I pulled Gabi into my arms. “Are you ok?” I whispered.

She nodded. “I am.”

I saw a small smile on her face. “She deserves her mother. And her mother deserves to live without a crazy abusive husband. They are going to be together now. Because of you.”

I tilted her chin upward and kissed her soft lips. She tasted like apple cinnamon tonight.

Gabi sighed. “And if it wasn’t for that little girl, I don’t know that I would be here right now. She brought me too you and made sure I stayed.”

“Are you saying I scared you too?” I teased.

“You did have that Paul Bunyan beard. And you were walking around the orchard in your flannel like a mountain man.”

I stroked the side of my face. “Clean shaven now. And no flannel.”

“You do look rather sexy in a button-up shirt.” She grinned.

“Sexy enough to marry?” I asked.

“What?”

I pulled the ring from inside my pocket. I lowered to my knee as Gabi gasped. The diamond shimmered in the low light.

“Gabi Aprils. My she-mate. Love of my life. Will you marry me tonight? Under the autumn sky? Under the boughs of the apple trees? Will you be my wife?”

“You’re serious?”

I nodded. “Marry me.” I never thought I could be so fucking nervous about something. I’d already claimed her. Loved her. Put my cubs inside her. But this. This was out of my comfort zone.

“God, yes. I want to marry you.”

I pushed the ring over her knuckle as she collapsed into my lap. Our mouths collided in a fevered kiss. Our tongues twisted together as her breath became my breath. I could take her right here. I wanted her. Needed her. But I swore I was going to do one thing the human way, and I was certain that meant a ceremony first and the honeymoon second.

I lifted Gabi from the floor.

“Come on, I have something to show you.”

She followed me outside. The apple cart was decorated. She looked at me. “What is this?”

“Your escort to the ceremony.”

“This is really happening.”

I kissed her as she slid into the passenger side. “It’s happening, baby.”

I stepped on the pedal. We careened past the dancing guests. Charlene and Hank were dancing. We rolled beyond the bonfire where the men were successfully getting Axel drunk. We chugged up the hill, toward the pinnacle.

It had been a hell of a lot of work to ask Hank and the others to add this to the schedule today, but somehow they had squeezed it in.

As we approached the pinnacle I heard the sigh from Gabi’s lips. The orchard was strung with party lights.

“Boone,” she whispered.

I parked at the bottom of the hill and walked around the other side of the cart. I reached for Gabi’s hand and led her to the top of the pinnacle.

“There’s no one else here.” She looked around.

“Is that all right?” I asked. “It was kind of late notice. We can interrupt the Harvest Ball.”

She shook her head. “No. It’s perfect like this.”

“This is where we met. It’s my favorite place on the orchard. I couldn’t think of a better spot to marry you.”

“Me either.”

I walked around behind the tree where I first hid Annabelle out of sight. I picked up the bouquet I had made at the florist this afternoon. It was bright with autumn colors of orange, red, and gold. The roses were tipped with deep maroon and surrounded by berries. Abi wiped a tear from the corner of her eye when I handed it to her.

“They’re beautiful. It’s the most gorgeous bouquet.”

“We can do this again later,” I explained. “I’ll do whatever human tradition you need to do to make this marriage real to you. We can invite your family and Atlanta friends. Tonight, I wanted to do this wedding for you. Because I love you. Because you’re carrying our cubs. Because I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that you and our children are my forever.”

She touched a finger to my lips to silence me.

“This marriage is real to me, Boone. I know I’m yours in every way. And this is beautiful. I don’t need my parents. But maybe you should meet them soon.” She giggled.

“And the orchard?” I asked. “All of this is yours. You know that, right?”

She nodded. “I’m not leaving. Ever.”

I tipped her lips to mine. “I can’t wait until after the vows.” I took her lips, kissing them like she belonged to me. Like she was my bride. And I was her groom. I kissed her until there was no doubt tonight she was going to be my wife.