Page 101
Liam regarded her carefully. He’d finally met her mom and dad back in the spring, and while they were kind and respectful, Liam had seen, clear as day, the strained relationship they had with their daughter. Of course, that only deepened his desire to provide a stable home for Claire and their future children—a home and a family they could both be proud of.
“Like I said before,” Claire said, her words drawing him back to the present, “I’m ready for my next adventure. And that’s here. With you.”
She reached up, placing a sound kiss to his cheek before they walked on.
Liam’s anxiousness was settled once again. How had he ever been so lucky as to win the heart of this amazing woman? His own mum could hardly believe it.
“She’s truly one-of-a-kind, Liam,” Mum had said on more than one occasion, having taken to Claire as if she was her own daughter. “Your father would have loved her.”
Liam knew that to be true, as well.
He squeezed the box tighter in his pocket, hoping to ease out some of his stress. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. He knew she’d say yes. Well, he hoped she would. Just as he hoped he’d say the right words and kneel without toppling and not drop the ring and—
“So what are we doing tonight?” Claire asked, unknowingly pulling his attention to the present again.
“I thought it would be good to just relax. Give you a chance to get to bed early to recover from jetlag…and to rest up for tomorrow.”
She paused. “Wait, what’s tomorrow?”
He glanced at her sidelong. “Melody’s booked us tickets to see The Nutcracker again this year, this time with the whole family…and Dean.”
She released a sigh. “I guess we should’ve expected this. Oh, well. If we end the night how we did the last time we saw the ballet, I’m all for watching it again.”
She gave him a saucy wink, and he laughed. “You can count on it.”
A few minutes later, the two of them reached the stone structure. Liam stood behind Claire, wrapping his arms around her as they admired the view together. Large snowflakes still filled the air around them, falling down on the green bushes and red boxwoods to give them the appearance of having been decorated with royal icing.
“It’s stunning,” Claire breathed.
She was right. It was stunning. But she was even more so.
“Maybe I’ll work here instead of getting another job at a floral shop,” she said, nuzzling closer against his chest.
“Whatever you fancy, my darling.”
And he meant it. After spending the last year working remotely on his own passions, all of which Claire had fully supported and encouraged, he would do anything for the woman. Not only had he gained more followers, started up a website and shop, and sold prints to individual buyers, magazines, and private collectors, he’d also started up a funded YouTube channel to teach the basics of photography. And none of it would have been possible without Claire and her never-ending devotion.
“Whatever I fancy, huh?” she said. “Then maybe we could move to Cornwall so I could open up a shop there?”
He smiled, thinking back on their time spent there last September. “Just so long as you don’t have me repeating Ross Poldark’s lines at the cliffside again, we can live wherever you like.”
She laughed. “You enjoyed that, admit it.”
But he shook his head. “Never.”
With an exaggerated look of disappointment, she turned around to face him, her hands linked at the back of his neck. “Does that mean you won’t quote Mr. Thornton for me in the north either? Or Mr. Darcy in Derbyshire?”
He shook his head. “How about I come up with my own lines instead?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You think you can beat what Mando says to Grogu?”
He grinned. “At least allow me to try.”
She nodded, and instantly, Liam’s heart raced.
It was time.
* * *
