaned in and placed a kiss on my stomach. The heat of his breath stirred through my body, making me shudder. I rested my hands on his shoulders.

“I love you,” he said. “And if I ever meet Santa, I’m thanking him for just how much he and that stupid radio have given me.”

I laughed, and at the pronouncement, a tinkling chime I never thought I’d hear again coursed through the room.

“Grace,” he said, rising to his feet and glancing around.

“Did you hear that?” I asked, placing a hand on his abs.

He glanced around. “I thought it was done with us. We have our happily ever after.”

“Then…” I peered at the fireplace, wondering if the sound had come from there since, according to the stories, fireplaces were Santa’s typical point of entry.

“Look,” he said. Slipping his hand into mine, he tugged me toward our tree.

Its light glowed. Even though it had only one ornament dangling out front so far, a piece of paper that hadn’t been in the branches minutes ago was now tucked deep within, close to the trunk in the tree’s center.

“What is that?” I asked.

Boone slid his hand in and pulled the paper free. He then stepped closer to the fire since, aside from the tree, it was our only source of light.

“It looks like some kind of journal entry. Listen.”

I tilted in, reading the written words on the page as he read them aloud.

“December 24th

She says I should share the joy we’ve found, and I think I have a way to do it. I wasn’t sure it was possible, but the radio is proving to handle my experiment well.

Music brought us together. Why can’t it bring others together as well? Music is the key to everything. It’s why I’ve infused the radio with my magic so that others can know what we know.

What they don’t yet know is that there is another secret—a secret that must only be revealed when the time is right.”

The page was torn, cutting off the remainder of the words.

I couldn’t wrap my head around this. “Are you…This sounds like a journal entry…”

“Like Santa’s journal entry,” Boone finished. “Like he found love and wanted to share it. And it sounds like there’s more to the radio than just playing music.”

Chills dusted down the backs of my arms. “Whoa,” I said. “Like what?”

“I’m not sure,” Boone said. He flipped the page over and then back again. “That’s it. That’s all it says.”

“So how do we find out what this secret is?”

He tapped the page to his chin, thinking. “Who else did the radio play for?”

“Lacie and Jared,” I said. “They claimed to be married by a snowman they’d built.”

“Do you think they stayed married?”

“I have no idea. Why?”

“Just wondering,” he said. “You know, we could talk to Junie, too. The radio played for her and Mason as well.”

It did? And Junie never told me?

“You’re kidding.”

His smirk was sexy. “Have I ever?”

“Let me think…like the time you gave me pants that fell right off of me?”

I couldn’t prove it, but I suspected he’d done it on purpose.

“That wasn’t on purpose, although I can’t say I minded.”

“Boone Harper!”

He laughed and pressed his lips to mine. “We’ll have to talk to Junie. See what she knows.”

“Do you think there are other journal entries?” I asked. “Maybe they go hand-in-hand with the radio playing for others.”

“Like a scavenger hunt?” he said.

“Yeah, like they reveal whatever this secret the radio holds is.”

It made me wonder if this had happened the first time around a hundred years before. Was Santa writing about his own romance with his wife?

If so, maybe wherever this journal was, it could tell us more about it.

Or maybe there was something at the inn… A record of some kind.

His nose dipped toward my throat, and his mouth began to tickle along my skin. “Maybe. But you know what I want to focus on right now?”

I giggled at the way his touch shivered up my spine. “Scrabble?”

It was the only board game we had.

“Maybe later,” he said. “We’ll ask Junie later. Everything is later. For now, I want to be with you. Tell me more about this baby of ours. You said it’s coming when?”

“July,” I said, giggling as his mouth teased its way up my throat.

What was it I said about fictional men being better than men in real life? Boone surpassed every man in every way. I couldn’t believe I’d found someone who fit me so perfectly.

Or maybe, I could believe it.

All thanks to a meddlesome, antique radio that apparently had more secrets to reveal. I couldn’t wait to find out what those secrets were, and what the others the radio had played for knew.

The End…