Emilia’s birthday party was in full swung in a few hours. Kids were running around everywhere in the house. We’d set out tables with umbrellas behind the house on the beach. Dane and Leo had arranged for a bouncy castle at the last minute which was a huge hit with the kids. We even got an ice cream van to park next to it so everyone could get their fill.
My cake in the shape of Em’s favorite cartoon character - a purple dinosaur was doing the rounds and had all but disappeared by now.
The house was so busy, and we had so many guests to attend to that Dane and I hadn’t really had a chance to talk. I saw him now, standing next to the bouncy castle with a bottle of beer in his hand. He was talking to one of the other fathers and they were laughing together. Everyone in this town treated Dane like royalty, every time he showed up. It was like having a national celebrity in our midst.
He caught me looking at him, and he held my gaze and smiled. I had just finished serving everyone glasses of soda and when I looked up next I saw that he was walking towards me.
I placed the tray down on a table near me, because I knew he would take me in his arms. Which he did, encircling his arm around my waist and drawing me close to him.
“Em is having so much fun,” I said, accepting the kiss he gave me on my cheek.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Did you think I wouldn’t come?” he asked and I bit down on my lip and smiled. I didn’t care about anything else right then, other than just being in his arms. It was like the world stood still every time Dane was with me.
We looked at each other silently for a few moments, and I didn’t want it to end. But a different, more serious look appeared in Dane’s eyes, and I was worried that he had something important to say. I was afraid of hearing it. I didn’t want things to change between us.
“I quit my job, Sydney,” he said and I removed my hands from his chest in surprise.
“What?” I said, and realized that my words were choking up in my throat.
“I handed in my resignation to Matthew Bradbury,” he continued and a smile was forming on his face. I didn’t know what this meant, what it could lead to…was it a good thing?
“Sydney,” he said and came forward and caught my hand in his again.
“I don’t have to go back to New York,” he said and my hands flew to my mouth. I was in shock, in happy shock but shock nonetheless. I couldn’t even say a word. My eyes flitted around for Em, and I saw her in Cora’s lap. They were on the sand, trying to build sandcastles…she was too young for the bouncy caste any way.
I looked back at Dane, trying to clear my mind. He must have seen the look of confusion in my eyes and he lightly touch my cheek.
“What are you worried about, Sydney?” he asked gently and I licked my lips.
“What will you do here? You’ll be unhappy. How can you give up your life in New York? What you’ve worked for so hard,” I said to him and Dane smiled.
“I’m not giving up anything, I’m just retiring early. Retiring from that life,” he said and I gulped. The last thing I wanted was for Dane to be unhappy. It wouldn’t work for our relationship, if he was.
“And as to what I’ll do here…I have money to invest in. We could do up the B&B, maybe even open a bakery if you want to. In my spare time I could run an advisory firm from my home office,” he said and then he pulled me into his arms again.
“It’ll be fine, Sydney…I’ve been thinking about this for six months now and I have it all worked out. It isn’t a sudden decision and you’re wrong. I’m unhappy when I’m away from you and Em,” he said and we kissed again.
I was smiling again. Just the thought that Dane wouldn’t be going back to New York, that I could wake up every day to him in my bed…it was an exhilarating feeling.
So, I squealed when he let my hand go and dropped down to one knee. My hands flew to my mouth again and I felt my body shake. Other people had heard my squeal as well. I could sense their eyes on us.
Dane was on one knee looking up at me with a smile on his face, his eyes squinting against the sun. He was pulling a blue velvet box out of the pocket of his pants and now he popped it open and held it out towards me.
“Sydney Turner…will you do me the honor of being my wife?” he said and I felt the tears gushing down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe it. Dane Forsyth was proposing to me! He was holding a diamond ring the size of an M&M out at me.
“Yes! Of course!” I screamed and fell into his arms. People around us cheered and clapped as we kissed and then he slipped the ring on to my finger. Cora had brought Em over to us and Dane took her into his arms as well.
He couldn’t stop kissing me, and I couldn’t stop clinging to his arm. I had his ring on my finger, our daughter in my arms and a lifetime of happiness to look forward to. I couldn’t even remember what loneliness or heartache felt like anymore.
“We should put Em early to bed tonight,” Dane whispered in my ear and I felt my cheeks blush to a bright red, and it had nothing to do with the sun.