Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Epilogue

The Bet: Part Two

February . . . seven weeks later.

Theo’s house had literally gone to the dogs. Once the puppies had been big enough to climb out of the whelping box, Theo had gotten the Savage brothers to build him a decent-size pen to set up in the living room. They’d gotten special rubber mats that he could be found hosing down every morning and evening.

It had been a long seven weeks, but as they neared week eight—when the puppies would be going to their new homes—he definitely had mixed emotions about it. He loved all of those dogs, something that had taken absolutely no time at all to accomplish. The good thing was, Lucy had gotten her wish: each and every one of them was going to the home of someone they personally knew.

Primrose was obviously going to Gia and his parents. Dove was going home with Jeremy and Lilah and their brood. There hadn’t really been any other option as the puppy had walked right over to Emilia and flopped down into her lap. Goldie was going to Mrs. and Mr. Griffith, a new companion for them in retirement.

Rooster was going to Weston Savage. Birdie went to Gavin, the man finally deciding to make some sort of commitment. It wasn’t the one his mother would’ve liked, but it was something.

And then there was Goose; as much as Theo loved all the dogs, he’d been the most attached to Goose from the moment he saved his life. When he’d told Lucy he wanted to keep the puppy, she’d put up absolutely no resistance. He’d been right when he’d thought that Mama Bear was a little bit more protective of the one she’d almost lost. She mothered him more than any of the others. Estee had picked up on it too, snuggling with the little puppy when Mama Bear was preoccupied with the other eleven.

Odette—as Theo predicted—was who Chloe picked. The second Harrison had told her she could keep one, she’d claimed that puppy.

Not ones to be left out of the family adoption spree, Desmond and Nari Quigley had snagged Elsie. Oscar claimed Lady a few days after the birth. He hadn’t been able to resist the little puppy, and since he was nice and settled these days, he wanted to raise one that had always been his own. It didn’t hurt that Edward was moving in with him, so he’d have a little assistance.

Byron was going home with Principal Patel and her husband. Piper had been adopted by Cameron and was going to Savage household number three. And Ringo was going home with Theo’s grandparents.

It wasn’t just Lucy who was beyond happy with the outcome. All of those dogs were going to homes where they would be cherished.

But the puppies going off to their new homes wasn’t the only living situation that needed to be addressed. When Lucy had started staying with him before Christmas, it had been under the agreement that it was for Bear’s comfort, and they’d figure out where to go from there.

The thing was, Theo knew exactly where he wanted things to go, or not go, as the case may be. Or to be clearer, he didn’t want Lucy to be going anywhere. She’d stayed at his house every night since they’d gotten back together at the musical. Slept in his bed next to him.

Except, he didn’t want it to be his bed, or his house. He wanted it to be theirs. He’d had that revelation the night that Mama Bear had given birth, the night of the accident. That fear that he’d felt had been like nothing he’d known before. He knew what he wanted. He wanted Lucy for the rest of his life.

And he was going to get what he wanted before the night was over.

“We’re here!”

Gia bounced into the living room with Chloe, both of them pulling off their coats. Snow clung to their hair and jackets. It had been snowing for the last week. Nothing big, just a light dusting here and there.

“Dad still outside?”

Theo asked Gia.

“No.”

She dropped her voice. “He wanted to get to the pub before you two. You nervous?”

“You think she’s going to say no?”

Theo asked.

“Not a chance.”

Chloe shook her head.

“I hope you’re right. Have fun with the puppies tonight.”

“We will. Tell Sasha she better send me the video immediately.”

“I will.”

He grinned, tapping Gia on the nose before he headed for his bedroom.

Theo didn’t make it past the doorway, stopping in his tracks when he saw Lucy, tilting her head to the side as she put on her earrings, the same turquoise ones he’d bought her for her birthday. She was wearing that green velvet dress she wore the night of the musical, her long, dark brown hair moving across her back.

“Hey, you,”

she said as she met his gaze in the mirror.

“Hey, you.”

Theo grinned as he crossed over to her, taking advantage of her exposed neck, inhaling the vanilla, clove, and cinnamon scent that clung to her skin. “You ready to go?”

She turned in his arms, stretching up to press a kiss to his mouth. “With you? Always.”

* * *

Lucy leaned into Theo’s side as they walked through downtown Cruickshank; there was a frosty chill in the air, their breath fogging in front of their faces. Her hand was in his, their fingers linked together, keeping each other warm.

The windows of the shops that they passed were all decked out with Valentine’s decorations, displays of red and pink. The twinkle lights that were strung before Christmas were still up, crisscrossing back and forth above them. They stopped at one of the crosswalks, waiting for the light to turn green, and Theo bent down, pressing a kiss to Lucy’s head.

