Page 238 of At First Catch

“Hads,” he says, voice shaking now, “you taught me staying doesn’t mean controlling every outcome. It means choosing someone over and over again even when life gets messy and uncertain.” His eyes shine openly. “And I want to keep choosing you for the rest of my life.”

Tears blur everything, and I almost miss it when Nolan carefully opens the ring box.

A radiant smile, bright as a summer morning, blooms on Nolan’s face as he looks up, chasing away all shadows.

“Will you marry me?”

There isn’t even half a second of hesitation.

“Yes.”

The word breaks out of me. And Nolan’s entire face falls apart with relief.

He stands too fast, catches my waist, and kisses me before I can even fully laugh through my tears.

The kiss feels like every hard thing we survived finally turning into something permanent. Not because life became perfect, but because we stopped running from fear long enough to build something stronger than it.

“You know...”

I smile. “What?”

“You still overthink absolutely everything.”

I nod. “That’s fair.”

She laughs harder. “I guarantee you practiced this.”

“I practiced three versions.”

Her eyes widen. “Nolan.”

“The first one was too long. The second one involved note cards.”

She presses both hands over her face. “You made note cards?”

“I laminated them.”

She bursts into laughter.

“I’m kidding...mostly.”

She shakes her head, smiling at me in that way that still feels like coming home. “You’re ridiculous.”

I shrug. “Just with significantly better supervision now.”

She slides the ring between her fingers. “I can live with that.”

I grin. “Good.”

I brush my forehead against hers. “Because I’m planning on keeping my supervisor around for a very long time.”

From outside the open kitchen windows, Bailey screams from somewhere down on the docks, “I knew it!”

Nolan groans against my forehead. I burst into helpless laughter. And somewhere close by, the entire marina erupts into cheers.

The back door flies open before either of us can move. Bailey rushes in first, one hand over her heart.

“I’ve been waiting an entire year for that.”