“Aspen…”
I finally look at him. My heart melts, and my legs shake. His green eyes are full of emotion and need. He continues, “I’m here… for you.”
My lips part to say something, but no sound comes out, and he boldly steps forward. He sees the longing, the aching behind my eyes.
“Aspen, I’ve done a lot of stupid things since I first saw you that day, here in the bistro. I started falling for you that night in Crossbow Dixie’s parking lot.”
My brain takes over, and I put up my hand. As badly as I want him, I won’t go down that road again. “I can’t do this anymore, Ryker.”
“Yes, we can do this! What I did was wrong, but I knew I would tell you,” he says, and he reaches up a hand to cup my face. I close my eyes and turn my cheek into his palm. “I knew we would be married someday, and I focused on that future, a future where we share everything, and it clouded my judgment.” He strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I knew we’d be together, this connection we have, this pull we have between us… it’s love.” My eyes flash open and find his gazing back at me.
Love?
Is this love?
My mind spins out of control as my heart giggles at me. I’m sure it knew all along.
“I was cocky, Aspen. I still am, but I know we’re meant to be. I dismissed your feelings about your goals. I’m so sorry. I thought I knew what was better for you. For us. Sometimes I think I can solve any problem with money, and while that’s often the case…” he says, and a devilish smile plays on his lips, spreading warmth through my body, “I have to be careful when it comes to other people.”
I exhale. “You’re not the only one to blame, Ryker. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard against us. I almost gave you no choice, but you were determined and, well, it’s kind of romantic.” I grimace, but then smile. “The lengths you went to. You were ahead of me, and you saw something I hadn’t opened my eyes to see yet. My mind wasn’t in the same place my heart wanted me to be.”
He raises his other hand to cup my face, and that word—love—swirls around my heart, taking over my brain, and I feel dizzy.
“You said… love,” I breathe.
He leans his forehead to mine and says, “Yes, Aspen. I love you.”
I exhale, and it feels like every cell in my body is sporting a sappy smile, bouncing through my body like it’s drunk.
“I love you, too,” she says. “And I forgive you. Will you please forgive me? For being so blind to what was right in front of me, for making you work so hard. For not giving you a chance. And I found out it was all Popster’s idea, and I blamed you. I’m sorry for that, too.”
His lips find mine, and we kiss.
And I melt.
He wraps his arms around me to help hold me up, because he senses that I’m about to pool into liquid on the floor. I wrap my arms around him, and I want to pull him tighter, but I almost don’t have the strength. I’m emotionally spent. But, as he kisses me, he breathes renewed energy into me, reviving my empty body, and fueling it with love.
And oh my god, it’s love.
And it was love all along, which is why everything was easier. Even when my dream was going up in flames, everything was easier to handle… because of love, because I had him with me.
I kiss him back with all the passion pent up inside of me, pulling him to me, squeezing my body next to his.
He pulls his lips away, just far enough to say, “I love you, Aspen. I will love you forever. This is it. We are it. You and me. A team. Forever.” He dots kisses between all of his words, and I feel like a rainbow of fireworks are exploding all around me, like every flower is blooming at the same time all over the world. My body sings.
And I feel unstoppable, but not from my own efforts. I’m unstoppable because of our love. And that’s what love is about. Taking on life together.
He steps back and puts his hand in his pocket, and he leans against the counter, watching me. A cocky, sexy grin spreading across his face. He knows what he plans to say next, but he’s making me wait.
“What?” I ask, impatient.
He pulls a little, blue velvet box out of his pocket and he says, “If you can tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue faster than me, I’ll marry you.” I snort and laugh a hearty guffaw at his silly boldness.
He closes his eyes and says, “God, I love your laugh.”
“I know,” I whisper.
I look at the box he’s holding, and I’m sure it has a ring in it. My palms sweat, and I wipe them on my apron.
“Again, Ryker, you need to work on your proposals.”
“I’ve already proposed a million times, every time I told you we were going to get married.”
He steps closer to me.
I step closer to him.
He continues, “And I know I’ve thought it at least a million times more. Every time I look into your eyes, I see my future wife.”
With that, he gets down on his knee, opens the box, and holds it up to me. “Aspen, will you marry me?”
I gaze into his beautiful, tender green eyes. “Yes,” I say. “But as you said, you already knew the answer.” And as he stands up, I look at the box and have a heart attack. “Holy shit, Ryker!”
“Swear jar,” he laughs.
“This is… so… beautiful.” I whisper, barely able to speak, as I pull out the biggest diamond ring I’ve ever seen.
“I hope you don’t mind that I spent a nice little chunk of our money on that ring,” he
