There were charms to mark the milestones through the year—a seashell for the first time she’d taken him to Cupsogue and introduced him to her family, and a tiny lighthouse for the weekend they’d spent in Montauk, where the O’Donnells lived. A maple leaf for their fall weekend in Canada, and a pinecone from Mohonk Mountain House, where he’d taken her for her birthday.

“It’s very romantic,” she said. “You’re very romantic.”

“Because you’re very inspiring.”

The last charm was a pickle. “It’s a tiny silver pickle,” she said stupidly. “Who knew there was such a thing?”

“I had no idea, until you explained it to me last year.”

“So the pickle is to commemorate this Christmas?”

“Yep. It means you win the pickle prize.”

“Isn’t this bracelet the pickle prize?”

“Nope. This is.” He opened his hand and, in one smooth motion, slipped a diamond ring on her finger.

Her jaw dropped, even as her heart soared. “Logan...”

“I want forever with you. I’m going to love you until the end of time. Darcy, will you marry me?”

She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his parka. The inevitable tears came, but she was laughing, too. “Oh my gosh. Yes, of course yes. A thousand yeses wouldn’t be enough.”

There was a sweetness to their kiss that felt brand-new, like something she’d never tasted before. “You had me going,” she murmured against his soft mouth. “You made me think I was getting a silver bracelet for Christmas.”

“Instead, you get me. And Charlie. And Taffy.”

“And forever,” she said. “You’re my forever person. Ah, Logan. I’m so happy. I was just thinking this morning, I’ve never felt this kind of happiness. It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

He kissed her lips, and then her hand with the ring on it. “Hold still,” he said. “I’ll put the bracelet on you.”

She admired the collection of charms, a chronicle of their year together. “Let’s go back and tell everyone. And I still haven’t given you your gift.”

He leaned over and gave her a kiss, and whispered in her ear, “I haven’t opened a single present, but I already have everything I want.”

Keep reading for a special preview of The Apple Orchard,

from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs!

Excerpt from The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The Apple Orchard

by Susan Wiggs

chapter one

San Francisco

Tess Delaney’s to-do list was stacked invisibly over her head like the air traffic over O’Hare. She had clients waiting to hear from her, associates hounding her for reports and a make-or-break meeting with the owner of the firm. She pushed back at the pressing anxiety and focused on the task at hand—restoring a treasure to its rightful owner.