Chapter Forty-Two
Emma
I pull the red truck up to the huge farmhouse. Although it’s been a year since I first walked into Aiden’s life, I still smile with gratitude every time I come home. I never moved to a cottage. Aiden moved all my boxes into his room. I think for the first week we did nothing but play with our dogs, eat, sleep, and cling to each other. We both had a few nightmares about that horrible day in Linx where we barely escaped hell. We comforted each other through every bad dream.
Aiden quit fighting. I didn’t ask him to, but I am so happy he did. It kills me to see him get hurt. Mac handed the reins of the shelter over to Aiden. He runs the Heavenly Paws Sanctuary now. I help him. That is, when I am not in school. Some people discover their passion on their own, and others get hit in the head with it. Like in my case—I am going to be a veterinarian. I love animals. I’m partial to dogs, but I’ve always had a fascination with them. It’s going to be a long haul, but I have a great family in Aiden and Mac and our dogs. With them by my side, I feel I can do anything.
I enter the house, expecting the patter of paws to greet me, but no one is there. Usually, Aiden is making dinner by now. Mac has been teaching him Cuban cuisine and all the family recipes. Yeah, I am one lucky girl. But today the kitchen is empty. The paw magnet on the fridge has a note stuck to it.
Cooper, meet me at the dog run. Yours, Aiden.
I head out there. I plant my foot in the opening of the chain-link fence. Aiden comes over the hill with his pack just as he did the first day I saw him, except now they are our pack. I wonder if he even realizes that it’s exactly one year from that day.
We bring in new dogs and adopt out others. Our family constantly grows and shifts, but there is plenty of love to go around. One thing remains the same. Aiden Sheffield is still the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, inside and out. He smiles as he approaches me. The dogs all jump up and down for me to pet them.
“Sit,” Aiden commands. “I get the first greeting. You guys should know that by now.” They all sit. Some whine but Aiden silences them with one admonishing look.
“Hi, angel. I missed you today.” It’s the same thing he says to me every day.
“I missed you, too, baby.” My usual reply. He crushes his lips against mine.
When we break apart, the dogs are all staring at us. If they could roll their eyes, I think they would.
“So, what’s up?” I gesture to a setup of white-painted wooden tiles, each one balanced against a flat rock.
“I taught them a new trick. Wanna see?”
“Yeah, show me.”
Aiden unlatches the gate. He takes my hand, leads me around, and positions me in front of the signs. “Ready?”
“Yes.” My pulse races. I don’t think this is an ordinary trick.
Aiden whistles. “Take your places.” Each dog—tall, short, narrow, and wide—lines up next to one of the planks, like four-legged soldiers
“Now.”
They each flip over a sign. Well, most of them, anyway.
The black letters spell out: arry e Emma.
I laugh and jump into his arms. But Aiden is shaking his head. “C’mon, Chips and Peanut. You guys know how important this is to me.”
The two dogs flip over their signs so it reads Marry me, Emma.
“There we go,” Aiden says. He rewards each one with a treat.
“Yes,” I say.
He kisses me hard.
“Wait, there is more,” he says in his infomercial voice.
Faith runs over to me. I bend to pet her. She has a tiny pouch clipped to her collar. “What you got, girl?”
“I actually need that, Cooper. Can you hand it to me, please?”
I unclip it and hand it to him. Instead of getting down on one knee as I expect he clasps my hand and leads me to his car with Faith and Theo in tow.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He takes a bandana from his back pocket and ties it over my eyes.
“Can you see anything?”
“Are you serious?”
“Just don’t want you to see the next surprise until I’m ready.” He helps me into the car. “Now answer my question, angel.”
“I can’t see a thing, Aiden.” Except how much I want you right now.
I feel the seat belt cross me before he buckles it. He plants a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. The dogs jump into the backseat.
The car starts up. We drive for a few minutes. I’m squirming the whole way. Aiden laces his fingers through mine. I know we’re still driving on gravel, so he’s still on the property, but on the far side.
“How ’bout some music?” Sam Cooke’s beautiful voice fills up the car as he croons about what a wonderful world it is. I have to agree, Sam.
Aiden helps me from the car. With his firm hands on my hips, he leads me a few paces. “Right here, angel.”
“Can I take this off now?”
“No,” he says, kissing my neck. “Know what today is?”
“The day you drive me crazy?”
“Funny, smart-ass. Today is the one year anniversary of the day you walked into my life and changed my world.”
“I knew that.”
He unties the bandana. I blink, staring at the ranch house in front of me with its bright, shiny siding and dark green shutters.
I clap my hands over my mouth. “This is my house.”
“Not exactly, but it is the same footprint. The main house is huge, but I wanted us to have something of our own.”
“Can we go inside?”
“Yeah.”
He leads me up the walk, the dogs following behind us. He swings open the door and picks me up, carrying me inside.
“You’re supposed to do this after we’re married. Speaking of which, the dogs asked me on your behalf, but you still haven’t asked me.”
“I’m getting there. Patience. You know how long this took to plan?”
He sets me down and gives me a minute to take it all in. The inside is a blank canvas. I gasp taking in the floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves that flank a huge stone fireplace. There are hardwood floors and an open kitchen with stone countertops. The dogs instantly go lie down by the rug next to the fireplace, making it clear they are very familiar with the house.
“How did you keep this from me?”
“Wasn’t easy. The builder worked quick, though. I did the shelves myself. Do you like them?”
I notice one shelf is filled with records and dog-eared paperbacks. Acting as a bookend, is a small globe. My globe. The one I broke.
“Where did this come from?”
“I saved it. I’m sentimental like that.”
“You fixed it.”
He leans against the wall. “Turns out all the world needed was a little bit of glue.”
I spin it for old time’s sake. He leans over me and stops it.
“Where did we land?” I ask, tilting my head toward him.
“Where we always land—together.” He kisses my forehead.
“It’s a damn fine place to be.”
“That it is.” He steps back. “So, you like it? I left most of it empty figuring we could make it ours.”
He looks at me as if he’s unsure. Like I could somehow have any other reaction except joy to what he’s done. “I love it. We’re going to make a lot of happy memories here, Sheffield.”
His smile is full of relief. “Then let’s get started.” He backs away and bends on one knee. “Emma Grace Cooper, will you marry me? Will you be part of my pack? Will you be my lover, my best friend, my angel, and my wife?”
“Yes, you crazy boy. I’m yours. I love you so much.”
He slips the ring on my finger. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
He turns on the stereo system. “Iris” by the Goo Goo dolls comes on. How well did this man know me?
“They’re playing our song, angel. Dance with me.”
Ever have someone sway with you? Just hold you close and let you step on their feet without even complaining, staring at you the whole time with nothing but complete adoration on their face?
Well, it’s fucking incredible. Everyone should have a moment like this.
This is my moment.
I will always cherish it.