Before I can ask him what he means by that, Ethan and Jacob arrive with their daughter, Olivia. She’s almost eighteen months old and almost a carbon copy of Ethan. The same dark hair, deep brown eyes. The only difference is Olivia is so happy all the time. She laughs at everything and is constantly smiling. She also loves animals, so I’ve taken it upon myself as an honorary uncle to buy her all the stuffed animals, and she loves the dogs.
“There she is!” I cheer, holding my hands up in the air and making her giggle. “On a scale from one to ten, how grumpy has your grumpy daddy been today?”
“Dada!” She beams, waving her hand.
Ethan gives me a droll look, and Jacob gives me a quick hug.
Last up are Jackson and Hayden, but the lack of kids is the first thing I notice.
“Where are the kids? Aren’t they coming?” I ask as soon as I open the door to let them in.
“Hello to you too,” Hayden chuckles.
“No, they’re staying with my parents for the week,” Jackson answers. “Plus, it’s our last chance to have some alone time before Hayden has his first surgery.”
“Ohhh, I forgot about that.”
“I’m trying to,” Hayden grumbles.
“So, what you’re saying is you’re gonna be having all the sex here because soon Hayden will be out of action.” I nod once. “Got it.”
Jackson scoffs, and Hayden huffs out a breath, but neither of them denies it.
“I’m not touching your sheets.” I hold my hands up. “I can barely handle touching my own.”
“Okay, let’s not get into that topic of discussion,” Hunter interrupts, sliding his arm around my neck and effectively putting me in bicep jail. “We’ve given you the room down the end of the hall. Make yourself at home,” he says to them.
They disappear down the hall to drop their bags in their room, and we head outside to join the others.
Hours pass by as we talk and laugh and eat all the amazing food Hunter’s cooked up. Now we’re lounging on the patio, the fire pit burning while the dogs play on the grass, except for Waffles, who’s found her new favorite spot next to Hayden.
The sun is beginning to set, the sky turning a vibrant purple and deep orange. I twist in my seat, resting my chin on the back of the couch as I stare down at the lake, waiting to see if I can spot any otters making an appearance. They usually come around now.
The couch cushion shifts, and the conversations around me come to a halt. The sudden silence has my skin prickling, and when I turn around, I find Hunter down on one knee.
“Wha…”
“El, from the moment you walked up to me that day and asked to sit in the truck, I’ve been enamored by you. I was this hollow shell of a person before you. I wasn’t really living; I was just… existing. But then you came along. You were this radiant sunshine, suddenly blanketing me in light I hadn’t felt in so long.”
Jacob lets out a squeal behind us, and Olivia starts clapping, causing us to let out a small laugh.
Hunter smiles warmly, his happiness radiating through the sparkle in his eyes.
“I didn’t think I was good enough for you. I was this dark cloud. I didn’t want to dull your shine with my shadow, but you saw me anyway. You became my lighthouse in the treacherous storm, safe and calming, which, given how chaotic you can be, is kinda ironic,” he laughs.
Tears fill my eyes as I let out a choked laugh.
“But you know what I love the most about you? How big your heart is. Your enthusiasm over the things you love. It’s like you love at one thousand percent. You love with your whole heart, and you would do absolutely anything for those you care about.” He licks over his lips, giving a slight shake of his head, almost in disbelief. “I don’t know what I did to become lucky enough to meet you, and I certainly don’t know what I did to be the one you gave your heart to, but I can promise you with my life, I willcherish you and worship you until it’s the very last thing I ever do.”
I blink, and tears spill over my cheeks. My body feels so warm from the fuzzy feeling running through every nerve ending, causing my hands to tremble.
Someone makes a sound of excitement when Hunter pulls a ring from his pocket and asks, “El, will you marry me?”
I hiccup, and my breath comes out in a shudder as I nod aggressively.
“Yes!” I shout so loud, the dogs come rushing over in alarm. “Yes! I would love to marry you, Lieutenant. Marry me up and wear your uniform with all the badges.”
Laughing softly, he slips the ring onto my finger, and when he stands, I leap into his arms, hooking my arms and legs around him so tightly I never want to let go.
