I pinch my lips together to stifle a smile as my hand tightens around the ring box.
“Or perhaps it’s a secret quest,” he says boisterously. “Allow me to provide sustenance for your epic journey, friends.”
He waves his hands in a wild flourish over the barrel of pickles like he’s trying to cast a spell. Then he takes a set of tongs and fishes around for a good one. He holds it out and blesses it before sliding it into the baggie and rolling it up almost like a joint.
“You have been pickled! And now I will pickle you”—he points the tongs at Callie, then me—“and you will watch.”
“Never thought I’d be cuckolded over a pickle,” I mutter.
The man’s lips twitch, but to his credit, he manages to keep his laughter from spilling out. He blesses our pickles and gives them to Callie. I hand him the cash and slide an extra tip into the jar.
“Go forth and save the world, my friends,” The Pickle Peddler says.
I slip the ring box out of my pocket just enough for him to see it. He gives me a covert thumbs-up as I guide Callie away from his booth.
We find a small picnic table and take a seat side by side so we can watch the crowd milling about. Callie takes a bite of the pickle and smiles like she always does, but when I reach for the second one, her face pulls into a frown.
“Wait. I thought you didn’t like pickles.”
“I love pickles.” I unwrap it and take a big bite.
“Then why?—”
I gaze at her intently. “I love you more.”
She leans in for a kiss, which I return with fervor.
My phone chimes in my pocket, starting us apart. “We have somewhere to be.”
I stand and offer her a hand up, leading her off the beaten path toward the location on the map my photographer sent me. She’s waiting for us in a clearing where the sun is beaming through the trees.
“Paige!” Callie says as soon as she spots her. “What are you doing here?”
“Your boyfriend hired me for a couples shoot.”
Callie turns to me with an awestruck expression on her gorgeous face. “You did this for me?”
I sweep an errant strand of hair away from her forehead. “You should know by now there’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.”
“You guys are so freaking cute!” Paige’s eyes widen when she looks at me. “Ready?”
I blow out a steadying breath. “Let’s do this.”
Paige directs us into various intimate poses. Callie’s a natural in front of the camera. I should be, too, but the whole time I’m a mess of nerves. Finally, when Callie and I are standing face to face, I give Paige the cue. “Can we try something else?”
Paige grins. “As you wish.”
I drop to one knee and pull out the ring.
Callie stumbles back a step, covering her mouth with her hands.
“Calliope Alexandra Marsden. Once upon a time, I was a broken man. Cautious and jaded. But everything changed when I met you. In spite of everything you’ve been through, you love fiercely, and your kindness knows no bounds. I’ve always been drawn to your strength, but it was your heart that called to me. Our story has always been a bit unconventional, but I always knew it would end in happily ever after. Will you marry me?”
She nods jerkily and whispers, “Yes. Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”
My heart beats out an erratic rhythm as I slip the oval diamond ring onto her finger, then sweep her into my arms and seal my words with a passionate kiss. Loving Callie was inevitable, and I plan to spend the rest of my life proving myself worthy.
Epilogue
