“We don’t have long before she comes back,” Hannah said as Noah skimmed her cheek with the back of his finger.
The corner of his mouth lifted. “I cannot even summon the ability to care. Being away from you the last two weeks has been unbearable. Your mother can sit and listen to us speak, and I will gladly let her.”
“Gladly?” Hannah’s brow shot up.
Noah chuckled. “Very well. Perhaps not gladly. But at the very least, willingly.” His face lost a bit of its playfulness. “Now, I am going to look for a house to let. I want to step out on our own,” he said. “I want somewhere that can be ours together.”
Hannah shook her head.
“What?” Noah asked.
“Oh, it is nothing really. It is only hard to believe that you are speaking of marriage. Tome.”
“Well.” He nudged her chin with his finger. “When one falls in love with their dearest friend, what is there to hold them back?”
“Nothing, I suppose,” Hannah whispered.
His eyes roamed her face. “Would it be very inappropriate for me to kiss you right now?”
She chewed her lip as her smile widened. “Has some of my impulsivity worn off on you, Lord Noah?”
“I guess you could say that.” He smiled, and then he dipped his face, pressing a slow, gentle kiss to her lips. “You know,” he murmured, “You never told me you love me back.”
“What?” She pulled back. “I’m quite sure I did.”
He shook his head. “No. I said it, but you never did. I fear I cannot ask you to marry me unless I know for certain.” His smile gave him away.
Hannah chuckled. “Then I suppose I have no choice but to tell you how much I adore you.” Her eyes burned with fresh tears. Goodness, she was a watering pot as of late. She cleared her throat as she blinked the tears back. “I love you, Noah. You have made me feel seen in a way I never have before.”
“Well,” he said, resting his arm along the back of the chaise. “It was difficult not to see you when you quite literally slammed into me.”
Hannah pushed on his shoulder as she laughed.
He caught her hand. “And I am so glad you did, for my life will never be the same because of you.”
“Hannah,” Noah whispered as he reached up to graze a finger over her cheek. “My sweet, patient, unwavering, Hannah.”
“Yes?” She swallowed, trying to keep her words to a minimum lest she say something uncouth and ruin this moment.
“I know you do not enjoy dramatics or flowery sentiments.” His deep brown eyes held a meaning that no words could express.
She did not need his gracious sentiments. His gaze told her more than anything he could possibly say. But she knew Noah, and if he wanted to express his love, she would let him pour it out in whatever way he desired.
“But,” he said, his fingers nervously toying with a lock of her hair as his eyes strayed to it. “I have to tell you how much you mean to me. Before I even realized the romantic aspect of my feelings, you were so important to me. And now that I see what I had been blind to, I wonder how I never saw it before.” His eyes came back to hers. “I hated to be away from you. I wished to spend every day in your company. And now I am asking you to please say you will give me my heart’s desire and marry me.”
Hannah smiled and bit her lip as fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
“Marry me,” he said, grazing a thumb across her cheek, “so that we can lay awake until the early hours of morning, talking and laughing and sharing our hearts with one another. Marry me so that I can wake up and kiss the freckles that dust the top of your nose.” He pressed his brow to hers. “Marry me so that I can be the happiest man that has ever lived.”
Her cheeks warmed under his praise. “I will marry you, if you promise to end my agony . . .” His head perked up, brow puckered, causing her heart to flutter, “and kiss me.”
His grin widened. “Well, I can certainly do that.” Noah tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her as the sun streamed through the windows, warming her face. Apparently, Hannah had managed to incite change in at least one way at Warthford. Or, on one person. And, she found even if nothing else changed, that was enough for her.
More than enough.
Epilogue
Noahstretchedoutacrossthe blanket in the yard behind their home, lying with Hannah beneath the warm sun on a very lazy Saturday afternoon.
