An Unexpected Proposal (Treasured Dreams Book 4) Read online

  “I’d love to see it.”

  I shook my head, climbing over a fallen log. “Sadly, I already shipped out the order. I’m waiting to hear how the guy likes the ring and what his fiancée thinks of it, too. I took a picture of it, though. I can show the photo to you the next time you come over.”

  “Hmm. I’m not sure I can wait. Can you describe it to me?” he asked, always seeming so excited to hear about my treasured creations.

  My belly danced at his enthusiasm. “I chose rose gold for the band because I feel like the pinkish glow symbolizes romance. In the center, I put a solitaire diamond to represent the strength and magic of love.” Chills vibrated through me as I recalled my next decision for this ring. “Then something magical happened.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “As I was working, I felt this indescribable pull toward my parents’ wedding photo, which I keep on the bookshelf by my table. I stared at the lacey pattern on my mom’s veil and felt inspired to replicate that same lacey pattern on the actual band itself.”

  He stopped walking and stared at me. “You did something that personal?”

  I raised a shoulder. “The client gave me free reign and he did say to make something I’d want to wear myself. The last touch was an embossed heart on the inside of the band next to the words, ‘Dreams do come true.’ It’s truly the most beautiful piece I’ve ever created,” I said wistfully. “It was hard to let the ring go.”

  I stopped beside Dave, thinking about how much I seriously loved that ring. Putting it in the box and shipping it off to the client had been the hardest thing I’d done in my whole career. Clearly my emotions had strayed way too far on the surface this week.

  I bit my bottom lip. “Honestly, the thing is . . . this ring felt special like the eagle charm I wear almost every day. When I was sitting there trying to come up with a design, a white-tailed deer came into the yard and a fawn wobbled along behind her. It got me thinking about what this guy’s proposal meant for his girlfriend’s life. Soon after their wedding, they might start their own family, and I wanted to weave all of that love into the engagement ring.”

  “That’s incredible,” Dave said, his voice barely a whisper.

  Designing jewelry from my own inspiration was a dream come true for me. I knew how lucky I was to have my business, Treasured Creations. Dave deserved that same happiness from his career, too. Even though he professed to love his job freelancing, his tone had seemed almost giddy on the phone all week, which made me suspect the proposal he was offered was a career move he would love even more than what he was currently doing.

  “So . . . do you want to tell me about your meetings now?” I asked, starting up the path again. The brief joy I’d felt describing my newest creations dissipated.

  “Dave fell in step beside me, wearing a crease on his forehead. “Yes, but there are some other important things we should talk about, too.”

  The tone of his voice yanked on my heartstrings and caused my stomach to twist on itself. My mind ran wild with different scenarios of how he would break things off with me. The main one that played out over and over again was that although he loved me, the opportunity was more important to him so he’d accepted the job and would be moving away immediately.

  My heart raced in my chest. For a moment, I thought I might be having a panic attack, but the reality was that my heart was breaking into a million shards. As my happiness splintered, I needed to keep up a smiley appearance because Dave deserved to have a career that made him as happy as mine made me.

  When we finally reached the top of Big Mountain, I took a moment to take in this awesome view of the Flathead Valley. I loved everything about the town that stretched out below me: the charming shops, the beautiful scenery, and the warmth of the people who lived here. This was the first place I’d made a home for myself. Even when my friends and family thought I was crazy, I’d known from the moment I visited this town that I belonged here.

  And yet . . . I knew with the same certainty that I belonged with Dave, too. That put me in a painstaking situation. How could I choose between two things I loved so much?

  Dave spread out a blanket in our favorite spot, put down the rock he’d been holding, and we sat down together. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out champagne and orange juice for mimosas, along with a spread of fruit, and assorted cheeses and crackers. Everything looked delicious, which only made my eyes sting. Clearly he felt we had something to celebrate, but the news wasn’t going to be something that made me feel the slightest bit celebratory.

  “Okay, I’m done waiting. I need you to tell me about the proposal they offered you,” I said, unable to hold in my angst any longer. I picked up the rock he’d set down and squeezed it in my palm. “We barely talked about the meetings all week. You kept focusing on the weather and how much it was raining there. I want to know what happened, Dave. Just tell me.”

