“Those flowers are already starting to bloom, Hannah,” Bailey remarked as she peered out of the window beside her. “They’re looking gorgeous. I can’t wait to see how they’ll look when summer comes.”
“Yeah, everything looks better in summer,” Aaron agreed, shooting Xavier a conspiratorial grin. He knew what Aaron was planning, because he had had come to Xavier to ask for help picking out the ring. He could have gone to Hannah, but he was worried she might spill the beans to Bailey before he was ready, and he wanted it to come as a complete surprise. Xavier knew Aaron could hardly wait to see the look on her face.
“Good time for a wedding, too,” Aaron added as casually as he could.
Hannah frowned. “What do you mean, a wedding?”
Bailey’s lips parted in surprise, but before she could say anything else, Aaron handed his wine over to Xavier and dropped to one knee in front of Bailey.
Hannah’s hand flew to her mouth, and River spluttered into her drink in shock.
“Bailey, our paths to each other haven’t always been easy,” Aaron began as he reached into his pocket to pull out a ring. “But all that matters to me is that our path to our future is one we embark on together.” He popped open the box, showing off a glittering band with an oval-shaped diamond planted in the center.
Bailey’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head.
“Will you marry me, Bailey?”
“Yes! Of course I will!” she exclaimed, almost dropping her wine as she sprang to her feet.
Aaron laughed and stood up to meet her, planting his lips against hers and pulling her into a warm embrace.
Hannah squeezed Xavier’s hand gently as they watched the scene unfold in front of them, two of their friends dedicating themselves to one another.
“Now get that damn ring on my finger already,” Bailey ordered him, and everyone laughed as he slipped the sparkly ring onto her finger. She gazed at it for a moment and then back to him, sinking into his arms again.
The rest of the evening was spent celebrating the newly engaged couple. Sarah went to the kitchen to dig out a bottle of champagne, and they shared it as they toasted to Aaron and Bailey’s future happiness. It was a perfect evening, the antidote to everything they had been through with Sampson less than two weeks prior.
It was these nights at the lodge that Xavier lived for, surrounded by his friends, knowing he was safe…they all were safe…and there was nothing for him to worry about or fear any longer.
By the time the champagne was gone, he could tell Hannah was starting to get a little tipsy, and he led her outside so they could head back to their cabin. The two of them were living together now, as if he could spend a moment apart from her.
Even if his room hadn’t been trashed, he would have wanted to wake up next to her every day. Their little coffee dates every morning gave him a reason to get out of bed, and eating dinner together at their tiny kitchen table was the perfect way to end each day. He couldn’t ask for anything more.
He pulled her into his arms and planted his lips against hers in the cool evening air.
She giggled and smiled up at him, gazing at him with those beautiful eyes that still set his heart pounding in his chest. As he stared down at her, she cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t tell me that proposal has you feeling all romantic,” she teased him.
“It’s not that,” he replied. “Just you.”
He kissed her again, brushing his thumb over her cheek and pausing to take this moment in. There had been so many times where he had felt as though he would never feel true happiness again. Never be rid of the guilt weighing him down or the nightmares about his brother. But when he was with Hannah, it all seemed to fade away. He could just be there in the present with her.
He knew there was still a lot of work to be done when it came to healing himself entirely. But this? This was the start he needed. The reason he needed to keep going. To become the man she wanted him to be, the kind of man she could spend her life with. He would work every day of his life to make sure he got there.
“But there is something I want to tell you,” he murmured. “Something I should have said a long time ago.” He paused, looking down into her expectant eyes with a smile on his face. He wanted to linger in this moment forever. There were so many memories in his mind that he wished he could escape, but when he was with her, none of them seemed to matter. The only thing he cared about was her, and he wanted her to know just how deep his feelings for her ran.
She pushed her fingers into his hair, hand tracing the nape of his neck. He was sure she could tell what was on his mind. The two of them had felt this way about each other for so long now, but they hadn’t actually spoken the words out loud yet. He needed her to hear it from him. Needed her to know.
“I love you,” he told her softly, the words feeling right escaping his lips.
She smiled, that beautiful smile that seemed to light up the whole world around her, and stood on her tiptoes to plant her lips against his.
“I love you, too,” she replied. “Now, let’s get back to the cabin before I freeze out here.”
“Hmm, I can think of a few ways to keep you warm,” he remarked playfully, and she giggled.
“I bet you can,” she replied. “Why don’t you come show me?”
