Page 172 of The Route to You

“But I can’t possibly accept this.”

“Yeah, you can. Because I’ve decided I’m going to marry you, Kyle Winnick. Even if you haven’t figured that out yet.” Her eyes glimmered. “Oh, you should know one more thing.”

“Two minutes,” an announcer cut in through a horn.

Kyle didn’t bother to turn to look toward the starting line. “What other thing?”

She gave him a hesitant grimace. “The reason I was late . . . is that I met with my lawyer and a journalist from The DC Gazette, as well as a reporter from Headlines at Cheyenne’s house for an hour this morning. I set the record straight on what happened last January with you, me, and Evan with tons of corroborating evidence I’ve spent the last four months gathering.”

Hoooooly fuck.

“What?” He stared at her.

She held her palms up and shrugged. “You don’t deserve to bear the burden for the shit that Evan did. You never did. And I’m an idiot for letting him get away with so much because it hurt you. I will say, I did accept my dad’s help with covering the lawyer’s fees for this, because I’m probably going to have a small battle on my hands. I don’t want to lose our home, but there’s a chance I might. But I know you and I can rebuild. And I’d rather rebuild from the ground up and give you your reputation back than sit on a house that I paid for with my silence.”

The horn cut through the morning air, and the mass of racers surged forward.

But Kyle remained where he stood, rooted and unable to move as he stared at the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

Another friend and teammate might have told him they should get moving, but Dean didn’t. He took a few steps farther away, leaving Kyle and Sloan standing there alone in the snow.

“Well, say something,” Sloan said with a smile that seemed suddenly frail.

Something?

He couldn’t even string two words together right now.

Evan. The NDA. Last January.

One big blur that, truthfully, he couldn’t regret.

Because it had all brought her back to him.

“You know what?” Kyle lowered his pack from his shoulders. “Fuck it.” He unzipped the pack, pulled his gloves off, and dug into it. His fingers collided with the soft velvet box and, as he pulled it out, Sloan gasped.

“I was going to do this after the race, but the race can wait for a minute. This can’t.” He opened the box to display the diamond ring inside.

She covered her mouth as she started to cry. “You want to marry me?”

“You kidding?” Tears stung his eyes. “I wanted to marry you the first time I kissed you. Sloan, I haven’t spoken to you yet about the letter Granny left for me. It took me a while, but I finally understood what she meant. Sometimes the road we tread isn’t direct or easy. Sometimes the route is bumpy, but those bumps and turnarounds grow and change you, often for the better. And often for the right person at the right time. I think my route to you just got a little bumpy, but it’s no less important. I love you. I will always love you. So, will you marry me?”

She nodded, teary-eyed and smiling as he pushed the ring onto her finger.

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard, and this time, Dean gave a quiet clap.

They laughed and glanced at him, and Kyle felt his face flush. His camera crew had been rolling the whole time—his family watching things live.

So much for surprising them with the news we’re engaged.

“I take it we’re not moving forward?” Dean asked, gesturing back toward the starting line.

Kyle hesitated. “Um⁠—”

“Of course he’s going.” Sloan bent and grabbed his pack from the snow. “Hurry up, Kyle Winnick. I’ll be waiting for you at the finish line.”

“Promise?” he asked as she helped him put his gear on.

“Always. Now go and get them. I’m proud of you. And I love you.” Sloan kissed him again, then released him.