She crumples up the plastic bag and that’s when she feels one more thing inside.
“What’s this?” she asks. “Did you cheat and put four things in?” She has already reached in the bag and pulled out the last item. It’s a small black velvet bag, cinched closed at the top.
“This one was a very recent addition,” I say as she opens the bag and a diamond ring falls into her palm.
She doesn’t say anything, just stares at her palm with her mouth open.
My chest suddenly feels tight so I take a deep breath and say, “Will you marry me, Catey?”
She picks up the ring with her fingers very delicately and finally looks up and smiles at me. I see the tears in her eyes and when she blinks they spill over and run down her face.
“Yes,” she says.
I wipe the tears from her face and pull her close. She claims my lips with her own, showing me the love and happiness she feels. I show her right back.
Epilogue
Cate
It took a few weeks but we were finally able to arrange dinner with Bree and Heath. We met them at a really nice restaurant in Rio, a larger town right outside of Winterhaven. They were already sitting at the bar when we got there.
“Hi, guys!” I say as we walk up behind them, getting their attention.
“Hi!” Bree says. She throws herself into my arms and we share a big hug. “I’m so glad we are doing this! I really needed it,” she says into my ear.
“I know, I’ve really missed you!” I’m still holding her close, enjoying the connection.
Luckily Brogan and Heath have taken the initiative to introduce themselves to each other again. They met briefly before, but we’ve never actually gotten together since Brogan and I have been together. Brogan is ordering drinks from the bartender and they’ve already started talking about football.
“They said it would take about ten more minutes and our table would be ready. We decided to enjoy a drink before dinner. This is a celebration!”
“It is! So this is the first time you guys have been out since Leo was born?”
“Yes, Cate. And you know I love those boys with all of my heart, but a night out is just what the doctor ordered. Not to mention I’m finally in the mood again and I really need to get some tonight.”
“Wow!” I say, laughing. “You are in the mood for some excitement tonight. Dinner shouldn’t last too long and then you guys will have to get home and have some much needed alone time.”
“That sounds perfect. But I don’t want to rush our time together, either. It feels so great getting together with you again. It has been too long. I feel like I don’t know what’s going on in your life! Like how are you and Brogan? How’s the coffee shop? Is there enough help while I’m still out?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to catch up. The coffee shop is great, you don’t need to worry about it at all. I’m sure that’s the last thing on your mind.”
“That’s true. To be honest, I haven’t thought about work at all.”
“Of course not! You’re busy snuggling your little boys. The only thing you need to be doing right now.”
Brogan hands me a glass of wine. I thank him and take a drink as the hostess comes over and tells us that our table is ready. Brogan puts his hand on my back as we follow her to the booth in the back of the restaurant.
It’s a very romantic place. The lighting is dim and there is a candle glowing on our table. There’s also a nice amount of privacy from one table to the next. Once we are seated and the waitress has brought waters and taken our first requests, I say, “We have some news.”
“Oh my gosh, what?” Bree says.
“We’re getting married,” I say, holding up my left hand and showing off my ring.
“Ahhh!” Bree says. “That’s so exciting! I’m so happy for you guys!”
She pushes Heath to get him to move back out of the booth and then scoots out herself. She motions for me to get out so she can hug me again.
“I should have told you guys before we sat down,” I say.
“Congratulations, guys,” Heath says, shaking Brogan’s hand. I give him a hug once Bree lets me go.
“Thanks,” Brogan and I say together.
“I have a question for you, Bree,” I say when we’re all seated back in our booth. “Will you be my matron of honor?”
“Of course!” she says. She covers her mouth and I can see she’s getting choked up.
“Everything’s fine, guys. We’re still dealing with some pregnancy hormones here,” Heath says.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. Everything makes me cry these days,” Bree says.
“Don’t apologize. We’re glad that you’re happy,” I say.
Heath leans over and gives Bree a kiss, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and tucking her close to his side.
Brogan catches my eye and we share a moment behind our menus. He has scruff growing on his face and it looks unbelievably sexy. I’ve been teasing him that he’s getting ready for winter. He has threatened to grow a full-on beard and the thought of it turns me on. I wouldn’t mind having a mountain man in my bed at night.
“Have you guys picked a date?” Heath asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“We wanted to try for this summer. I don’t know if it’s possible, but that’s our goal,” I say.
“We’ll make it work,” Bree says. “Just let me know what I can do to help.”
“Thanks! We really appreciate it,” I say. “We haven’t done much with planning yet, have we?”
Brogan laughs while taking a bite of bread. “We haven’t had much time, that’s the problem.”
“That’s true. Maybe once the football season is over we’ll have more time. Or maybe once we hire more help at the coffee shop,” I say. “We’ll start by figuring out the date, first. That’s a good starting point.”
“Whatever you want, babe. This is your show and I want you to be happy,” Brogan says.
All I can do is smile.
Dinner is perfect. I was looking for this connection again with Bree and it makes it even better that our significant others are getting along so well, too. We order our food, get refills of our drinks, and then even more refills of our drinks until the check comes.
I’m sure by this point Heath and Bree are eager to get home. I’m excited to take my man home with me tonight, too. It’s the best feeling, knowing that he’s mine and only mine, forever.