  “Okay, sure,” he said, wearing a half grin that made him look almost shy. “Well, you know Eli is my old boss and we’ve been discussing an opportunity with his company. The success of his business has surpassed his wildest expectations, and he’s decided he wants to give back. Do something philanthropic.”

  My throat tightened, fearing what was coming. I stared at the hard edges of the rock in my hand, turning it over and over. “That sounds incredibly kind,” I admitted.

  “It does,” he agreed. “Eli’s a good guy. In a nutshell, he wants to contract me to set up an Internet service hub in a remote village in Africa. He would need me to live there for an extended period of time.”

  “Congratulations,” I said, practically choking on the word. Africa? That was way farther than Seattle. “That’s an amazing project and an incredible opportunity. Plus, you loved traveling in Africa and always wished you could go back again.”

  “Good memory.” He smiled, not seeming to notice my mood was faltering. But every second, every word he spoke, made it harder for me to stay positive about his opportunity. Not that I expected him to notice with all of his excitement, though. “The skill set required for setting up a village’s Internet is minimal, but Eli wants someone he trusts to see the project through from beginning to end.”

  “Nobody would be more trustworthy than you,” I said, forcing the words out. The proposal seemed perfect for him. I couldn’t stand in his way.

  “My work would be helping so many people, which is a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember. But I never thought something like this would present itself.

  “That’s awesome.” I tossed the rock aside, then gazed up into shining blue eyes and a warm smile. He seemed truly happy and I couldn’t take any of that away from him. I forced a smile. “It sounds like you’ve found a project that will feed your soul.”

  “Just like you have with your job,” he said.

  “Exactly.” I swallowed my sadness because he was right. I did have that love for my job, and it made my life richer and deeper. He deserved that too, and more. I sat a little taller.

  Dave had been offered the proposal of a lifetime. It was his dream. And even though I knew this was an amazing opportunity for him, my heart was ripping in half at the thought of losing him. I looked up at the mountains all around me, searching for an eagle, or a butterfly, or any kind of sign. When nothing appeared, my heart crumbled further, and my shoulders slumped.

  “Holly?”

  I glanced up into blue eyes that were storming. Maybe I’d been wrong about him not realizing how sad his news made me. That thought made me feel worse. Of course he knew how I was feeling. We’d been together long enough that he knew me inside and out. “Yes?”

  He took my hand, gazing into my eyes as if he were searching for something. “Eli offered me an outrageous amount to accept a contract that surpasses any dream I’ve ever had.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t say no.”

  I jumped to my feet, my gaze darting all around me to the rocks, the mountain peaks, and then my eyes settled on one tree standing tall and calm. It see
med to reach all the way up to the sky. There was a strength radiating from its majestic trunk that spoke of something deeper here in this beautiful place, so magical I knew I had to let go.

  My hands curled into fists as I stared at that tree and thought of my dad, who had always told me to hold on to the people I loved. Then I thought of my mom, who repeatedly said not to hold on too tightly to the people I loved because what was meant to happen would happen. And I did love Dave, so much that he felt like a part of me. A whoosh of wind blew, swaying the needles on the pine tree gently back and forth. My fists slowly uncurled, fingers hanging loose at my sides, as I decided to choose from my heart.

  Suddenly, everything was clear to me. Without a doubt, my decision was made. I turned to Dave, who now stood behind me. I lifted my gaze to his. “I’m going with you to Africa.”

  His blue eyes changed then, glistened. “What?”

  I swallowed as a breeze blew past me, caressing my shoulders lovingly. It was as if Big Mountain was telling me that this special place loved me enough to let me go. “I belong with you, wherever you are.”

  “Holly . . .” I could hear the surprise in his voice, and a warmth filled in my chest that I was able to give him something so huge. “I can’t believe what you’re saying—”

  “I’ve made up my mind.” I tugged on the front of his shirt, shaking my head. “We can exist, day after day, but our most treasured dreams are what make us truly live. I understand you couldn’t say no to an offer like Eli presented. I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.” My heart sped up, and all of my nerve endings were on fire. I glanced at the tree again, my vision zooming in on the ground beneath its trunk where the tree’s true strength was rooted. “You and me, together. That’s my most treasured dream. I love you, Dave.”

  “Your support means more to me than you’ll ever know. I never doubted my decision, though.” He gave me a sideways glance, reminding me of the first time I saw him in front of my booth at the Falling Leaves Festival. His gaze caught mine, locked, and something invisible between us was sealed. “I couldn’t turn down the opportunity, but that’s exactly what I did.”

