Avery snuck into Cat’s place. He’d been watching for her to leave so he could put his plan into action. She’d been back and forth all day, carrying in all sorts of building and painting supplies. He didn’t know how much time he had and he’d employed Drew to help him lug in the items he’d gathered. Luckily, Cat hadn’t locked the place up. He didn’t want to explain how he broke in. Regardless of what he had planned, he knew she wouldn’t take that lightly.

“What’s all this?” Drew asked. “You setting up a special date or something?”

Something like that. The most important date of his life so far. “Just hurry and hang those lights.”

“I never thought you’d go for this romantic stuff. Seriously, aren’t twinkling lights over the top?”

“Just shut up and do what you’re told. And hurry it up.”

Drew grumbled under his breath, but he got busy hanging the twinkling lights around the room while Avery scattered rose petals over the floor. He had a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries he’d conned Leif into preparing and a bucket of chilled champagne sitting on the white, linen tablecloth he’d covered her display table with. A dozen long-stem roses lay across the middle, wrapped in a white bow.

Next, he hooked his iPhone up to the speakers he’d grabbed from his apartment and set his playlist to play.

“Damn, that is some sappy music,” Drew commented when the Everly Brothers started to sing, All I Have to is Dream.

He’d stacked the playlist with every damn romantic song he could think of, including the Righteous Brothers, Elvis Presley, and Roy Orbison. It was interesting that they were all sixties songs.

“You should be taking notes. Women like this kind of shit.” He should know, he’d spent the whole night researching the best ways to propose marriage. There were some pretty wild ideas out there. One involved a hot air balloon, which this time of year in Alaska made no sense. They’d die of exposure before he could get the words out.

A car pulled up outside.

“Crap, she’s here. Get lost.” Nerves flared to life and he started to sweat.

“How do you expect me to get lost?” Drew asked.

“There’s got to be a back door in here somewhere. Find it. If you can’t, then hide.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. Now beat it.”

Drew headed toward the stairs.

Avery heard another car, followed by multiple door slams.

Shit, she wasn’t alone.

Jack was the first to enter, followed by Hank, who took in the scene with one glance, his face splitting into the biggest smile Avery had ever seen on his dad’s face.

Cat and the rest of her family followed, including Ash who gave him a knowing nod and a thumbs up. They all wore ratty clothes to work in some carrying gallons of paint, rollers, and drop cloths.

He’d crashed a damn paint party.

“Avery?” Cat stepped forward, the crowd parting for her, all grins. Well, Kennadee seemed more skeptical than the rest. “What is all this?”

Well, here goes nothing.

So what if he had an audience? All that mattered was Cat and what answer she’d give him. If she turned him down again, he’d slink off no more miserable than he already was without her. He already knew what that felt like.

The Righteous Brothers started singing Unchained Melody, and he lowered himself to one knee in front of her. She gasped, her hand rushing up to cover her mouth. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it?

He took the velvet box out of his pocket and flipped open the top to reveal a bright green emerald the color of her eyes surrounded by a circle of diamonds.

“I love you, Catriona Wilde. Please marry me, be my wife, make a life with me, be the mother of my children, and make me the happiest man in Heartbreak. I know I don’t deserve you, but then no one does in my book. You are the only woman for me, and while marrying a Dawson is a high-risk endeavor, I promise to work every day at making you happy so that you never doubt how very much I love you.”

The room went still as everyone waited for Cat’s answer. She lowered her hand and gave him a look full of sass. Damn it, she wasn’t going to make this easy and just give him a simple one-word answer. But he hadn’t expected any less from the woman he loved.

“Now this is more like it,” she said.

“Cat, put the man out of his misery,” Jack said. Avery totally agreed with Jack, who he hoped would be his future father-in-law.

“This is my proposal, and I want to enjoy it,” Cat returned.

“Are you sure you want to marry such a merciless woman?” Ryder asked Avery.

“Yes,” Avery quickly responded. He hadn’t blinked in so long, not wanting to miss any minute change in Cat’s expression, that his eyes started to burn. At least he hoped that’s what was happening and tears weren’t forming. God knew his emotions were all over the place as he waited her out.

“Would you stand, Avery?” Cat asked, her tone soft.

Slowly, he got to his feet. She stepped toward him and cupped his face in her hands, a smile spreading over her lips as she reached up to kiss him.

He grabbed her, overwhelmed with fear, so afraid that she was kissing him goodbye that he held on tight, too tight, fisting his hands behind her in the cotton of her t-shirt. He thought he heard one of her sister’s sigh, while another declared, “How romantic.”

Cat broke the kiss and gazed into his eyes. “Yes, Avery Carrick Dawson, I will marry you.”

With an ecstatic shout, he picked her up and swung her around, her giddy laughter filling the room along with hoots and hollers from her family and his. Drew had snuck down the stairs and witnessed the whole thing, a sappy smile on his face.

Both Hank and Jack fist-bumped and then gave each other a man hug, slapping each other on the back. Ash pulled Sorene into his arms and kissed her. Kennadee’s skepticism changed into a welcoming smile, while Zoe dabbed at happy tears. Ryder and Dare shared a look.

“There goes another one,” Dare muttered. “At this rate, you’ll be next.”

“Bite your tongue, bro,” Ryder returned, giving his twin a push.

Avery set Cat down on her feet and slid the ring on her finger. Cat reached up and wiped at the moisture leaking from his eyes. Softly, she said, “Now that’s how you ask a woman to marry you. I love you, Avery.”

“Please, don’t ever stop.”

Regardless of the crowd, he kissed her, wondering when they’d be able to sneak away.

Cat broke the kiss, a twinkle in her eyes. She picked up the bottle of champagne and took Avery’s hand. “Please excuse us. I need to be alone with my fiancé.”

“Now, don’t be starting the honeymoon before the wedding vows,” Jack said.

“And here I thought you wanted grandchildren as soon as possible?” Cat said.

“Legitimate grandchildren.”

Cat winked and pulled Avery from the Mystic Heart. He’d known she was trouble from their first date, and he hated himself for fighting his feelings for so long. No longer—she was his, he was hers, and he would spend his lifetime not giving her any reason to doubt that. Once they breached the door, he swung her up into his arms and raced for his apartment, loving the sound of her laughter.