Chapter 31
Nash had said that Thanksgivings at Copeland Brothers Ranch were something to behold, and he hadn't been kidding. They knew how to do it right. Appetizers started before noon, the main meal just after two, and now that five o’clock was nearing, it was just about time for pie.
Since her first pie-making experience back in September, when she learned how to make peach pie, Ellie had added half a dozen more to her domestic repertoire.
Halfway into November, Ellie learned to make several more pies in preparation for the big Thanksgiving feast and the plentiful leftovers they all counted on.
They made razzleberry, pecan, and cherry, which were similar to the fruit pies she'd already made; quite different, however, was her experience with pies such as lemon meringue and blueberry cream.
And man, were those delicious. But her favorite, so far, was the process of making pumpkin pies.
Ellie recalled the childlike excitement that sprang up during their visit to the Bagleys’ Pumpkin Patch.
It had been a family affair, the men pushing wheelbarrows while the ladies picked out the perfect pumpkins for pies.
They picked a few large pumpkins to decorate their porches, which looked adorable next to a cluster of corn stalks, Jackie stated, and she was right.
They'd gathered on a later day to scoop out the centers and bake the pumpkins while Grandma C and Rosie prepped and seasoned the pumpkin seeds for toasting. Once the pumpkins were pureed, it was time to add the spices, and that’s when the magic happened.
Scents of warm cinnamon and spicy clove melded with the earthy, sweet scent of pumpkin, creating the most mouthwatering aroma.
But it did more than that; the fantastic fall scent—which smelled just like her favorite autumn candle—gave Ellie all those wonderful, fall-time feels.
Ellie soon learned that this family didn't bother with canned whipping cream, which was often delivered to Ellie’s suite when she ordered a hot chocolate bar or pancakes with fruit.
The Copelands used real cream that they whipped up with a mixer, adding just a bit of sugar for that perfect creamy topping—a topping Ellie was currently whipping in the kitchen.
"Aunt Jackie says she and Grandma C are trading shifts with us," Nash announced as Ellie finished whipping the cream. He dipped his finger into the bowl and dabbed the tip of her nose before licking his finger. "Mmm…"
Ellie’s heart fluttered. Nash’s hypnotic gaze never failed to affect her. She gave him some Eskimo kisses, the two grinning before wiping the topping off their noses.
She set her mind back on what he’d told her.
"Trading shifts?" A glance into the adjacent family room gave her the answer she was seeking; the two women were cuddling the newest additions to the Copeland crew.
Babies Ian and Isaac were born just four days apart, a few weeks after Halloween, meaning they were just over two weeks old.
"It's our turn with the babies?" Ellie was already removing her apron in preparation and heading to the sink to wash her hands.
She and Nash were probably the only ones who hadn't had a turn cooing over the baby boys that afternoon.
Ellie could hardly wait to get some snuggles from those sweet little bundles.
Baby Jane, of course, was making the rounds as well, happily smiling, babbling, and impressing everyone with her latest accomplishment—sitting up. By Christmas, she might even be crawling, Belle had announced proudly with a grinning Cash by her side.
Nash and Ellie made their way into the front room and took seats on the sofa to receive Isaac—Nash took him—and Ian, who went to Ellie. Yet just as Grandma C and Jackie started to head to the kitchen, Cash blew out a short whistle to gain everyone's attention.
Ellie glanced about to see most of the others seated around the family room and the adjacent dining area.
Bonnie and Clyde thundered into the room, one after the next.
Clyde chased a toy-toting Bonnie around the coffee table once, twice, and stopped short when Bonnie darted onto Lloyd’s lap with a great bound.
Resigned, Clyde curled up at the foot of Lloyd’s recliner chair and began licking his paws.
"Who are we still missing?" Lloyd asked as he wiggled the toy from Bonnie’s teeth.
Wes shot to his feet and started heading toward the back patio. "Looks like Rem, Wyatt, and Wade."
"I'll go with you to get them," Rosie cheered, already hopping to her feet and skipping toward Wes. He took Rosie's little hand and headed toward the patio.
Ellie set her eyes back on the sleeping perfection in her arms. “You’re the sweetest little thing ever, aren’t you?” she asked him. “And you too,” she said, leaning over to take in Ian’s adorable little cousin.
