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EPILOGUE
WYATT
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I’m just about ready to go now.”
Rhea came zooming down the stairs in a panic, and it was all I could do not to laugh. Rhea never worked herself into a frenzy whenever we were getting ready to go anywhere. But it seemed today was different for her.
I loved it.
Because even now, after all this time with her, she still surprised me in the very best ways possible.
This was one of those moments. I didn’t think I could love her more if I tried, but whenever she did things like this—panicking over being late to a party that couldn’t start without us—it made me fall just a bit harder.
“Calm down, babe. Take a deep breath,” I urged her as I moved toward her and came to a stop in front of her.
The minute I was there, her eyes widened. “Crap. I almost forgot the ice cream.”
She started to turn her body, prepared to move toward the kitchen, when I grabbed her wrist to stop her.
Looking back at me, Rhea said, “Wyatt, we’re going to be late.”
I grinned at her. “Not really.”
“Um, yeah, we are. We were supposed to be there by six. We’ve got five minutes left to get there, and the drive is twelve minutes, so we’re definitely going to be late,” she explained.
Shaking my head, I tugged her toward me. When her body collided with mine, I brushed my lips gently against hers and noted, “They can’t start a birthday party without the guest of honor.”
As I had expected would be the case, Rhea’s body melted against mine. She succumbed to the tenderness and kissed me. Unsurprisingly, her original goal flitted into her mind and forced her body to go solid. Tearing her mouth from mine, she pressed a palm hard against my shoulder and said, “Wyatt, you know how much I love you, but we have to go.”
She was struggling against me, but I couldn’t let her go. “Wait a minute.”
“Wait? We’re already behind.”
“Please, Rhea?”
At the sudden change in my tone, she froze. Her eyes roamed over my face, nothing but concern littering her features. “What’s wrong?”
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I started. “These last six months have been better than I could have ever imagined. And now, today, on my birthday, there’s no gift I could receive that would be better than to know I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Concern turned to shock as Rhea’s lips parted slightly.
I loosened my hold on her, took a step back, and dropped down to one knee as I held a ring up between us. “Rhea Marks, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded. “Yes. Yes, Wyatt Westwood, I’ll marry you.”
I slid the ring on her finger, stood, and lifted her in my arms. Rhea planted her hands on either side of my head and pressed her lips to mine. We kissed a long time, the relief I felt knowing this woman would be mine forever moving through me. The feeling was indescribable.
“I can’t believe we’re engaged. It’s your birthday, and I get this gorgeous ring and the promise of forever with you,” Rhea cried.
I threaded my fingers through her hair, kissed the top of her head, and said, “Yeah, babe. This is going to be forever.”
Her eyes were dancing when she tipped her chin up and asked, “Will you move in with me?”
“I’m pretty much here all the time now,” I said.
“It’s not the same. I want you here permanently. And I want us to get married here on the farm before we have a celebration at the Westwood Hotel. And I want babies, Wyatt. I want us to have lots of babies. Not now. Not right away. But eventually, that’s what I want.”
