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I groaned. “Oh my God, you’re going to drive me crazy waiting, aren’t you?”
“A hundred percent. I’ll even make sure Kit catches it on film for your social media.”
A fake gasp. “You’re on board with my social media? What are the odds I can get you to do the calendar too?”
“Don’t press your luck.”
I sighed. “I swear, one day I’m going to convince you.”
“You have a better chance of convincing me to paint my truck pink.”
One of my brows rose in challenge.
“Jesus,” he said, laughing. “I don’t stand a chance, do I?”
“Nope.”
“Good thing I’d do anything for you. Except the calendar,” he added when he saw my face. “I’m putting my foot down at the prospect of half the town having my naked chest on their refrigerators.”
“You’re no fun,” I pouted.
“Well, I hope you don’t love me for my sense of humor.”
“I love you for many, many reasons. So many reasons that when you do get down on one knee and ask me that question, I’ll say yes.”
Fire sparked behind his eyes. “Good. Then let’s get these suitcases inside, empty them out, and put them away indefinitely.”
“And then let’s humor Kit and get through her party as quick as we can. Because all I really want is to lock us in my room for the next three days to make up for every second we were apart.”
With that smile, he picked me up so we were nose to nose, chest to chest, my legs around his waist and our lips close enough to breathe each other.
“How about we start with an afternoon?”
“I’ll take it. I’ll take all of it. All of you.”
“Good thing. Because I’m yours, Livi.”
Our lips met with an exchange of hearts.
And I never wanted mine back, not if it meant that I could keep his forever.
Epilogue
JAKE
It’d been the happiest year of my life, thanks to her.
I stood on the edge of the dance floor at sunset with a whiskey in my hand, a smile on my face, and my eyes on my wife.
Olivia danced with the abandon she approached everything with. Her wedding dress was hitched by her fists so she didn’t trip, exposing her pink rain boots. When she’d shown up here a year ago, they’d been spotless and unused. Now they were scuffed and banged up, the shine gone and the rubber worn. I’d tried to get her to buy new ones for the wedding, but she said it wouldn’t be the same. It had to be these.
Half the town was here at the farm to celebrate. It’d taken her this long to plan it, as suspected, and she’d put every bit of her into it, just like everything she did. Just a few short hours ago, I’d stood under the last two elms at the end of the drive, sunlight dappling the seats lined up between the trees. Every one was full—Kit in the front row with her nose in a hanky and Olivia’s aunt crying at her side. Maybe just a little in mourning that Olivia wouldn’t be leaving the farm to go back to New York. She didn’t yet know of Olivia’s plans to convince her to move here and matchmake her. I didn’t know with whom. The only unmarried man of her age was Buffalo Joe, and I had a feeling he had way too much body hair for her.
I stood under an archway of flowers with my heart beating in my throat, waiting for the moment my life would change.
And then I saw her at the end of that aisle on Mack’s arm.
I have never in my life been so overcome as I was in that moment. As she made her way to stand by my side where she’d forever stay, I was stripped of everything but my love for her, leaving me with bone-deep appreciation that this woman would have chosen me when she could have had the world.
I held her hand, repeated the words. Listened to her vows with my throat in a vise, spoke mine with a rough voice and my heart too full to master myself. I promised her forever. She promised the same.
And a kiss sealed the vow.
It was the perfect way to mark the end of one life and the beginning of another.
I smiled at her as she bounced on the parquet with Presley and Priscilla, oblivious to me, though I was always aware of her. We could be miles apart, and I’d feel her as if she were next to me. Though the instance was rare—it was almost unheard of for us to be in separate places.
For two months, she waited on a proposal, and I led her on like a bastard, enjoying her squirm too much to give her the ring. Once, I got down on one knee right in front of her to tie my shoe. Once I took her to our picnic spot and watched her dig around in her dessert looking for hardware. The worst was when I gathered everybody up, stood them up on the porch expectantly, gave her a big speech … and handed her her birthday present—a fancy schmancy camera she’d been hinting at forever. I wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive me for that one.