She turned and looked up at him. “What was that for?”

“’Cause I wanted to.”

Lucy stretched up on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to Theo’s mouth.

“What was that for?”

he asked as he reached for her face with his free hand, tilting her chin back as he brushed his lips against hers again.

“’Cause I wanted to.”

She repeated his words at him. “Are you sure we have to go to Quigley’s tonight? I think we should just go back home and stay in bed until Monday morning.”

“I think that sounds like the best plan in the world, and if we hadn’t already promised our friends we’d come get a drink, I’d throw you over my shoulder and take you home right now. Two hours?”

“And then you’ll throw me over your shoulder?”

She grinned wickedly at him.

“Deal.”

He pressed another kiss to her mouth, this one long and lingering, before the beep of the crosswalk echoed in the air. “Come on.”

He took a step onto the street, tugging her along with him.

Quigley’s was busy that Saturday night, and they had to forge a path through the crowd, Lucy spotting face after face of people she knew. The Savage brothers were at a table in the corner. Fatima and her husband, Neal, were at the bar, sharing a drink with Mrs. and Mr. Griffith—who was looking better than ever. Gavin, Lilah, Nari, and Desmond were all working behind the bar, the four of them acknowledging Lucy and Theo as they walked by.

Theo pulled her over to the dartboards, where everyone else was gathered. Her dad and Lorraine were at the high top at the end, chatting with Juliet and Isaac, who were playing darts. Jeremy and Oscar were at the board in the middle, and Edward and Sasha had taken up the one closest to the bar. Meanwhile, Lilah, Caro, and Max were in the middle of a game of pool.

“What do you want to drink?”

Theo asked as he helped Lucy off with her coat, his fingers brushing across her neck as he moved her hair to the side.

“A spiced whiskey.”

“Be right back.”

He pressed a kiss to her throat, sending goose bumps racing across her skin. How was it that his touch still affected her this much? She didn’t know, but she had a feeling it always would.

“I’ll go with you. I need a refill,”

Oscar said as he slid his darts across the table to Lucy. “Take my turn for me. I’m on twelves and down by three.”

“Will do.”

She looked over at her brother. “Ready to lose?”

“That’s not fair!”

Jeremy called out to Oscar’s back. “You can’t pull in a ringer this late in the game!”

“You scared?”

Lucy taunted him.

“Of you? Never. It’s your turn.”

He made a flourish to the board.

By the time Theo and Oscar came back with their drinks, Lucy had soundly caught up and beaten her brother.

“I honestly don’t know why anyone bothers to play either of you. It’s pointless,”

Jeremy said as he grabbed his beer.

“Yeah.”

Oscar shook his head. “You two are a match. It just took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Well, they got there in the end,”

Wes called out, cheers-ing them with his drink.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever watched the two of you play each other,”

Lorraine said. “I’ve heard about it but have never seen it in action.”

“Want to play?”

Theo challenged Lucy.

“Have I ever backed down from you, Theodore?”

“Nope.”

Theo grinned as he shook his head.

“What are we playing for?”

Lucy asked before she turned and headed for the board to pull out the darts.

“Well”—he paused for a second—“if I win, you have to marry me.”

Lucy’s hand stilled, everything in her froze, before she slowly—oh-so-slowly—turned around. It felt like the entire bar had gone silent as Theo dropped to his knee and pulled out a little velvet box. He popped it open to reveal a ring nestled inside. It was rose gold with a round diamond in the middle, three little diamonds on each side.

“Oh my god,”

Lucy whispered, her hand going to her chest as she slowly looked up into Theo’s face, into those blue eyes that she loved so much.

“Will you marry me, Lucy Buchanan?”

“Yes.”

The word was barely out of her mouth when the entire room erupted in a loud cheer around them.

“Champagne on the house!”

Gavin shouted and there was another cheer rolling around the room.

Theo was grinning, bigger than anything Lucy had ever seen on his face, as he took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her finger. The second it was in place, he got to his feet, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. He kissed her, his mouth moving over hers in that way that drove her out of her mind.

“Is this the part where we live happily ever after?”

she asked him, her mouth still so close to his that their lips brushed. “Because I’m going to call that on my cliché bingo card.”

“No.”

Theo shook his head. “Happily ever after always makes me think of an ending. And we’re still at the beginning. Our story has just started.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I love you, Lucy Buchanan, and I always will.”

“Good.”

Her hands were at the back of his head. “Because I plan on us having a very long always.”