Page 93 of Starry Nights over Dragonfly Lake

‘No, you weren’t.’ He reached out to take her hand in his. ‘You’re the brightest, most beautiful, funniest, sexiest woman I’ve ever met and I’d be the biggest idiot if I let you walk out on me.’

She looked up at him. ‘Noah, please don’t do this because you pity me. Honestly, I’ll be fine. I’ll get over you.’

It was a lie but she knew she would say anything to protect him.

He frowned. ‘I don’t want you to get over me,’ he said sharply. ‘I don’t want you to move on. I want you to stay here, with me.’

‘You want to fake date again?’ Although as she spoke the words, she knew deep down that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bear the pretence of having him close but not having his love.

Noah shook his head. ‘No. I want a real relationship,’ he told her with a determined look on his face. ‘I want you. I love you. And I’m really hoping that you mean it when you say you love me too.’

‘Hoping that I…?’ Her voice trailed off as the tears ran down her face. ‘You love me?’

He nodded. ‘Why are you crying? Are you upset?’ he asked, looking concerned.

She laughed. ‘They’re happy tears,’ she told him. ‘I love you so much.’

He pulled her close and held onto her tightly. ‘I know I’m going to stumble occasionally,’ he murmured, bringing his forehead down to touch hers. ‘That you’ve been in love before and I haven’t.’

‘I haven’t either,’ she told him. ‘It wasn’t true love. I think I was in love with the idea of it but with you, it was different. Better. Real. And I’ve loved you even more because of it.’

He searched her face with worried dark eyes. ‘Can you forgive me for not trusting you? For almost letting you go? I was terrified.’

‘That makes the both of us,’ she replied. ‘Thankfully it was almost. Not forever.’

‘No, this is forever. You and me.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘I want to propose to you, just like Ben did last night. I want to have a family of our own with you. I want all of it. The whole happy ever. I was wrong. I do believe in love and it’s because I love you.’

Finally they reached for each other and she knew as their lips met that it was forever. She had finally found the love of her life.

‘One more thing,’ he told her, once they drew apart. ‘I need to prove it to you.’

‘You don’t think that kiss proved everything to me?’ she asked, slightly out of breath.

‘Grab your coat,’ he said. ‘Give me one minute to get dressed. I have to show you something.’

They headed outside and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, as if he were reluctantto even let her go for a second. She didn’t know where they were going but found she didn’t care. They were together. That was all that mattered.

They walked around the lake but he didn’t stop at Maple Tree Lodge and continued along the path instead. Finally, they turned off the track and he led her to the barn where his boat was stored.

Outside the door he turned to face her. ‘The fake dating thing was never going to last,’ he told her. ‘Because nothing about us feels fake when it’s just the two of us. It feels like the most real thing that I’ve ever come across. I love you. And if you ever feel like you don’t believe me…’

He didn’t finish his sentence but turned around to unlock the large door and opened it up.

She followed him inside and stopped short as she saw the boat. It was almost finished and there was a new addition on the paintwork. The boat finally had a name.

‘I painted it yesterday,’ said Noah. ‘For you.’

She looked at the name ‘Beth’ handwritten on the hull. Then she turned to him and saw the love in his eyes. Real love.

‘I’ll spend the rest of our lives convincing you how much I love you,’ he told her.

‘No need,’ she told him. ‘I believe you.’

They both stepped forward at the same time and when their lips met, it was a kiss of forever love, the type of love she had always dreamt about.

51

It was the perfect spring evening to be out on the water as the sea was calm and still. The April sun had just sunk below the horizon, leaving both the clear sky streaked with shades from raspberry all the way to the darkest orange.