In the parking lot, we hug and say our goodbyes. Bree tells me she’ll be in touch soon to help me start the whole wedding planning process. And then Brogan and I are driving home. The temperature has dropped down into the thirties so I’ve turned the heat on in the car to warm me up.
“I really like that guy,” Brogan says.
“Well that makes me really happy. He’s a good guy. Bree met him when she first moved to Winterhaven. They both worked at Jack’s Bar and Grill together.”
“He’s definitely the kind of guy I’d hang out with. Bree has good taste.”
“It sounds like you have a bit of a man-crush, babe.” I can’t keep the giggle from my voice.
“It’s not a man-crush…he’s a cool guy.”
“I know, I’m teasing you.” I lean over and kiss his cheek while he’s driving and then rest my head on his shoulder. “I think we should decide on the date for our wedding…soon. What do you think?”
“I think I’d like to get married tomorrow if that were possible. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”
“That’s sweet.” I let my arm slide along his stomach and rest on his side. “We’ll have to look at the calendar and pick a date.”
“Perfect. Maybe not tonight, though. Tonight I’d like to have my way with you.”
“I like the sound of that,” I say, giving him a squeeze around his waist. “But tell me really quickly what you’re thinking. Do you like the idea of a summer wedding?”
“Yes, especially early summer, before training camp starts. That would be
great. Or we could do a destination wedding. Fly our closest family and friends to a beautiful resort somewhere and get married on the beach. We could make love under the stars in the soft white sand.”
“Hmmm, sign me up for that one. That sounds really nice.”
“It does sound nice. And we could do that anytime once football season is over. And how awesome would it be to go on a vacation together?”
“Yeah, that would be amazing. It has been a long time since I’ve been on a vacation.”
“That’s because it’s hard work running your own business. You deserve some time off.”
“You know, you’re right. We both deserve some time off.” My eyes are closed and the rumble of Brogan’s voice in his chest when he talks is soothing me to sleep. I nod off. It feels like a minute later when my eyes snap back open but the clock on the dash tells me it has been closer to twenty minutes.
I sit back up and rub my hands over my face. “Oh man, I fell asleep,” I say.
“I could tell. You had a nice rhythm to your breathing.” Brogan glances at me and there’s a mischievous smile playing at his lips. I glance out the window and though it’s dark I can tell we’re not back in Winterhaven yet.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Well, I know it’s late, but I have a surprise for you and I couldn’t wait any longer to show you.”
The haze of sleep I was feeling is instantly gone and I’m sitting straight up in the seat, squinting out of the window trying to figure out where we’re going.
“This is very exciting, babe, but we’re in the middle of nowhere out here.”
“That is partly true.” He has pulled into a long driveway that I didn’t see initially because of the dense trees creating a wall along the side of the road. “If we were to keep driving for another ten minutes, we’d be at Bree and Heath’s place.”
“Seriously? I’m so turned around in the dark.” I’m watching the road intently in front of us and after another few seconds the headlights illuminate a huge house tucked back on a few acres of land. I have a feeling I know what is coming next and my heart is beating so powerfully in my chest I feel like I could scare away some of the wildlife around here.
Brogan parks the car but leaves the high beams on so we can see. “Come on,” he says and gets out of the car.
Without saying a word I get out of the car and follow him up to the big wrap-around porch. He takes my hand when we get to the steps so I don’t stumble in the dark and walks me up to the front door. He looks through the keys on his keychain until he finds the one he’s looking for.
With a smile that reaches from ear to ear, he steps up to the front door and unlocks it. I’m smiling back, but I still don’t speak as I step inside. I’m hesitant and stop right when I’m standing in the entryway.
“Welcome to our new home,” he says.
“What?” I say.
“You can’t stay in that rundown apartment anymore, Catey. So I bought us a house. We can do whatever you want to it to make it ours. Just tell me what you want to do and I’ll get people in here to make it happen.”
“Brogan, oh my God,” I say.
He’s having a hard time standing still. “Come on,” he says. “I want to show you around.”
He walks into the kitchen and turns on the light. I’m shocked when I see that the entire kitchen it updated and looks like it was recently remodeled. Holding hands, we walk from the kitchen into the dining room that opens into the living room. The entire back wall of the house is floor to ceiling windows with an amazing view of the wooded backyard.
“This house is so beautiful, I don’t know what to say.”
“So you like it?” he asks.
“Oh my God, I love it. I can’t believe your surprise is a house!”
“Well, I love you. And I’m going to take care of you and give you everything you need, starting right now.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips down to mine. “All I really need is you,” I say. And standing in the middle of the empty living room, his lips claim mine with a heart-stopping kiss.
***
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About the Author
Genevieve Matthews is a steamy romance novelist who specializes in men who know how to treat their ladies right. She lives in the heartland with her husband and two little boys. When she can find time, she likes to catch a movie, head out to dinner, or curl up with a good book.
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Also by Genevieve Matthews
A Cautious Heart (The Heart’s Temptation Series Book 1)
A Devoted Heart (The Heart's Temptation Series Book 2) Page 19
