Page 39 of One Kiss

One year later

“The new house is like the daddy house to the one you just sold.” It’s bigger but with the same swoops and iron adornments, the rounded doorways and hardwoods, although this one is more modern with all the conveniences of a professional kitchen–we’re learning to cook together by taking a class his mom teaches at the college–and a pool in back. There’s a balcony on the backside of the master that overlooks the yard that stretches to a treeline that surrounds the entire back yard.

I nod at Molly. “Yeah.” She and Hunter have come to help us move in. He carries a box in from the truck and stops to drop a kiss on her cheek.

“How are things with Walker?” We haven’t had a lot of time to talk lately because she’s been busy trying to make a baby with Hunter and I’ve been busy with buying a house and selling mine.

I glance out the window to where he’s pulled the truck into the yard in front of the house and he’s unloading boxes. For a second, I lose myself watching him. Forget that she’s asked me a question.

“Belle? You in there? Or did I lose you?”

I grin and wave at Walker who looks up at me and smiles. “I’m here.” After a few more seconds of staring at him, I turn back to her. “He’s great. We’re great.” Living with him has been better than I thought sharing a place with a boy would be. “And this house ticks all the boxes. Huge kitchen. Privacy. Close enough to town that neither one of us are driving for hours to get to work.”

“Extra bedrooms for when you want to start a family.”

My cheeks flush with heat. “We aren’t there yet. We haven’t even talked about marriage.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you don’t believe in marriage.” And she’s smug because once upon a time, I told her that marriage is for fools and that I didn’t think there was enough ink in the world to make a piece of paper more important than my feelings.

“I mean…” I shrug. “I think I might be able to get my head around being Mrs. Walker Winslow.” The thought brings a smile I feel all the way to my toes. “Eventually.”

And like saying his name summoned him, he wraps his arms around me from behind and turns me for a kiss.

When we part, he leans his forehead against mine. “I love you, Belle.”

When Caleb cheated on me, I thought I’d never be able to get past that hurt enough to let someone else in. But now that I have Walker, I know that what I had with caleb wasn’t real love. It was attraction, maybe some infatuation, but what I felt back then is nothing like this. This is intense and weightless. It’s deep and powerful. It’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever felt before in my life and I can see us growing old together.

“I love you, too.”

And then he lets go, drops to one knee and holds a black velvet ring box open in front of me. I don’t look at the ring yet because I can’t stop looking at him through the happy tears in my eyes.

“I was going to wait for the perfect moment to do this, but I can’t. I can’t wait another minute.” He’s looking up at me and I can see all the love, all the emotion that’s supposed to be there. All the years stretching out in front of us.

Thisisthe perfect moment and I’d tell him except I can’t. I don’t want to ruin it by interrupting.

“I never thought that I could ever love a person as much as I love you. I just didn’t think it’s possible to have such feeling inside of me.” His voice wavers, and it’s the most perfect sound I’ve ever heard. “I can’t stand the thought of living even one day without you. I know I’m not perfect, but being with you makes me want to be better. I want us to build our lives together. And our family. Please, marry me, Belle.”

I nod because my throat is thick with emotion. He’s talking about our future and making a life together. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted to hear, and I can’t speak, but I want him to know the answer is yes. A thousand times I’d say yes.

He pulls the ring from the box and drops the box on the plush carpet, then slides the ring on my finger–it’s emerald cut and surrounded by smaller diamonds and I’d stare it all night, but he stands, pulls me close to him and kisses me.

I hold out my hand and stare at the brilliance of not only the diamond, but what the diamond means. I’m going to be Mrs. Walker Winslow, and I can’t wait.

Molly and Hunter are holding each other, watching the best moment of my entire life unfold as Cheddar prances through the living room with Swiss trailing close behind. Cheddar winds through Walker’s legs and Swiss follows.

We’ve already started our family and our future. The rest will come in time. And so long as Walker’s beside me, I can’t wait.