Page 101 of Whatever You Want

“I have something for you.” My heart pounded in my chest as I reached into my pocket. I handed her the fishing lure I had personalized.

Her eyes traced over every word, and then she slowly looked up to me. The lure was in the shape of a heart. On the front, it read, I’m ready to be one less fish in the sea, and on the back, it said, Will you marry me?

Tears blurred her vision. “Logan,” she whispered but stayed utterly still.

“Ava, I wasn’t fishing for love, but I’m so glad you swam to me. Will you to take bait and be my hook of a lifetime? Be my biggest catch?”

Her eyes widened. “Is this seriously my proposal?”

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a black box. “Well, when you put it like that.” I got down on one knee.

Her breath caught as tears rolled down her cheeks. I took the ring out of the box and held it up.

“Ava Donavon. I’ve loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You weren’t mine at the time, so I waited. Honestly, I would wait a lifetime for you.” I blew out a breath. “I’ve grown to love everything about you. I love how you cheat at game night, and I love how you constantly remind me to put my dirty clothes in the hamper. I love how you steal my pillow every night and fight with me over the temperature on the thermostat.” We both laughed, but she cupped my face, urging me to continue. “If you say yes, I promise to always let you win so you’ll never have to cheat at Yahtzee again. I promise to never leave another dirty sock on the floor. I promise to buy you your own pillow so you won’t have to take mine. I promise to cover you with extra blankets on the nights when you complain it’s too cold.”

I gave her a crooked smile, trying to fight the tears that stung my eyes. “If you say yes, I promise that you’ll never feel alone. I promise to fill your days with laughter. I promise to reach for your hand every night before we drift off to sleep. I promise to be patient and understanding, especially when you need it the most. I promise to always put your needs above my own.” I swallowed deeply. “I promise to love you until I take my last breath. Will you please say yes to spending a lifetime together as my wife? Will you marry me?”

Her smile was blinding, but it was hard not to notice the love shining in her warm brown eyes. “Yes, Logan. My answer is yes.” She placed her hand in mine. “I would be honored to be your wife.”

My hands were shaking as I slipped the ring onto her finger. I wanted to remember this moment for the rest of my life. It felt like everything I’d been searching for was standing right in front of me. Every missing piece of my soul was finally in its place. She threw her arms around my neck and planted her lips on mine. I cradled her face in my hands and poured all my love into our kiss. My heart was full, and I knew right then and there that I would spend the rest of my days loving her.

She brought her hand up to my chest and held my eyes. “I convinced myself that I would never find happiness again. I would have been fine on my own, but I’m glad I don’t have to be just fine. I’m glad I get to share this life with you. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” She closed her eyes and brushed her nose against mine. When she opened them, the tears kept coming. “For the rest of my life, I will spend every day loving you. I will love you harder than anyone ever has.”

Our mouths met in a kiss. It was soft and slow and filled with so much promise.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be mine, forever.” I reached for the champagne and started to pour it into the plastic flute glasses. Her hand shot out, and I paused.

“No champagne for me.”

She looked nervous. Very nervous. She bit down on her bottom lip, and I set the bottle aside.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” I swallowed hard and tried not to get my hopes up.

“I’m pregnant.”

My eyes fell to her stomach. “You’re sure?”

I noticed that she seemed a little off lately, but I assumed she was just preoccupied with making sure we had everything we needed for this trip.

She shook her head. “I went to the doctor this week to confirm, and they did an ultrasound.” Her fingers toyed with the collar on my shirt. “I know this is unexpected, but I’m happy about it.”

I lifted her up and spun her around, peppering kisses along her face. “God, I love you. I can’t believe this.” I laughed. “This the best day of my life.” I took a moment and just held her. I never wanted to let her go. “So, what do we do now?” I slid her down my chest and looked around, still trying to process this. “Do we eat lunch, or bring the boat back and tell my parents and the girls first?”

“It’s up to you, Daddy.”

I shook my head. “I can’t believe we’re having a kid. Do you think it’s a boy? I mean, I don’t care, but it would be nice to not feel outnumbered all the time.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure there is a good chance at least one of them is a boy.”

“Good, I just want a healthy baby, and I’ll be happy either way, but a boy would be…” I stopped, stared, and blinked. “What do you mean one of them?”

“Surprise! We’re having twins.”

“Holy shit!”