"What are they doing out back?" she heard Lloyd ask.
Nash shrugged, his gaze focused on Isaac. "You got me."
Soon, the stragglers came into the room and Belle, who was now standing beside Cash with baby Jane on her hip, told everybody they had an announcement.
"Rosie already has three baby cousins—Jane, Ian, and Isaac. We’re excited to announce that soon, Jane will have a little brother or sister, and the Copelands will add another cousin to the count."
She barely got the words out before the women rushed toward her with oohs and ahs of celebration. Ellie carefully got to her feet and shuffled with the sweet baby to join the crowd, smiling as the ladies hugged Belle, then Cash, in turn.
Grandma C grabbed Jane's tiny hand and hunched down until they were eye to eye. "You're going to be a terrific big sister, Jane. You know that?"
Jackie patted Belle’s cheek before giving it a kiss. "I just knew you were glowing today." Her words were coated with emotion, and her eyes were welling with tears. "God is good,” she declared. “God is good."
Ellie was next to give Belle a gentle side hug, mindful not to disrupt baby Ian. Once she’d congratulated the small family on their upcoming arrival, the men shuffled in and did the same, minus the squeals.
"I'm happy for you, big bro," Nash said, already referring to Cash as a brother, even if it was just by law.
A spurt of joy burst through Ellie as she considered how many sisters she would gain if, and hopefully when, she and Nash got married.
It was something they spoke about like they did anything that the future was sure to bring—spring after winter, morning after night, growth after a seed was planted.
It had been wonderful to have Wyatt and Wade join them for the Thanksgiving holiday.
On their first night back, Ellie and Nash hosted the pair at the ranch house, which is where they were living now, so Nash could resume his ranch chores.
During that dinner, the four of them replayed some of the outstanding moments from the events that had put them all in danger.
It had been therapeutic, discussing, reflecting, and ultimately giving praise to the great man upstairs for their triumph.
The boys had asked about her father, and Ellie filled them in on the latest. He’d been ordered to serve a three-to-six-year sentence in a federal prison for his fraudulent crimes.
Ellie had spoken to him on the phone; he’d told her about life in the clinker, as he called it, and promised to take the courses for gambling addiction as soon as they became available.
He claimed to be glad that Ellie was living the life she’d longed for—one free of Hollywood.
As it was, Ellie didn’t share a whole lot about her end of things.
He’d have to earn her trust before she ever did.
Still, she was open to talking with him from time to time, and reminding him that, despite what had happened, she loved and cared about him. She always would.
"Well," Wyatt said after congratulating the expectant couple, "we've got a little something prepared on the back patio, so before we dig into dessert, let’s head out there."
Ian began to squirm and fuss in Ellie's arms as she followed the group to the patio. Abbie and Taja swooped in, like a couple of mama hens ready to gather their chicks.
"It's feeding time," Abbie said first.
"For this little guy, too," Taja said. “We’ll bring these little fellas back to you once they've eaten."
Once the entire family was seated on the deck, the outdoor burners and patio fire pits glowing with warmth, Wyatt spoke up again.
"Seems like little Rosie's always coming up with fun game ideas, so we thought we'd come up with a little game of our own."
Wade spoke up this time, lifting a small pumpkin the size of a cantaloupe in the air. "It's called Pass the Pumpkin. You pass the pumpkin, we play music, and once the music stops, whoever is left with the pumpkin gets to open it up and keep the prize inside."
Rosie began clapping her hands. "Yes, I love this idea!"
"I'm glad to hear it," Wade said with a wink in Rosie's direction.
"Let's get ‘er going with the music," Wyatt said, looking in Rem’s direction.
Rem, dressed in black as usual, pulled out his phone and flicked his thumb over the screen. "Coming right up," he mumbled around a toothpick.
A country song began to play, its distinct twang drifting over the air.
Wade handed the pumpkin to Grandma C, who handed it over to Cash.
On the pumpkin went, getting passed from one person to the next. Since Taja and Abby were nursing, Rosie rushed to receive it in their places.
When the music played on, Rosie hurried back to her spot between Wes and Cash. The pumpkin made it past Ellie, past Nash, and clear to cheery little Rosie when the music suddenly stopped.
"Oh, looks like you won the prize," Wade said.
"I get to open the top?"
