"No, Duke," I say, stepping toward him with Dottie's hand still in mine. "It won't be like that at all, because I'm not leaving. I've finally found the one place that feels like home to me. For years, I've been searching the globe for a place I could call home, and it had gotten to the point where I didn't think I'd ever find it. But then you invited me here, and I got to see Dottie again all grown up." I turn to face Dottie. "Right then and there, I knew. This is where I belong. With you, Dot. So I'm proposing right now--will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?"
Dottie gasps, her hand flying to cover her mouth as tears spring to her eyes. "Yes," she says through tears of joy. "Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you, Theo!"
Before I can brace myself, she throws herself at me, and I stumble backward slightly before I catch her in my arms and kiss her like no one is watching. All I can think is that this woman is going to be mine for the rest of my life. The rest of it will just have to sort itself out. We're in love and that's all that matters.
Duke takes a step back when we part and we turn toward him and Ava, his expressionless face revealing nothing of what he's feeling inside. But after a few moments of stunned silence, he breaks into a wide grin and throws his arms around both of us.
"Well, if that wasn't the happiest thing I've ever seen and heard," he says gruffly, wiping away a tear from his eye with the back of his hand. "I'm truly happy for the both of you. Never thought I'd see the day where you'd wanna settle down, Theo. But I'm happy as a pig in mud that you're gonna settle here. I'm sure you can understand I was just lookin' out for my sister before."
"Of course," I say, clapping him on the shoulder as we all step back. "I'd expect nothing less. Family is everything."
"And soon you're gonna be part of it," he says, reaching out for Ava and pulling her close to his side. She grins wide.
"Looks like the Soulwink stikes again, huh?" she says, beaming at all of us.
Everyone in the room agrees except me.
"Is anyone going to explain what the hell this Soulwink thing is, please?" I say, turning toward Dottie who smiles and guides me to the kitchen table to sit down.
"Do you remember that candle Jade insisted on lighting when we had dinner?" she starts, proceeding to tell me the most unbelievable and mind-blowing story about rocks and candles and forces that no one understands that bring two people made for each other together.
A few days ago, I would have scoffed over such things. But now? Well, you can call me a believer. Dottie was mine from the moment I saw her at the wedding. And now she'll be mine for the rest of our lives. I can't wait for what comes next.
DOTTIE
As the weeks pass by, I feel like I'm floating through the most magnificent dream. Theo and I spend every free moment together. We go for long walks around the property, talk about everything under the sun, and he even uses some of his farm knowledge to help me plan out the best planting and harvesting schedule for the vineyard. Even though his family raised sheep for the purpose of wool, there was still a lot of crop planting and harvesting going on for the sake of growing their own feed and even feeding themselves. He's been a wealth of information, and the more I learn about him, the more I feel sure that the Soulwink Jade talks about is true. There was a reason we were brought together. Our paths were destined to merge.
Besides getting to know each other more both in and out of the bedroom, we've also spent a great deal of time planning out our wedding.
We've decided to hold the ceremony outside in the rose garden where we first made love. And the ladies of the Soulwink Society and their husbands have been a wonderful help in getting it ready. We've spent full days weeding and adding extra garlands to the archway, and we even got a group of strong, sweaty mountain man husbands in here rolling out fresh sod where the grass was a little patchy so the aisle I walk down is lush and green. The pictures are going to look beautiful, and I can't wait to hang them up on the wall in our home.
Speaking of our home, Duke and Ava took me up on the offer to use some of my land to build a dream home of their own. They've made some modifications to the bungalow and are staying there together until construction starts and they can move into their forever home, and it's been an exciting time for all of us. I can't wait until the building and renovations are complete, so the vineyard is fully up and running. As a team, I'm sure the four of us are going to do amazing things. Our future is very bright.
"Gosh, Dottie. You look so beautiful," Jade says, touching my long hair--that's been curled in cascading waves for the occasion--lightly. "I just knew when I saw the way you two were looking at each other that we'd end up here soon enough."
"It makes you wonder who's going to catch the Soulwink next," Ava says, twirling some Baby's Breath between her fingers before lifting it to place it in the small braids that adorn the top of my head. I didn't want a veil, so some tiny, pretty flowers are the perfect wedding crown.
"It's not the common cold, I'm sure," my cousin, Jolie, says from a love seat by the window. She's in her early twenties and absolutely adores the idea of some mystical force helping people find each other.
"Oh, definitely not the common cold," Jade says. "We don't catch it. It just...happens." She sighs wistfully. "And you just…know."
"I want something like that to happen to me so bad," Jolie says. "Boys don't even look at me. Well, unless they're trying to cheat my answers in an exam. Then I'm very interesting." She lets out a snort as she pushes her clear-framed glasses up her nose.
"You'll find the right one when it's time," Jade says, giving her an encouraging smile. "If there's one thing I can say for Whisper Valley, it's that it's a place where dreams come true."
Jolie lets out a longing-filled sigh. "I'm gonna visit every chance I get then."
Laughing, I turn toward my cousin as Ava finishes decorating my hair. "You're welcome any time. Just make sure you finish those studies of yours first."
Jolie lifts her hand in salute. "Aye-aye, captain."
I shift my focus back to the mirror. "You know, when I put this thing in here, I never dreamed I'd be the bride using it. I thought I'd be single forever."
Ava smiles as she gives my arms a gentle squeeze. "Well, it seems the universe had different plans for you."
I gaze at myself in the mirror, grinning before I look at my friends around me then smooth my hand down the white gown I'm wearing. It's flowing and lacy, with a sweetheart neckline that tops a beaded bodice that clings to my waist before flowing out into a waterfall of layers and layers of white fabric. It's stunning, and I feel like a princess wearing it.
"Yes, the universe definitely did have different plans," I say, feeling giddy even though I'm yet to take even a sip of champagne. "I'm about to marry the man of my dreams. You know, when I was small, I had such a crush on him. He's the only one of Duke's friends who was ever kind to me."
