Or ever in my life, if I was being honest with myself.?
Everything I had was mine, and mine alone. The Inn & Public House was received with rave reviews. People loved the atmosphere, Sutton’s food, the accommodations, and the service. Sutton and I had worked so hard, and we both reminded each other, regularly, of just how lucky and strong we were.?
And now, I was sitting across from a man that I’d loved my entire life, who loved me back, and we were starting on a journey unlike one we’ve ever been on before. A real journey, just the two of us, and the friends and family that were genuine, loving, and truly happy for us.?
We enjoyed our small plates from several local, Savannah-based chefs, and bottles on bottles of wine from Jordan and Doyle’s shop. When we finished dessert, Doyle turned up the stereo from the second floor of the carriage house, letting the music pump softly throughout the courtyard.?
“Dance with me,” I said huskily, a deep sense of happiness and relaxation washing over me. I pushed my chair away from the table and reached my hand out to take his.
“For the rest of my life, if you’ll let me,” Lee said, his eyes sparkling with a soft, dreamy look, showing just how happy and content he was.
We moved for a few beats, the grass tickling my ankles, and I leaned back to look at his face. For the first time in the almost-twenty years Lee had been in my life, I never felt more comfortable or confident than I did in that moment.?
“I’ll let you,” I said, moving my face slowly toward his.?
“What? What do you mean? Wait, are you saying…”?
“I’ll let you dance with me for the rest of my life, you idiot.”?
Lee let out a laugh, letting his head fall back, but keeping our arms locked together. “Are you serious, Magnolia? You mean it? This is it?”?
I smiled and nodded my head. “I mean it, Lee. It’s always been you. It will always be you. All you have to do is ask.”?
?He dipped his head toward mine, his voice low and gruff in my ear, sending chills down my spine. “Magnolia Louise Pruitt, will you be my girl?”?
“I’ve never had a choice, Lee. I’ve been your girl from the start.”
Epilogue
MAGNOLIA
“The trees are up, the tables are ready, the staff is working so you don’t have to,andI left the mimosa-making to you because—in the interest of full disclosure—I’m really nervous I’ll make them too strong because frankly I am scared Momma is going to kill us today.”?
I rolled my eyes, flicking on my mascara and fluffing out my now shoulder-length, natural curls. “How do I look?”?
Lee crossed the room and wrapped his arms around my waist, dipping his forehead down to meet mine. “Like a goddess, as usual. How could you ever doubt yourself? You’re still the most beautiful girl in the world, Maggie. You always will be.”?
I put my hands on his chest and pushed him away playfully. “Get changed, please. Everyone will be here shortly. And you’re not mucking up our first Christmas brunch at the inn by wearing sweats and drooling over me.”?
“Fair enough,” he laughed, kissing my cheek quickly. After all these years, and everything we’d been through, every sweet touch still set fire to my blood and made my soul sing out. All the heartbreak, the tears, and the ongoing legal drama with his brother had done nothing but solidify us closer together. Today would be the day the last piece snapped neatly into our wild-ass puzzle.?
I sat on the edge of the bed and reached quietly underneath, pulling out a box. After knowing each other most of our lives, it was hard to surprise Lee, but I think I knocked it out of the park with this one.?
I placed a hand over the small, wrapped gift, marveling at the glistening ring on my left hand. Lee had proposed to me a few weeks after our “last first date” at the Mercer house, and I still looked down in shock every now and again at how gorgeous, and modest, the ring was.?
Apparently, he’d worked with a jeweler at Levy’s to create the low sitting, quadruple diamond band, coming in at over two karats. He said every diamond was a phase in our lives. The beginning when we were kids, the middle when we fell in love, a stone for the time we were apart but our hearts still called to each other, and the last stone for our future and what was to come.?
And something major was coming today.?
When we were ready, we made our way down the long, wide staircase from our two-floor home above the Inn and Pub, holding hands and giggling as we made our way to our friends.?
Everyone we loved gathered around the table. Eunice and Vance, Charlie and Tally, Sutton and Ryan, Jordan and Doyle, and the last two seats were left for us.?
When we walked into the sprawling dining room, everyone stood, and we passed out kisses and hugs to our guests. When I reached Doyle, he leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Will you let me know? I don’t want to be caught off guard,” he said, and I nodded quickly.?
“The trees look beautiful,” I said to Lee, as we took our seats at the head of the table.
?“All real, by the way. Only the best for my girl.” He put my hand in his and brought it to his mouth, kissing the top and rubbing his thumb across my ring, smiling widely, knowing.?
