EPILOGUE
EVAN
SIX MONTHS LATER
We finally took Melanie’s dad up on his offer to babysit at his house. It took six months for us all to get settled with the new living arrangement and, once we knew the kids were okay, we took advantage of the offer. Melanie and I dropped them off so we could go on a real date. Her father was as thrilled to see the kids as they were to see him. Liam had started to call him Papa Jake, and he loved every minute of it. He greeted us on the porch as Liam scurried inside, in search of the cookies he knew Papa Jake always kept just for him. I handed Hadley over to him and she snuggled happily against his chest.
“You two have a wonderful night,” he said.
“I’m gonna try,” I said, nodding.
“And the two of you take your time. If they fall asleep here, they’re more than welcome to stay,” Jacob said.
“Thanks, Dad,” Melanie said.
I placed my hand on the small of her back and led her back to the truck. I had reservations for us in one of the finest restaurants Bozeman had to offer. I had a table off to the side, settled in a cozy little corner flickering with candlelight. Melanie gasped at how decadent everything was, and soon we were ordering from one of the best menus in town. Her eyes were glowing with happiness while we sipped on the wine I had chilling at the table. Her head was on a swivel, taking everything in as we sat there together in our own little world.
“Evan, you didn’t have to do all of this,” Melanie said as we sat down.
“You’ve been very good to me and the kids. So, I wanted to spoil you a bit,” I said.
“I would’ve been just fine with going back to the cabin to take a bubble bath,” she said.
“Don’t worry. That’s in the plans as well if the kids don’t get restless,” I said.
“Oh, a night of pampering. I like it,” she said, grinning.
The night was filled with talking and laughing. It was one of the rare moments where I had Melanie’s attention without the kids around. We weren’t listening out for them in their beds and we weren’t keeping an ear out in case one of them got hurt. I had her undivided attention, which was rare in our home, and I wanted to make the most of it.
The waiter took our plates away before promptly settling our desserts in front of us, and Melanie crinkled her nose at the plate.
“Did we order dessert?” she asked.
But then her eyes drifted back to the dessert and I knew she’d seen it. Sitting right on top of the chocolate mousse was a thin slice of white chocolate. And sitting on top of the white chocolate was the ring I’d seen in the jewelry store two months ago.
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at me.
“Melanie, from the first moment you stepped into my cabin, you had sass. You knew your position, you understood your influence, and you made sure all of us were taken care of. You spotted the fact that I wasn’t eating, and you made sure it happened, even though we were strangers. From that moment on, I knew you were something special. A person to be treasured and cared for.”
I slid from the chair and got down onto one knee before I reached over and plucked the ring from the dessert.
“The change I’ve seen over the past six months has been incredible. You’re more adventurous and you’re less fearful. You’ve started coming into the shed with me to see what I’m working on instead of standing outside and yelling at me from the door. You walk with an inner strength I’d never seen in you until a few months ago. You astound me, Melanie. You leave me breathless every time I see you.”
“Evan,” she said, whispering. “Oh my gosh.”
“Our relationship has been the single best thing that has ever happened to me. You taught me how to trust again. How to love again. How to open myself up to the idea of life again. Your strength and fortitude is inspiring to me, and ever since you really let me in, I know this can work. I know we can work. And with this ring, this is what I promise—I promise to work the rest of my life to make sure you are happy and safe. I promise to work for the rest of my days making sure you have everything you could possibly want. I promise to love you, even when I don’t like you, and I promise to always stand in your corner, no matter what.”
Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I had to swallow hard to keep mine at bay.
“Melanie Peterson, light of my life—will you marry me?”
Everyone’s eyes were on us as Melanie nodded her head. She threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, the dessert forgotten as I stood and held her close to me. I could feel her nodding into my chest before she picked up her head, and her eyes sparkled with delight as she parted her lips.
“Yes, Evan. I will marry you.”
I slipped the ring onto her finger before I pulled her in for a kiss. The entire restaurant erupted into cheers and applause, surrounding our bodies with a thunderous noise. Our tongues collided in a heated battle, her arms locking around my neck as I pulled her close at the waist.
Her tears were dripping onto my skin as our lips swelled against one another’s.
“Oh, Evan. This ring. It’s—it’s beautiful.” she gushed.
I watched her gaze down at the simple diamond I’d purchased for her as my eyes danced around her beautiful form.
“There is nothing that looks more beautiful than you tonight, my love,” I said.
Her eyes lifted to connect with mine and I could see all the love she had to give swimming around behind them.
“Except for when you were freezing in the snow. You looked radiant when you were freezing in the snow,” I said.
She threw her head back and laughed before she playfully shoved my arm. Her tears were glistening in her eyes as I wrapped my arm around her waist again. I pulled her up toward me, her breath pulsing upon my lips as I gazed into her deep blue eyes.
“To our future,” I said before I kissed her again.
And the restaurant went wild.
The End