Chapter 15 Ash
ASH
Ash enjoyed a relaxed dinner with Allie once the cat was out of the bag. He’d come clean with her, and he felt better about convincing her to fall for him now that he’d let her know he wanted it to happen.
Only one thing still had him worried.
Allie hadn’t reacted well at first, and he had no idea why.
But she was quick to say yes, and she seemed to warm up after that, her blue eyes sparkling as they talked and laughed their way through dinner.
He hoped that maybe her initial hesitation was just her inexperience.
From all he’d gleaned from talking with her it didn’t seem like she had done a lot of dating.
And based on her work schedule, he wasn’t sure when she would have had the time anyway.
It would take someone determined to find ways to get her to share her hours.
Fortunately for Ash, he had always been a very determined person.
They finished their delicious dinner, and he discreetly took care of the check while she was in the restroom.
As they headed outside, he decided it was time to really make Allie smile.
“I have something for you,” he told her, as they stepped out into the snowy night.
“Oh, you didn’t have to,” she protested.
“I wanted to,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Now?” she asked, looking around at the snowy night that surrounded them.
It was dark now, but the streetlamps that lined the park glowed and the moonlight was peeking through the clouds and reflecting in the snow.
And best of all, the park was empty. They would have it all to themselves.
“Just a little walk,” he told her. “I won’t keep you out late. I promise.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling up at him in a way that made his gift burn in his pocket.
He’d been dying to give it to her since the moment he’d picked it up. But it would have more significance now.
He offered her his arm and she took it. It felt incredible to have this sweet young woman by his side, to know that she trusted him.
They crossed the street together and headed into the park.
“That’s a big tree,” he remarked, looking up at the huge evergreen behind the skating rink.
“That’s the town Christmas tree,” Allie said, gazing fondly at it. “We have a whole day of festivities before the lighting each year. It’s my favorite of all the Sugarville Grove traditions.”
“What kind of festivities?” Ash asked.
“Oh, there’s a town snowball fight,” Allie said. “Although that’s a relatively new thing. And there’s a giving event, and the choir sings—we’ve been getting ready for weeks. Finally, the Christmas Star is named, and the mayor and the Christmas Star turn on the tree lights. It’s beautiful.”
“Is the Christmas Star like a beauty pageant?” Ash asked.
“Not really,” Allie laughed. “It’s awarded to someone who helps the town in a meaningful way each year.”
“So, a beautiful acts pageant,” Ash said, laughing.
“Yes,” Allie said, smiling. “Exactly.”
“Should we go together this year?” he asked.
“I’d like that,” she said, looking down in that shy way that he loved. “It’s tomorrow though, so I understand if that’s not enough notice.”
“Tomorrow’s great,” he told her.
“And you’ll bring Maya, of course,” she said, looking a little worried, like maybe he would leave her out of such a fun day.
“Of course I’ll bring Maya,” he said, his heart squeezing at the knowledge that this lovely young woman never had his daughter far from her thoughts.
“She’s going to love it,” Allie promised, looking as excited as a kid herself.
“Come on,” he said, leading her to the pavilion. “Let’s go up.”
They climbed the steps together, the snow crunching under their boots. But when they reached the top, the center of the pavilion floor was mercifully free of snow.
Ash had been paying attention before when they stood here to watch Maya and Eloise playing. He’d called it a romantic spot as kind of a joke, but Allie had agreed innocently, and there was a dreamy look in her eyes that told him this was the right place to take her tonight.
She was looking back at the tree and its surroundings now, her gaze soft as she took in all the sights of her favorite tradition.
While she admired the view, Ash pulled out the pretty little box with the ring inside and knelt at her feet.
When she turned back to him, her expression of wonder was one he would remember forever.
“Allie Lawrence,” he said, holding out the ring. “Will you marry me?”
Her eyes widened.
“It’s just pretend, right?” she whispered after a moment, her blue eyes worried.
He nodded, hoping the pang of hurt he felt didn’t show on his face.
What’s wrong with me? Of course it’s pretend. That was the deal.
“Then, yes,” she said with a smile. “I will pretend marry you.”
She peeled off her glove and he took her small, warm hand in his and slid the ring onto her finger, where it twinkled like it was happy to be home.
“Oh,” she said softly. “It’s beautiful.”
“I had it made just for you,” he told her, standing.
“But that’s not a real diamond,” she said, her eyes fixed on the pretty little stone.
“Of course it is,” he said. “No one in their right mind could believe that a man had proposed to Allie Lawrence without a diamond.”
He’d opted for a small stone. He could have said it was because he knew it wasn’t for a real proposal, but that wasn’t true. He designed this ring to fit Allie, and he didn’t have to know her long to know that she wasn’t the type of woman who would go around showing off some giant rock.
“I’ll give it back when this is over,” she said, looking a little sorry to make that offer.
“No, no,” he said, chuckling. “It’s yours. You’ve earned it.”
“It looks like something out of a fairytale,” she said with a smile, gazing down at the tiny golden vines that wrapped around the setting.
“That’s exactly what I was going for,” he told her. “I know how much you love fairy tales.”
“Maya has been talking about me outside of class,” Allie laughed, looking up at him again.
“She loves you,” he told her honestly. “It’s wonderful to hear about you through her eyes.”
“Is that why you want to know me better?” she asked him, her eyes sliding down immediately, like she thought maybe it was too forward to ask.
“It’s one reason, yes,” he told her honestly.
Reaching for her hand, he tugged her closer, hoping to kiss her again, and remind her how much he liked her for his own reasons.
His heart thundered in his ears and his stomach twisted like he was a teenager again.
But Allie cleared her throat and blinked up at him.
“I know it’s not that late,” she murmured. “But I have to be up early tomorrow so I can make lesson plans before we head back here for all the festivities. It’ll be a busy weekend.”
“Of course,” he said, stepping back immediately. “Let’s get you home.”
She smiled with relief, and for the first time he felt really worried that maybe she didn’t like him as much as he’d thought after all.
How can I feel less confident after she said yes to dating than I did when it was all pretend?
But there was no point worrying. He’d tried to rid himself of that emotion long ago when he was trying to get a small business off the ground.
Time spent fretting didn’t impact outcomes.
It was simply lost. And while he couldn’t seem to stop himself from worrying about his daughter, he was not going to add more worry to his life.
As they left the park, hand in hand, he knew more than ever that he was going to focus on winning over Allie Lawrence no matter what it took.
She’ll be panting for me to kiss her by the time I’m done with her.