“Your dinner’s getting cold,” he said, smiling at her.
“I don’t need food. I only need you.”
“You have me, Bailey. You have me forever.”
He leaned forward and pecked her lips with a quick kiss. “Did I tell you I changed a verse on your song?”
She pulled back to look at him fully. “‘Coming Clean’? Why would you change it? It’s perfect already.”
He sat up and took her hand, pulling her with him. Before she could say another word, he started singing the song he’d written for her. Ryan gripped her hand firmly as he sang, his voice steady as he stared at her. Bailey listened intently but didn’t hear a change until he finished the last verse.
It’s true, I’m clean
I’ve kept it covered, my dirty secret
But thanks to you I’ve found me out
Fifty years isn’t enough time with you
Say yes, and I’ll wipe the slate, clear a space and tie myself to you forever
As he finished the last verse, he slipped a ring on her finger. She looked down, her eyes filling with tears. The diamond caught the candlelight and twinkled like the stars above.
“Will you marry me?”
Bailey stared at the ring, trying not to let the lump in her throat keep her from screaming yes at the top of her lungs. “I’d love to marry you. More than anything.”
Her eyes lifted to the sky, and a single shooting star crossed her line of vision. She knew it was her mother, Helen, shouting her approval and happiness. She smiled and looked back at Ryan.
He took her hand and kissed it where he’d placed the ring. She stared at the setting and thought it looked familiar, but she wasn’t sure. Ryan cupped her neck and stared at her, watching the tears drop from her eyes. “I love you, Bailey Grace Morton. I love you brighter than the stars and deeper than the lake.”
“I love you brighter than the stars and deeper than the lake, too,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him.
“Can we eat now?” he mumbled through their kiss.
Bailey laughed and leaned back, realizing how ravenous she was. She never made the connection between hunger and happiness before, but sitting on this boat with her new fiancé had her smiling and eating like she hadn’t eaten in years. They laughed and talked and planned. They wanted kids and grandkids one day, and to spend the rest of their lives living happily on this lake.
Once they finished eating, Ryan started blowing out candles and preparing the boat.
“What are you doing? I thought we were spending the night out here.”
“Don’t you want to share the news?” Ryan asked, starting the engine and steering toward shore.
She stared at him, her heart overflowing at the affection in his voice. It had been a long road for her and her family, but they had all grown genuinely fond of each other over the last few months.
She couldn’t have asked for a better relationship between them, with the exception of Nicole. By choice, Bailey hadn’t seen or spoken to her, but she knew, after spending thirty days in a treatment center, Nicole had been released for outpatient care.
The Rosa Trials had finally ended their story about Bailey, but it took a long and detailed statement from the FBI, explaining some of the details about Bailey’s parents. She hated the idea when Sharpe had suggested it, but he was right when he said Rosa would get bored with the story once everything was public. Oh, and Rosa had finally declared Bailey innocent in her ‘Rosa Trial.’ Rosa had no choice after the FBI had exposed everything.
Ryan pulled the boat into a private slip and tied off.
“What are you doing? Whose house is this?”
“Don’t worry. We were invited.” He pulled her by the hand up several flights of stairs toward the back door of a beautiful lake house. The house was fairly dark, and she wondered if the occupants were still up.
“Ryan, who lives here?”
“Well…let’s find out.”
“What?”
He led her up onto a huge brick patio and pulled her to the back door, opening it without knocking.
“Ryan, what are you doing?”
Once they were inside the dark house, the lights came up, and many people shouted, “Surprise!”
Bailey jumped back, her hands flying to cover her mouth. “Holy crap.”
Her father, Linda, James, Stanley, Wade, Lucas, and Mae, with many of her other friends, were packed into a large kitchen. The room was full of boxes, and it looked like someone was moving in.
“What’s this about?” she asked.
Her dad approached and pulled her into the tightest hug. “Congrats, sweetheart. I know he’ll make you very happy. And if he doesn’t, your brothers will have him fitted with cement shoes to wear in the lake.”
“Hey,” Ryan said on an open-mouthed laugh.
James and Stanley laughed, too, with a little glint in both of their eyes.
When her father released her, she looked around again. “Whose house is this?”
“Oh,” Alex said. “Didn’t we tell you?”
Bailey’s eyes grew wide. “Tell me what?”
“We bought a house on the lake.” He waved his hands around. “Linda and I suspected we’d be spending a lot of time here in the future, and we’re not particularly fond of hotels.”
“Oh, my God. Really?” Bailey bounced on her heels. “That’s so exciting.”
“Yes, we’ll be up here a lot more often. And it’s a family home. Nicole, James, and Stanley will use it often, too, I’m sure.”
Bailey hugged them all in turn, her heart full and her head spinning from all the excitement. When she came to Linda, she received the biggest hug. As Linda pulled away, she lifted Bailey’s hand and examined the ring. Then she held it up for Alex to see, too.
“It’s beautiful on her hand, isn’t it?” Linda said, her eyes misting