  The air left my lungs, and my heart pinched. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Surely, he hadn’t said what I thought he had. “W-What?”

  “I told him no.” He slipped his arm around my waist then glanced out at the valley below before turning back to me. “The funny thing about dreams is that they can change when a new dream presents itself. Moving to Africa was my dream . . . before I moved here and met you. Now I have a new dream.”

  Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. “I don’t understand. We’re not leaving? We’re staying here in Whitefish?”

  He nodded. “Holly Andrews, there’s a love I never knew until I met you. You are the best of what’s beautiful here in this magical place. I could never take you away from your home, our home. So, I have a proposal for you . . .”

  I watched as Dave dropped down on one knee, and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out a black, velvet box then opened the top, revealing a ring, my ring—the one I’d designed with every piece of my heart.

  I gasped, my hand flying to cover my heart. “You were the client who ordered that engagement ring? I remember shipping it to Washington, but I didn’t make the connection. I never suspected . . .” My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “You seemed so happy about the proposal. This whole time I thought you were moving away.”

  “I was excited about a proposal, just not the one you imagined.” The corner of his mouth hitched up as he lifted the precious ring, the one I loved so dearly, and held it out to me. “My most treasured dream is to be with you for the rest of my life. So what do you say, angel? Will you marry me?”

  My brain rolled into a ball of fuzz, and I swayed on my feet. All I could think about was that both of my parents were right. It was good to hold on to the ones you loved and it was also good to have faith that everything would work out the way it should. I was never going to lose Dave. Neither he nor I were ever going to let that happen. But now that I had realized what I should’ve known all along, I needed to answer his question. I could tell from the look on his face that my silence confused him, but I was momentarily paralyzed with delight. Then a sharp wind buffeted me, snapping me out of my euphoric haze.

  “Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you,” I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck, and giving him a kiss with all of my heart and soul. Tingles crawled up my spine as he slid the ring on my finger, then I glanced over at the pine tree. “I think we should carve a heart with our initials in that tree over there so we always remember this moment.”

  He chuckled, pulling out a pocketknife. “And you call me the hopeless romantic? Lead the way, my beautiful fiancée.”

  Then I watched as my future husband carved symbols of our love in our chosen home, marking the beginning of new dreams intertwined forever.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed spending time

  with these characters,

  be sure to read Holly’s next adventure in:

  An Unexpected Wedding

  (Treasured Dreams series, #5)

  Acknowledgments

  I love Holly and Dave more and more with each story in their series. It’s such a lovely escape to spend time with them in beautiful Whitefish, Montana, where I lived for nearly six years of my life. Big Mountain, as well as its surrounding area, really is as breathtaking as Holly describes. It’s such a special place, and I’m happy to share some of it with all of you through the Treasured Dreams series.

  I’d like to send big hugs to my first readers of An Unexpected Proposal: Ann Rego, Ellen Price, and Cyndi Faria. Thank you for your feedback and for helping to make this sweet story the best it could be.

  Sending huge kisses to my hubby, Mike Hatler, for all of your help and support while I finished this story. I especially liked how you told friends you don’t talk to Susan while she’s on deadline, you don’t even look at her. LOL. We’re over the hump, baby! Well, until the next deadline anyway. Xoxo.

  About the author:

  SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan's books have been translated into German, Spanish, French and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.

  You can reach Susan here:

  Facebook: facebook.com/authorsusanhatler

  Twitter: twitter.com/susanhatler

  Website: www.susanhatler.com

  Blog: susanhatler.com/category/susans-blog

  Titles by Susan Hatler

  Kissed by the Bay Series

  Every Little Kiss

  The Perfect Kiss

  Just One Kiss

  The Sweetest Kiss

  Better Date than Never Series

  Love at First Date

  Truth or Date

  My Last Blind Date

  Save the Date

  A Twist of Date

  License to Date

  Driven to Date

  Up to Date

  Déjà Date

  Date and Dash

  Treasured Dreams Series

  An Unexpected Date

  An Unexpected Kiss

  An Unexpected Love

  An Unexpected Proposal

  An Unexpected Wedding

  An Unexpected Joy

  An Unexpected Baby

  Young Adult Novels

  Shaken

  See Me

 

 

 
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