She took a deep breath, feeling as though she was stepping onto a bridge she couldn’t see the end of but knowing, somehow, that Jonah would be waiting for her on the other side.
“Yes,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “Yes, Jonah Burton, I will marry you.”
The joy that spread across his face was like sunshine breaking through clouds after a long winter storm. He rose, somewhat stiffly—they were neither of them young anymore, after all—and pulled her into his arms.
“You’ve made me the happiest man in Magnolia Key,” he whispered against her hair.
She allowed herself to sink into his embrace, to feel the solid warmth of him against her. It felt like coming home after a long journey—familiar and yet somehow new.
“I don’t have a ring,” he said as he drew back slightly. “I hadn’t planned this, not exactly. It just felt right in this moment.”
She smiled. “I don’t need a ring, Jonah.”
“But I want to give you one,” he insisted. “Something worthy of you.”
She shook her head slightly. “Nothing too ostentatious, please. I’m not as young as I once was. I’d look ridiculous with some enormous diamond weighing down my hand.”
He laughed. “Always practical, my Ellie.” His expression softened. “But you must allow me some small romantic gestures. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone to spoil.”
She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “I suppose I can allow that,” she said, trying to maintain her dignified demeanor but failing as a smile crept across her face.
Winston chose that moment to pad over to them, nudging his nose against their legs as if sensing the shift in atmosphere. She bent down to pat him.
“What do you think of this development, Winston?” she asked the dog. “Are you prepared for all this?”
Jonah chuckled. “I think Winston and I have come to an understanding during your stay here. Haven’t we, old boy?”
The dog wagged his tail, looking up at them both with what she could have sworn was approval.
“When shall we tell the others?” Jonah asked as they moved to sit on the sofa, still holding hands like teenagers.
She considered the question. “Soon,” she decided. “But perhaps we could keep it just between us for a day or two? I’d like to enjoy this moment before the town gossip mill gets hold of it.”
“Whatever you want, Ellie.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “Although I can’t promise I won’t be grinning like a fool whenever I see you in public. People might start to wonder.”
She laughed softly. “Let them wonder. It might do this town good to have something to speculate about besides hurricane damage and Cliff’s development plans.” At the mention of her son, a shadow of concern crossed her face. “Cliff,” she murmured. “I’ll need to tell him, of course.”
“Are you worried about his reaction?”
She considered the question. “No,” she said after a moment. “Not worried, precisely. But things between us have been changing lately. In a good way, I think. This will be one more change for him to adjust to.”
“He wants you to be happy, Ellie. I’m sure of it.”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe you’re right. And I think—I hope—that he’s finding his own path to happiness as well.”
“With Beverly, perhaps?” Jonah’s eyes twinkled. “I want everyone to find what we have.”
“Perhaps. They’ve certainly been spending a great deal of time together lately.”
“Planning that hurricane relief fundraiser.”
“Yes, for now, that’s what they’re calling it,” she replied dryly. “But I’ve seen the way they look at each other when they think no one is watching.”
Jonah squeezed her hand. “Like the way I look at you, I imagine.”
She felt that unfamiliar blush creep up her cheeks again. “Jonah Burton, you’re making me feel like a schoolgirl.”
“Good,” he said simply, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Because you make me feel like the luckiest man alive.”
