There’s a group of cars already parked near the entrance, and it clicks—this is some kind of event. Knox parks and rounds the truck, offering his hand to help me out. I take it, that familiar spark spreading over my skin when his fingers curl around mine. He tugs me gently, guiding me up the walkway.
We reach the door, and Knox pushes it open, the creaking of the hinges echoing in the quiet. We step into a stone corridor, the faint sounds of laughter and music drifting along the walls. It grows louder the farther we walk. When we emerge into a courtyard, my heart skips a beat. It’s filled with people I recognize. His friends, his family, all chatting and laughing. And then I see Bree.
What is she doing here?
I freeze, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. The rush of excitement hits me almost immediately, but it’s tangled with a layer of disbelief. I scan the crowd, my mind racing as I search for more familiar faces and try to fit all these pieces together.
Then everything falls silent, and we’re the center of attention. A flush creeps up my neck and spreads across my cheeks, my hand rising to my chest to steady the thumping of my heart.
“What’s going on?” I whisper, turning to Knox.
His gaze locks with mine, and for a moment, everything else falls away. The world blurs, leaving just the two of us. He’s looking right through me—or maybeintome—in a way that makes everything else irrelevant.
He steps closer, never breaking that connection. My breath catches in my throat, waiting for him to say something.
“I’ll never forget the day we met,” he starts, his voice smooth, but there’s a spark of mischief in his eyes. “I was just driving along, minding my own business, when out of nowhere, a car came barreling toward me. I swear, my life flashed before my eyes. Our tires screeched and coffee flew everywhere. I looked over and found you, hands gripping the wheel like your life depended on it.”
The crowd bursts into laughter, and I can’t help but join in, even as my cheeks turn bright red. Of course,hewould tell the story like that. It’s funny, but it’s also mortifying.
Still caught in my laughter, I throw him a glare, pretending to be outraged. His innocent smile cuts through, and all my frustrations melt away. He knows exactly how to make me forget about why I was annoyed in the first place.
I’m a sucker for that smile.
“Instead of being angry, I found myself captivated by the person in the car,” he goes on. “It’s funny how things work out. Just like that, everything shifted. You came into my life like a storm, shaking everything up in the best way.”
I blink as his words weave through my mind. Suddenly, I’m remembering all the small moments we’ve shared. The way his smile makes the world lighter. The way he holds me close. And, even when I’m confused and frustrated, how he never lets me drift too far. It’s not the big gestures that have stuck with me.
Despite all the chaos and messiness, the way everything turned upside down, the storm wasn’t destructive. It was astorm, yes, but a beautiful, life-altering one. And somewhere in the middle of that, I found a home.Him.
I take a deep breath, watching as he reaches into the sporran at his waist. He pulls out a small box and drops to one knee.
“Juliette,” he says. “From the moment you crashed into my life, everything changed. You’ve brought light into my world, challenged me, and made me a better man. I can’t imagine spending another day without you by my side.”
He opens the box, revealing a stunning diamond ring that sparkles in the fading light. “Will you marry me?”
There’s no stopping the tears that stream down my face. I don’t even want to try. My heart has already made its choice, loud and clear, and my hands shake as I reach for him.
“Yes,” I whisper, then louder, “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”
With the tenderness of a man who has all the patience in the world, he slides the most beautiful vintage ring onto my left hand.
I can’t stand not having his lips on mine any longer. I tug him to his feet, pulling him toward me with a need I can’t hold back.
The moment his arms wrap around me, it’s just the press of his body against mine and the kiss that explodes between us. The urgency is there, but he’s gentle in the way he cradles my face, in the way his lips move against mine like he’s memorizing me.
I kiss him back with everything I have.
This is it. This is forever.
The noise comes rushing back as we pull apart, the world snapping into focus. My breath is shaky, my heart thumping wildly in my chest as I glance down at the ring restingon my finger.
“It’s perfect,” I say, meeting Knox’s gaze. “You’re perfect. I can’t believe you did all this.”
His smile stretches wide, genuine and full of everything I’ve ever wanted. He pulls me close, his arm slipping around my waist. “Anything and everything for you,mo ghràidh,” he murmurs, his Scottish lilt sending a surge of longing straight through my chest.
This is so surreal, and just as I’m trying to absorb it all, Bree is in front of me, practically tackling me with a hug that nearly knocks me off balance. Her squeals of excitement make me laugh as she holds me tight.
“I can’t believe you kept this a secret!” I exclaim, still too stunned to fully comprehend everything happening around me.
