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Tears came into her eyes again as she gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, Campbell.”
“You’re my one true love. I never want to spend another day without you. Marry me, Marie Blaire Barker. Make me the happiest man alive.”
“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes.”
I pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. She stared down at it in awe and then launched herself at me. We kissed like the world would never end. This was our moment, our love eternal. And I accepted that kiss as a promise for forever.
Because this was my girl.
I saw the real her.
The one that got away.
Now, she was all mine.
42
Blaire
“Thank you all for coming,” I said, my eyes drifting around the room.
Campbell twined his fingers with mine. We’d debated just announcing to everyone we knew that we were engaged, but we’d had a better idea. Well, mostly, I’d had a better idea. And now all our family was together in one place.
Campbell’s dad, Gregg, his aunts, and brother and sister. Then on the other side of the room, my mom and Hal. We’d left off on such a horrible place that I wasn’t sure Pamela would even agree to come today. That she’d snub me for being the insolent daughter she never deserved. But when I told her it was important, she’d agreed.
“This means so much to us,” Campbell said.
“What’s this all about?” Nora asked. She looked down at her watch. “I have to be at the vineyard in exactly twenty-seven minutes for Morgan’s wedding prep.”
“It won’t take long,” Campbell assured her.
“I mean, I want to know, but it’s a big day. Our biggest wedding ever.”
Campbell laughed. “It’s fine, Shrimp.”
I swallowed and Campbell squeezed my hand. “We wanted to bring everyone together for this unexpected moment.” Then, I held my left hand up and revealed the glittering ring on my finger. “We’re engaged!”
Campbell’s side of the room erupted. His dad was the first person to spring forward and give his son a hug. “Congratulations! This is the best news.”
Campbell grinned up at him. He’d told me he was wary of his father’s reaction. Gregg hadn’t exactly been pleased that we were dating. He’d been worried that he’d leave me behind and go off and be an idiot. But apparently this had proved to him just how serious Campbell really was about me.
“Thanks, Dad,” Campbell said.
Hollin and Nora crowded in.
“Ah, nice, bro! Locking it down,” Hollin said.
Gregg shook his head at his oldest.
“This is amazing!” Nora squealed. “Please tell me I can plan the wedding.”
Campbell laughed. “Well, can you do it in a week?”
Nora blinked at us. “What?”
“We decided to elope,” I told her.
“Oh my God! How romantic.” Nora nodded her head. “And I can do it in a week. I have prepared my entire life for this.”
“Elope?” Gregg asked. “That’s pretty big.”
“Morgan and Patrick’s day is today. Or else we would be heading to Vegas already,” Campbell told him. “And I’d love for you to all be there when we get hitched. I can fly everyone out if you want to attend.”
Everyone clambered forward, excited and asking questions about our upcoming nuptials.
And there was Pamela and Hal.
Neither of them had said a word. A knot fit into my stomach. I’d worried about this. She wasn’t going to be happy. She was going to ruin our moment. But I wanted her to know. I wanted to tell the entire world. When really the only person I’d confessed to was Piper.
“Go on,” Campbell said, pushing me toward my family.
I shuffled forward until I stopped in front of Pamela and Hal. “Surprise.”
My mom opened and closed her mouth. Fear spiked through me. She was going to tell me it was a terrible idea. She was going to tell me not to do it. Oh God, this was a mistake. I didn’t want her to steal my happiness. This was the best decision of my life. It was what I wanted.
Then, to my shock, my mom smiled. A real smile. “Oh Blaire,” she said, actually using my preferred name.
I was stunned silent as she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
My mom was hugging me.
She was hugging me.
She didn’t like any form of contact. We never touched. We definitely weren’t hugging people. And here she was breaking all her own rules.
I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her and felt her closeness. The fragility of a matriarch that I had always considered unshakable.
“Mom?” I whispered.
“Oh baby,” she said, pulling back and putting her hands to my cheeks. “I am so happy for you.”
“You are?”
“I may not have known how to show it, but I did want the best for you.”
“I thought…I thought you wouldn’t want me with Campbell.”
“I didn’t want you to get hurt again. I was worried for you. I didn’t know how to show that. And clearly I did it all wrong.”
