Page 83 of Flippin' Cowboy

She oohed and aahed over the six brand-new hotel rooms on the second floor, each furnished with a clawfoot tub in the ensuite bathrooms. She especially loved how Nick had repurposed a marble-topped antique washstand to create a coffee station in the new upstairs kitchenette.

Next, Nick led Grandma Abigail back downstairs and gave her a tour of the refurbished sitting room. It was a striking space with reproduction dark green and rosebud wallpaper and framed antique photos of Snowberry Springs between 1880 and 1910. A matched pair of large Victorian horsehair sofas faced each other across a low marble-topped table, and an original brass gaslight chandelier, retrofitted for electric lights, hung from the large molded plaster medallion in the middle of the ceiling.

When they walked from the sitting room into the library just beyond, Geoff once more grabbed the limelight, rhapsodizing how cool his design for this area was, and how much the inn’s guests were going to enjoy relaxing here in the evenings with a drink from the bar and a book from the custom, glass-fronted bookcases Jason had built.

Then it was time for them to walk back out the entrance hall and enter the parlor.

The shooting schedule directed Winnie to point out the original hardwood floors they’d discovered under that nasty wall-to-wall carpet, and show off the beautiful Victorian mantel, the new wainscoting, and the restored double-hung windows with their dove medallions in the top corners of the surrounding trim.

As she and Grandma Abigail crossed the entrance hall to the parlor, Winnie noticed a quiet buzz of excitement among the camera crew.

When they entered, Nick was standing next to the parlor’s fireplace, with its ornate marble surround and carved wooden mantel. Karla hovered behind Jake and his assistants, and Autumn was there, too, all but bouncing on her three-inch heels.

Winnie halted in confusion. Nick wasn’t supposed to be part of this section of the reveal.

“What’s going on?” she asked Karla. “Is there a problem?”

“Only if you say no,” Karla blurted. She urged Winnie forward.

Now thoroughly confused, Winnie glanced at her grandmother. Far from looking as bewildered as Winnie felt, Grandma Abigail was beaming.

“Go on,” she whispered. “Nick has something he wants to say to you.”

Nick was…glowingas he looked at Winnie. His rare smile stretched from ear to ear, and his clear gray eyes shone with love.

“Oh,” she breathed. Her heart began pounding in a crazy rhythm as she finally caught on.

Behind her, the entireReviving Snowberry Springscrew crowded around the parlor entrance.

Feeling dizzy with anticipation, she slowly walked forward to join him. She wished she had worn something more girly than jeans, work boots, and aReviving Snowberry Springst-shirt. At least she wasn’t wearing her usual overalls, hard hat, and tool belt.

“Hi,” she managed. And immediately realized how dorky she sounded. She hoped Jake wasn’t filming this, but of course, he was.

“Hey,” Nick replied softly.

Then he dropped to one knee on the antique Persian carpet in front of the fireplace. “Winnie Snowberry, you are the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever met. You make every day wonderful with your warmth, your good humor, and your complete refusal to put up with my BS.”

A ripple of laughter ran through the watching production crew members.

“I adore you. I’m utterly and totally in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life at your side. Will you marry me and become my partner in life as well as work?” Nick finished.

Winnie’s eyes stung fiercely as her vision blurred. Hot tears of joy began running down her cheeks.

“Yes,” she choked and bent at the waist to kiss his upturned face. “I love you, Nick.”

“Whew!” Nick joked as he rose to his feet.

He took Winnie in his arms. “Thank you for saying yes,” he whispered.

“And, cut!” Karla called. Grinning, she added, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you guys do multiple takes of the proposal. You got it right the first time.”

Winnie hugged Nick fiercely. Then she caught sight of Geoff, crowded into the parlor doorway with the rest of the crew. He looked stunned, his already pale face gone pasty with shock.

“No,” she said. “I got it right thesecondtime.”

“And that’s a wrap!” Karla announced. “Ladies and gentlemen, the first season ofReviving Snowberry Springsis in now in the can. And I received confirmation this morning that The Renovation Channel renewed us with a full season order.” She grinned at Nick and Winnie. “We begin restoring the train station in two weeks.”

“And hopefully, the rest of downtown Snowberry Springs after that,” Nick said. “There’s a lot of history here to save.”

The production crew cheered and clapped.

Standing there in Nick’s arms, surrounded by her friends, her sister, and her beloved grandma, Winnie couldn’t believe her luck.

Six months ago, she had been at rock bottom, abandoned at the altar in front of an enormous crowd of onlookers.

Back then, mired in Seattle’s gray November gloom, she could never have dreamed she would find her happily ever after right here, in her hometown, with the man of her dreams.

∞∞∞

The End