"You sure do. Take a look at what’s inside."
Rosie gingerly lifted the lid, then gasped as she saw what was inside. "Oh my goodness! It looks like a baby axolotl! Pinky is going to love this!"
Pinky, Ellie knew, was the name of Rosie’s stuffed axolotl, which was approximately the size of a banana. This one was closer to the size of a large jalapeno.
Rosie was quick to hop up and give Rem, Wade, and Wyatt hugs of gratitude and delight.
"It has a little bit of pumpkin chunks on its face," Rosie said as she brushed its tiny cheek with her finger, giggling as she did.
She planted a kiss on its cheek and squished it to her chest in a hug. "I love you, Pinky Two."
"Didn't you say we have one more of those things?" Rem asked as he shot a look between Wyatt and Wade.
Wyatt nodded. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.
We've got one more pumpkin with one more prize.
" He held up a much smaller pumpkin. This wasn't the size you could bake a pie with.
This was more of a decoration pumpkin—the size of a baseball, perfect for sitting on the table next to a candle and a bowl of candy corn.
"Are you telling me there is something inside that one?” Grandma C looked perplexed.
Wade tipped his head to one side. "I guess we'll have to find out." He shot a look at Rem. "Roll ‘em."
Rem grabbed his phone and pressed the screen once again. This time, a familiar melody began to play. In fact, it was the song Nash sang in the flatbed of the truck—Always. It declared that no matter what happened, their love would always be there.
The pumpkin got passed around the circle as the music played, from Grandma C to Jackie, Jackie to Lloyd, and on it went, drawing closer to Ellie and Nash with each pass.
At last, it got passed to Nash, who moved to hand it over to Ellie when the music stopped. Just when she expected him to open the lid to see what was inside, Nash surprised her by shifting out of his seat and getting down on one knee.
He held the pumpkin in one hand before her.
Ellie stared at it before shifting her gaze back to Nash, his eyes working to hide a sense of excitement.
"Open it!" Rosie cheered excitedly.
Ellie looked to see that there was, in fact, a perforated edge around the entire stem of the pumpkin. She reached out, heart fluttering a million miles per hour, and took hold of the stem to lift it away from its base. Dangling from the center on a gold, silky ribbon was a diamond ring.
Emotion welled so thoroughly within her that Ellie sniffed back a sob.
Nash helped her remove the ring from the ribbon and handed the pumpkin to Wyatt, who stood close by.
Still on one knee, Nash held the ring between his finger and thumb, those honey-gold eyes set on her.
"Eleanor Blaire, I never thought in my wildest dreams that my desperate attempt to meet you would lead the two of us here.
“You’ve often said that I’ve been living the life that you only dreamed of. Now, I hope that we can lead the lives we’ve both always dreamed of—together.
“So, Ellie, will you join me in making our dreams come true and be my wife?"
Tears pouring down her cheeks, joy bursting from her heart, Ellie rushed in to kiss Nash's cheek. "Yes,” she said before kissing him again and again.
"Say that a little louder for the camera," Jackie urged.
Ellie glanced over to see that Jackie was capturing the moment with her phone. She chuckled. "It's a yes! Absolutely! I can't wait!"
Laughter and cheers filled the space as Nash slid the ring onto her finger. He stood next, gathered Ellie in his strong arms, and lifted her feet off the floor to whirl in place.
Ellie squealed in delight as they spun, her joy full and complete. Once she was back on her feet, Nash brought his mouth to hers for a slow, passionate kiss.
Hoots and hollers sounded. Someone whistled a long cat call as Nash dipped her low and drew out the kiss in a playful tease.
Jackie cleared her throat. “Oh, that’s enough, you little devil,” she teased.
Ellie felt Nash grin against her lips as he pulled back at last. “To be continued,” he promised under his breath. Then, he stepped back and threw his fist high in the air. "We’re getting married, everyone,” he bellowed. “Yah hoo!"
A new lineup began, the family shuffling in, offering their congratulations and delight. With each official welcome to the family she received, the joyous truth sank in a little deeper. She was Nash Copeland’s fiancée! They were getting married!
Nash had been right—Ellie was still living out the experiences she’d only dreamed about, and today, she could add a new character profile to her real-life repertoire: the role of the happiest woman in the world!