My eyes started to burn. “You do make me happy. And I hope with all my heart that it lasts forever.”
He smirked. “Are you saying you want to be with me forever?”
I bit my lip. “Maybe. Do you think one day you’ll ask me?”
Declan draped an arm over my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “You’ll just have to waitand see.”
The sky had started to turn purple, and Oscar was resting beside Declan. Everything was perfect.
Now that Kat was married, I couldn’t deny that I had a little bit of wedding fever. But I was a patient woman . . . at times. I looked forward to the day Declan asked me to be his wife.
I already knew what my answer would be.
Chapter 27
Declan
It’d taken me nine months to get the courage to walk through the doors of my brother’s Otsego Lake cabin, but I was here now, and I regretted not coming sooner. The weather was a lot cooler here in New York than it was in Alabama; I welcomed the reprieve from the heat. What made it even more amazing was that it felt as if Elijah was here with me, standing by my side and telling me everything was all right.
“I love this place,” my mother murmured. She came up beside me and stared out the window at my father and Ayla fishing off the dock. He was showing her how to cast and reel, and judging by the smile on his face, he was enjoying every minute of it. Deep down, I knew he and my mother always wanted adaughter. It just so happened that they were about to get one . . . that is, if she planned on saying yes.
“I do, too,” I agreed, glancing over at her. Like always, her long white hair was braided to the side.
There were tears in her light brown eyes and her lips trembled as she drank her coffee. It was the first weekend I’d seen her and my father since Elijah’s funeral.
“What flavor did you fix this morning?” I asked her.
Her lips pulled back into a smile when she looked at me and held up her cup. “Chocolate peanut butter cup. Want some?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “I’ll fix me some Hawaiian coconut in a few.”
“Ah yes, that one is your favorite, isn’t it?”
I nodded toward the window at Ayla. “Hers, too. Ayla’s going to go crazy when she finds out you’re concocting a Butterfinger-flavored coffee.”
She giggled. “Yes, she is. I can’t wait to see her face when she tries it. I’ll have it ready by Christmas.”
I draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close. “You’ll love Magnolia Grove. Ayla tells me they go all out on the Christmas decorations in town. It’ll be like you’re in a Hallmark movie.”
Excitement filled her eyes. “I know I’m going to love it. Now, if only there was snow in Alabama.”
That made me laugh. “Unfortunately, you won’t see a white Christmas down there like you could up here. Maybe next Christmas, Ayla and I can come visit you and Dad?”
She nodded. “Your father and I would love that.” Then, she bumped me with her elbow, her gaze filled with pride. “Just so you know, I’m very proud of you, Declan. Getting a job at the police department and settling down. You had me worried for a long time.”
I shrugged. “Settling down wasn’t something I was interested in. At least, not until I mether.” Ayla reeled in a fish and the delight on her face made me smile. She jumped up and down while my father took it off the line and snapped a picture on his phone of her holding it.
“Is Ayla happy about your new job?” my mother questioned.
“I would think so,” I said, chuckling. “It’s a lot safer than my last one. Nothing ever happens in Magnolia Grove.”
Well, except for Deluca trying to find and kill me. It’d been two months since all of that happened, and still, only Ayla and Linda were the only townsfolk who knew. Linda seemed to be handling it wellthat she killed a man. She wasn’t your typical woman, that was for sure. If she was younger, she’d make a great addition to the Circle of Justice. Without her help, Ian and I wouldn’t have found Ayla as fast as we did.
My mother rested her head against me. “I’ve missed you so much, Declan. It’s been an amazing weekend. I hate that your dad and I have to leave in a few minutes, but I know you need to get ready for your special evening.” She smiled down at Ayla and my father. “Looks like we’re going to have to make a point to visit more often, especially when she becomes your wife.”
I never thought I’d be nervous about asking Ayla to be my wife, but I was a little terrified.
“That’s if she says yes,” I said.
