Colin’s own band sat in the box beside hers—white gold, the St. Vrain worked into it in the same fine relief, the foothills rising behind it, the river catching light between the stones. The place Sean Volker had called paradise and now the place where Colin had dropped to one knee.
She’d noticed something else on his band, small enough to miss if you weren’t looking. A tiny teacup. Pinkie extended.
She laughed until she cried.
“So.” Colin’s smile turned a little shaky. “Will you marry me, Maren Walsh?”
“Yes.” The word came out as a sob and a laugh and the easiest answer she had ever given. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Colin slid the ring onto her finger, then surged to his feet, caught her in his arms, and lifted her straight off the ground. Maren laughed as he spun her around, and the strangers on the path clapped and cheered like they had known them forever.
They had been surrounded by the applause of strangers then, but tonight, they would be surrounded by the applause of friends and family when she showed everyone the ring.
Maren looked at the ring one more time, then lowered her hand and turned to Colin.
“I’m ready to go.”
Her friends did not disappointher. The applause was deafening. But they did turn on Ben, who of course knew aboutthe proposal. Several versions ofWhy didn’t you tell us?rang through the air.
“So you could crash their proposal the way you did mine and Charlie’s?” Ben asked. “No way.”
“Oh, we did not crash your proposal,” Stephanie scolded back. “Besides, Charlie wanted us there, didn’t you,Charles?”
Charlie laughed. “It was already the best night of my life and you all made it better.”
Stephanie crossed her arms, a smile of smug justification on her face. “That’s what I thought.”
After dinner outside on the back deck, the women all gathered in the great room.
“Okay, ladies,” Stephanie said as she plopped down in the middle of the leather couch, “while the menfolk are out grunting over fire, let’s do our classy and cultural thing and get this book club meeting started. Where’s the booze?”
Maren was standing at one end of the couch, not sure if everyone had a usual spot where they liked to sit. She’d wait until everyone was seated, then sit wherever there was room.
Stephanie looked around. “And where’s Gina? She still outside? Hey, Gino, get in here,” Stephanie shouted. “Yo,Gino.”
Gina rolled her eyes as she stepped inside and closed the sliding door behind her. “No one in my entire life has ever called me Gino.”
“Yeah, but how else are you gonna be in the club?” Stephanie looked at Maren. “Let’s see…Maren…Maren. That’s a tricky one.”
“What club are you talking about?” Maren asked.
“It’s our little club for women who have men’s names. I’m Steve.” She pointed to Frankie. “That’s Frank. Over there at the end of the couch, we got Charles. Who else we got? Well, now we got Gino here.” She patted Gina’s arm and studied Maren. “How about Darren, rhymes with Maren? Does Darren work for you?”
Maren laughed. “You mean like that jerk fromBewitchedwho never let his wife do anything fun?”
Stephanie wrinkled her nose. “Oh, yeah, you’re right. You don’t want to be Darren. Hmm. We’ll have to keep thinking. Anyway, come on over. Have a seat. This month’s book was a real hoot.”
“Yes, Charlie, thanks for introducing us to Kat Healy’s lumberjack bear shifter,” Wren said. “The Lumbersnack issodreamy.”
“I think the guys outside are pretty dreamy for keeping an eye on the kids this time,” Frankie said. “I never minded bringing Danny?—”
“And we never minded having him here,” Arden said.
“—but it’s also a good break.” Frankie turned to Ellie. “Speaking of bears, I can’t believe Bear is the one who’s doing most of the babysitting. He’s not what you think of when you think ‘babysitter.’”
Arden laughed. “Actually, I can believe it, the way that he carries little Star around on his shoulders. It isthemost adorable thing I have ever seen.”
“Oh, I know!” Ellie said. “He is absolutely head over heels for our daughter. Some days, I think he’s a better mom than I am.”
