Rounding a familiar bend, Jenni was rewarded with the distant view of Estes Park. She took the Highway 34 shortcut across the upper reach of Estes and avoided the downtown area. Within minutes she would pull into her old parking place and soon be sitting in front of her fireplace at O’Reilly’s.
Minutes later, the dream became a reality. Jenni had called Kelly from Loveland, and true to her word, Kelly had a fire and supper waiting for Jenni when she walked in.
“I’ve missed you and this place,” Jenni sighed as she leaned back against the couch.
“I’m so glad to have you back. I hadn’t realized how much I’d come to depend on your friendship until it was gone,” Kelly said, handing Jenni a steaming bowl of chili.
“And here I thought you must liked me because I helped with the cleaning,” Jenni teased. She tasted the chili and sighed again. “This is definitely worth driving six hundred miles for.”
“Let’s drop the pretense. Neither this bowl of chili or our friendship is the real reason you raced across Kansas today,” Kelly said with a sly smile.
“I suppose it’s too late to look for him tonight,” Jenni rationalized.
“I suppose so,” Kelly agreed.
“And I suppose that he hasn’t called or let you know where he moved to.”
“You’re full of supposing tonight,” Kelly said mischievously.
“I don’t know why it took me so long to clear my brain and realize that I’ve loved Dan from the first moment I laid eyes on him. Maybe even before that. I’ve always loved his writing and I feel that I’ve known a part of him forever,” Jenni admitted.
“Sounds like a fairy tale romance if you ask me,” Kelly grinned. She got up and put on her coat and hat. “Now that you’re back, I need to run into town for some things. Can you manage for a few minutes?”
“Oh, sure,” Jenni lamented. “I’ve only been on the road since six this morning.”
Kelly smiled. “Just remember the office is officially closed. If you lock up behind me, you shouldn’t have to deal with any undesirables.”
“Go on and get out of here before I change my mind,” Jenni said with a laugh. She was glad to be home.
“Oh, by the way,” Kelly said, handing Jenni a package wrapped in brown paper, “this came for you today.”
Jenni put her chili on the table and took the package. “For me? Who’s it from?”
“You know I don’t snoop around your mail. Now if you don’t mind, I’d better get to the store or they’ll be closed.” Kelly opened the door and said over her shoulder, “I’ll see you later.”
Jenni looked down at the package. The return address bore no name, but she recognized the handwriting instantly. “Dan!” she cried and tore open the brown wrapping.
Inside, to Jennifer’s surprise was more wrapping. This paper was covered with balloons. Jenni more carefully undid the paper and slid the contents out to reveal yet another layer of wrapping. This was silver with bells on it, and Jenni knew it must be wedding shower paper. Her heart gave a lurch, and she held her breath as she unwrapped this last covering.
She smiled as she realized that she held Dan’s newest novel in her hands. She had opened it with the jacket picture face up, and she smiled, remembering when her Aunt Pam had announced Dan’s intent to stay at O’Reilly’s. She had handed Jenni the book picture-side-up, making it an issue to point out Dan’s good looks.
Jenni lingered over the photograph for a moment longer. It was her Dan all right. Sandy blond hair, parted on the side and combed over. Only Jenni knew how it fell forward when he laughed or how he ran his hand back through it when he was frustrated. Then there were the piercing eyes. Blue eyes so filled with a longing and passion for life that they threatened to engulf anyone close enough with their warmth and love.
Jenni found herself tracing the outline of the picture, as if to touch the man himself. Sighing, she turned the book over and gasped at the sight of the title.
“Marry Me?” she murmured. The title stood in bold red letters against a dark blue background. Below that was his name, “Daniel James” and far below that were two golden wedding bands entwined. Jenni looked for a letter or note that Dan might have added to accompany the book, but nothing revealed itself.
Gingerly, she opened the book, wondering if he had autographed it for her, but she found nothing on the inside of the cover or on the next page. Disappointed, Jenni continued to flip pages, until she came to the inside title page. There again was the large-lettered “Marry Me?”, but underneath it something else caught Jenni’s eye. Two words handwritten in ink stood out against the stark white of the paper. Two words that Dan James had written just for Jennifer Campbell.
Well? Dan.
Jenni gave a shout and jumped off the couch. “Yes! Yes! He still loves me! He still wants me to marry him!” She danced around the room before deciding to drive to the address given on the brown paper wrapper.
Carefully setting the precious book on the table, she dug through the wrapping paper until she came across the piece with the address. Grabbing her purse, Jenni wrestled it over her shoulder and reached for the door while trying to make out the address.
She took a couple of steps out the door and walked straight into Dan’s warm embrace. “Dan!” she cried, but further words were hushed against his lips.
Jenni felt the piece of paper slip from her hand as her arms went around his neck. She returned his kiss with a matched longing that she’d scarcely known existed.
Dan pulled away abruptly, leaving Jenni, her eyes still closed, to fall slightly forward. She opened her eyes to find Dan’s fiery blue eyes branding her very heart. She no longer doubted that she’d belong to him for the rest of her life. She silently thanked God for sending her a man to love. A man that loved her and loved God.
For a moment they stood in the silence of the softly falling snow. Physically, they were no longer touching, but in the depths of their souls, in the very most intimate part of their hearts, they were silently sharing a pledge that would bind them forever.
Jenni was the first to reach out, but Dan kept her at arms’ length. “Well?” he grinned.
Jenni returned his smile. “Of course I’ll marry you, Daniel James. Was there ever any doubt?”
Dan laughed heartily and pulled Jenni into his arms. “Welcome to our new life, Jennifer James,” he murmured against her ear.
Jenni breathed in the crispness of the cold mountain air. “Jennifer James,” she thought to herself. It did indeed have a nice ring to it.