A month later…

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The summer sun warmed Cam’s little backyard studio perfectly. She stood by the window and looked out into the yard. Over the last few weeks, Cam had put her touch on the space by planting a few perennials and big pots of colorful flowers. Evan had picked up some oversized wicker chairs for them that she’d put in the corner, where they could watch the sun set behind the mountain in the evenings.

It was a gorgeous day, and what she really wanted to do was sit in those chairs right now with a glass of lemonade and a good book. But she had two photo sessions to edit and prepare for clients, as well as selecting some new shots for a gallery in Seattle who’d offered to show her work. It wasn’t a big gallery, but the exposure was incredible and Cam still couldn’t believe that her photographs were hanging in a gallery anywhere. It still seemed surreal.

Everything in her life seemed surreal a lot of the time these days. As if it were too good to be true. But she refused to sit around and wait for her bubble to burst. That was her old way of thinking and Cam was no longer going to let herself fall into those patterns. She’d spent too many years pushing down her own desires and wants because she didn’t think she could have them, or even that she deserved them.

No longer.

“Knock knock.” Cam turned away from the window and her thoughts to see Christy at the door of her studio. One of the best things about being back in town was rekindling their friendship. “I hope I’m not interrupting. Evan said you were—”

“No. Not at all. I was just taking a break.”

Christy’s face lacked its usual relaxed smile. Cam crossed the room and took her hand. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Her friend nodded. “I am. I just…it’s fine. I just needed to see a friendly face.”

“Where’s Mark?”

Christy’s face crumpled. She swiped at the tears streaking down her face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. It’s just that…”

“Christy?” Cam put her arm around her friend and led her over to the chair. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Her friend nodded. “Everything’s fine.” Cam didn’t believe her. “I think it’s just all these hormones. I’m just so emotional. Really, I can’t stop crying.”

“Is Mark okay? Is everything between you…” Cam didn’t want to say it out loud even though she’d known for months that there was a lot of tension in her friend’s marriage. They hadn’t really talked about it, even though Cam had been meaning to ask her. She felt bad that she hadn’t been the type of friend she should have been.

Christy waved her away. “Yes. Mark’s fine.” She took the tissue Cam offered her and blew her nose. “I was just…I think this is going to be our last round of IVF and…” She started to cry again. “What if it doesn’t work?”

Cam squeezed her friend in a fierce hug. Christy had already been through so much. “You’ll be okay,” Cam said honestly. “If it doesn’t work, you will be okay. You and Mark both. You really will. I promise.”

Christy nodded against Cam’s shoulder. “I know. I really do. It’s just…”

“There are other options, you know?” Christy sat back and attempted a small smile. “I mean,” Cam continued, “you can always borrow Morgan.”

That had the desired effect and made Christy laugh, because just the day before they’d been talking about how difficult raising a teenager was and how it may very well be the reason for all of Cam’s recent gray hairs.

“She’s a great kid,” Christy said. “But she’s definitely your daughter. Stubborn just like her mama.”

The two of them spent a few more minutes talking about Morgan and her latest dramas, which mostly revolved around a curfew she didn’t think was fair and the recent part-time job she’d taken at Daisy’s since finishing up her community service. Fortunately, despite the trouble they’d gotten in together, Morgan and Jess were still close friends. A fact Cam was grateful for. The high school years were so much easier with a good group of friends. She should know.

After Christy excused herself, she tried to get some more work done but Cam couldn’t concentrate on the images in front of her of the computer screen of the happy couple she’d photographed at their wedding the weekend before. It was the first wedding she’d done and she’d been so focused on getting the couple’s shots just right that it wasn’t until later when she was flicking through them all on her computer that it hit her.

A wedding.

What would it be like to stand up in front of all their friends and family and declare her love for Evan after all these years?

That was what Evan wanted. She’d always known that on some level, even though he’d never come right out and said it. She looked at the ring on her left hand. It was a sapphire set in white gold with tiny, sparkling diamonds around it. He’d never said it was an engagement ring. He’d told her it was whatever she wanted it to be.

At the time, when he’d given it to her, she’d been overwhelmed with all the changes in her life and was still trying to get settled and adjusted to her new life. The idea of getting married again was too much and something she’d never considered. After all, she’d been married before. It was kind of crazy to want to do it again, wasn’t it?

But Evan was different. Not only that, but their love was different.

It deserved to be celebrated and recognized just as much as any other relationship. Maybe more.

And when Cam closed her eyes and pictured it, it no longer seemed crazy at all.

It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Cam got up from her desk and walked again to the sunny window. She could see straight across the yard and into the kitchen window, where Evan was at the sink, still in his uniform after his shift.

She twisted the ring on her finger one more time and, with a smile on her face, left her studio.

Cam didn’t even make it into the house before Evan met her on the lawn, a tray holding two glasses of lemonade in his hands. “Hi, beautiful. I thought maybe you could use a little break.”

She thanked him, but didn’t take a glass. Instead, she took the tray from him and placed it gently on the table between the wicker chairs before taking his hands in hers.

“What’s going on? You okay?”

She nodded. “I wanted to ask you a question.” He waited, so she continued. “When you gave me this ring, you told me it could be whatever I wanted it to be.”

“That’s right.” He turned her hands in his and squeezed. “It’s a symbol of my commitment to you, Cam. Whatever you want that to look like.”

She smiled and looked straight into his eyes. “When you gave it to me, there was so much going on, with Morgan and the move and…well, everything. I needed time to process it all.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“But there was one thing I didn’t need to process,” she continued. “And that’s how I feel for you. And how I’ve always felt. I still don’t understand completely why you want to take on all the craziness that is me and my life, but I believe you when you say you want it.”

He dropped her hands and held her face in his. “I want all your craziness, Cam, because I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She grinned. “And if it’s okay with you…I was hoping maybe this ring could be an engagement ring.”

He shook his head and took a step away from her. Cam’s heart fell.

But then right there in the yard, Evan dropped to one knee and took her hand in his. “More than anything I want to be your husband, Cam. I want to walk beside you every day for the rest of our lives. I want to fall asleep beside you and wake up to your beautiful face. Your heart is the only one that’s ever captured me so completely and you would make me the happiest man in the world if you agreed to be my wife.” She took a sharp breath but Evan wasn’t done. “Cam Riley, you’re the love of my life and you always will be. For goodness sake, will you finally marry me?”

She laughed but her eyes filled with tears that she swiped away while she nodded. “Yes,” she said. “A million times yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”

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