“I think so,” I say honestly. “It’s probably for the best, given everything that’s happening.”
He takes the test from my hand, looks at it, then sets it aside and pulls me gently into his arms. “You know,” he says against my hair, “I’m actually glad.”
I pull back slightly to look at him. “Glad?”
“Not because I wouldn’t want—” he stops, recalibrates. “I’m glad because now when I ask you to marry me, you won’t think I’m only doing it because you’re pregnant.”
My brain stutters to a halt. “When you... What?”
He laughs softly at my expression, then grows serious. “I know it’s fast. I know we’ve only known each other a short time. But Lana, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. These past weeks have shown me exactly who you are—brave, stubborn, compassionate, brilliant. I love you. And after nearly losing you today, I don’t want to waste any more time pretending I’m not completely, irreversibly in love with you. Besides, life istoo short. When you know something is good for you, something you can’t live without, you grab onto it.”
I stare at him, speechless, as tears well in my eyes. This wasn’t how I expected this day to end—not with a kidnapping, not with a negative pregnancy test, and certainly not with a declaration of love that makes my heart feel too big for my chest.
“You don’t have to answer now,” he says quickly, misinterpreting my tears. “I know it’s sudden—”
“Yes,” I interrupt, the word bursting from me. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Now it’s his turn to look stunned. “You will?”
I laugh through my tears, throwing my arms around his neck. “You’re right—it is fast and probably crazy. But I’ve never felt like this before. Everything with you feels right, even when the world around us is falling apart. So yes, Caleb Brennen, I will marry you.”
He pulls me closer, his arms strong and sure around me, and when he kisses me, I feel something settle inside me—a certainty, a belonging I’ve never known before.
“I don’t have a ring,” he murmurs against my lips. “This wasn’t exactly planned.”
“I don’t need a ring,” I assure him. “Though I have to say, proposing right after a kidnapping and a pregnancy scare is certainly memorable.”
He laughs, the sound warming me from within. “We’ll have quite a story to tell our kids someday.”
“Kids, huh?” I tease, though the thought sends a pleasant shiver through me. “Already planning the future?”
“Our future,” he corrects, brushing my hair back from my face. “And yes, I plan to have many adventures with you, Lana Brennen.”
“Lana Brennen,” I try out the name, liking how it sounds. “Has a nice ring to it. Although I might hyphen it as Mills-Brennen, if that’s alright with you?”
“Whatever you want,” he says, and I believe him. “As long as you’re with me, the details don’t matter.”
A soft knock at the door interrupts us, and Kori’s voice calls through, “Is everything okay in there? Jake wants you guys to come out. He has something he wants to tell everyone at once.”
Chapter 36
Lana
We make our way to the living room, where everyone has gathered. The space is crowded with everyone who has had a hand in the discovery, since day one. Jake stands at the center, Ella beside him, both looking uncharacteristically solemn. There’s a paper in Jake’s hand that he keeps folding and unfolding nervously.
“Is everyone here?” he asks, scanning the room until his eyes land on Caleb and me. “Good. There’s something important I need to share with all of you.”
The room falls silent as Jake clears his throat. I feel Caleb’s hand find mine, our fingers intertwining as we wait.
“As you all know, we found Thomas Wolf’s hidden gold today,” Jake begins, his voice steady despite his obvious nervousness. “According to Richard’s research, Thomas always intended for that gold to benefit the community, not just enrich one family.”
Richard nods in confirmation, his eyes bright with emotion after the day’s events.
“I’ve made a decision,” Jake continues, unfolding the paper in his hand. “I’m donating a significant portion of the gold to the town of Pinecrest, just as Thomas would have wanted. It will fund community projects, scholarships, and infrastructure improvements.”
Murmurs of approval ripple through the room, but Jake raises his hand, indicating he’s not finished.
“The remaining portion,” he continues, “I’m keeping—not for myself, but because I need the resources for what comes next.” He glances at Ella, who gives him an encouraging nod. “Ella and I are moving.”
