EPILOGUE
Maxwell—
I lay on my side on the blanket spread out over the grass. With my head in my hand, I looked down at my sleeping wife and drew a piece of straw grass across her face.
She cracked open an eye and smiled, batting it away with her hand.
I chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her. “You were sleeping.”
“I was just resting my eyes.”
I twisted my head to look out over the view from our spot. “I’m glad Mrs. Larsen could watch Ben and let us have some time alone today. It’s a special day.”
She giggled. “Max, are you saying you actually remembered?”
“Of course I remembered.” I nodded toward the tree. “One year ago today I brought you up here and told you I loved you.”
“And I said it back.”
I grinned and dipped my head to brush my lips over hers. “And you said it back.”
She tilted her head back to look over at the tree. “And you carved our initials in a heart.”
I grinned. “Hey, I’m a romantic guy.”
“Yes, you are.” She cupped my bearded face in her hands. “You’ve done a lot of romantic things for me, all the letters you wrote…” Suddenly she sat up, her mouth falling open.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, she scrambled to her feet and dashed over to the tree. She dug around, pushing piles of leaves to the side until she came up with a tin box, which she clutched to her chest and carried back over to me.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I’d forgotten about it. I carried it up here the day my aunt died. When my sister texted me, I left it by the tree where I’d set it down.”
I frowned. “You were up here that day?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
“I came here to think.”
“About what?”
“About you. About how much I loved you. I’d planned to go to you that day and tell you how wrong I was and ask for forgiveness and another chance. But then…”
“You got that text.”
She nodded. “Yes. And everything changed.”
My eyes fell to the box. “What’s in it?”
Malee looked down at it, stroking her hand over it lovingly. “Your letters.”
I grinned. “Really? Let me see.”
She sat down next to me and opened the rusted box. “It’s been up here so long. But look, they’re okay.”
I watched her lift the stack and then I held my hand out. “I’ll bet there’s something you never noticed.”
She frowned at me as she passed me the stack. “What?”
I took them and fanned them out across the blanket. “Look at the first letter of each one.”
She looked down.
“What does it spell?”
Her eyes moved across them and her mouth dropped open.
“What does it say, Malee?”
In a soft voice she read the words out loud. “Marry me.”
“You were it for me. I knew it from the very first note I wrote you.”
She looked into my eyes and then lunged across the space dividing us to wrap her arms around my neck and kiss me.
When she pulled back, she looked up at me with sparkling eyes. “I love you, Max.”
“I love you, too, babe.”
Her eyes moved to the letters scattered on the blanket now. “You’re not the only one with a secret.”
My brows shot up. “Oh, yeah? You write some cryptic message in your letters, too?”
“Nope. Even better.”
“What, baby doll?”
“I’m pregnant.”
My smile disappeared, and I stared at her in shock. “Are you serious right now?”
She laughed. “I’m serious.”
I threw my head back and shouted to the heavens, “Whoo-hoo!” Then I grabbed her and rolled her to the blanket, crushing all the notes under us. I looked down at her, grinning, and brushed the hair back from her face, searching her eyes. Then my gaze dropped to her stomach, and I smoothed my palm lovingly over her belly.
“I take it you’re happy?” she whispered.
“Hell yes, I’m happy. A baby. You’re sure?” I grinned down at her as she nodded, then I added, “I ever tell you that twins run in my family?”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes got big.
I chuckled. I should tell her I was joking, but the look on her face was priceless. God, how I loved this woman. I dipped my head and kissed her again. I’ll tell her tomorrow. Maybe.
THE END