Luke’s face looks so serious that I wonder if I’ve misread this whole situation. Maybe last night wasn’t the loving make-up sex I thought it was — maybe it was goodbye sex. I hold my breath, looking up at Luke and waiting for him to speak.

“Why in the hell did you sell Bailey Living?” he finally asks. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I breathe out in relief. “It was what Dad wanted.”

“But he left the company to you.”

I shake my head. “It was supposed to be a temporary measure. He’d already started making plans to sell it — in fact, he’d even arranged a meeting to discuss the option with your brother. He wanted you guys to take it over. I guess he got too sick though, because he had to cancel the meeting at the last minute so Trent never knew.”

Luke shakes his head. “You know, I actually remember him saying he had a meeting with your Dad. I never imagined that’s what he wanted. How did you find out?”

“He left me a letter. The most beautiful letter, actually.”

“And you just got the letter now?”

“Uh…” I pick at an invisible thread on the soft green quilt. “Actually, it was in a pile of papers from the lawyer’s office. I’ve had it this whole time, I just didn’t realize it.”

“Bree.” Luke pretends to look stern. At least, I think he’s pretending. “You know, you really could have saved us a lot of trouble if you’d found the letter earlier.”

“I know,” I laugh, burying my head in my hands. “But I can’t help but think everything worked out how it was meant to anyway.”

He kisses my bare shoulder. “Yeah, I guess it did.”

I bite my lip. “Do you … do you want to read the letter?”

He looks at me seriously. “Do you want me to read it? It’s okay if it’s private between you and your dad.”

I shake my head. “No, I want to share it with you.”

“Then I’d like to read it.”

I wrap the white bed sheet around me and pad down the hall to Dad’s office. I find the letter right where I left it, on the desk, and bring it back to the bedroom. I hand it to Luke.

He takes it reverently and I climb back onto the bed and sit silently beside him as he reads.

By the time he’s done, his eyes are glassy. He shakes his head, as if to clear it.

“That’s really special, Bree.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“Your Dad seems like he was a pretty great guy. I wish I’d gotten to know him better.”

“Me too.”

“Though, of course, he was wrong about one thing,” he says, rolling over and pulling me in to his arms.

“What’s that?”

“I’m way funnier than you.” He kisses my nose and grins.

I giggle. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

“Hey, I made you laugh just then, didn’t I?”

I swat playfully at him. “Doesn’t count. In the grand scheme of things, I’m much funnier.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “Bree, you are a lot of things. The most beautiful, definitely. Probably the smartest. Definitely the sweetest…”

His face starts to change as he talks. The smile falls away, replaced by a serious expression.

“The most talented,” he continues. “The most loyal. The bravest. The kindest.”

“Luke, please,” I flush. I can’t keep the smile off my face though.

He sits up. “I’m serious, Bree. I’ve never met a more perfect woman.”

“Luke, don’t be silly. I’m far from perfect.”

“That’s true,” he acknowledges seriously. “You’re definitely not as funny as you think you are.”

“Hey!” I swat him again and he grins. He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips, kissing the inside of my wrist.

“But you’re just about as close to perfect as I can imagine.”

I flush with pleasure, my toes curling under the sheets.

Luke studies me for another minute. Then he takes my hand again and pulls me to my feet.

“Come with me,” he says. His voice is hoarse.

“Where are we going?” I grab the sheet and wrap it around me again. Luke pauses long enough to pull on his boxer briefs.

“I don’t know,” Luke says. “Where did you put the sewing box I made for you?”

The sewing box?

“It’s in the dining room. Next to my sewing machine.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.”

He leads me out into the dining room and we stand beside the sewing box. The moment feels solemn somehow, with both of us standing there gazing down at it.

Luke pulls one of the iron knobs, opening up one side of the compartments. He looks up at me quizzically.

“It’s empty.”

“I know. I … I had a hard time bringing myself to use it. It made me sad.” It’s true. It had taken a week for me to even move it out of the middle of the living room and set it beside the table with my sewing machine.

Luke sighs and closes it again. He stands up and takes me into his arms.

“I’m sorry for making you sad,” he says kissing me.

“It’s okay,” I say, nuzzling against him. “This is helping.”

“Good.” He lets his nose rest lightly against mine. “I have something else that I hope might also help.”

“What’s that?”

For a minute he doesn’t say anything. He just keeps gazing into my eyes. His brown eyes are so dark that they almost look black. He licks his lips.

“Bree,” he starts. He runs his hands through his hair. Usually that means he’s nervous, but what in the world does he have to be nervous about?

“Yes?” I prod, when he still doesn’t say anything.

“The sewing box isn’t empty.”

My brow furrows. “Yes, it is. I never put anything in it.”

“You didn’t … but I did.”

Okay, now I’m just confused. “What are you talking about Luke?”

He lets go of my shoulders and then leans over the sewing box again. He presses on one of the inlaid diamonds on the top, and to my surprise, the piece of wood shifts and he lifts it off the top of the sewing box.

“Luke, what is that?”

“What can I say … I’m full of surprises.”

I laugh — or at least I start to. Then I see something glinting from inside the compartment.

“Luke…” My hand flies to my chest, covering my fluttering heart.

Instead of standing up, Luke drops to one knee.

“Oh my God.” I clutch the white sheet closer to my chest. My breath catches in my throat, my legs shake. “Oh my God,” I say again.

“Bree,” Luke starts. He takes a deep breath. “You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever met. But more than that, you’re the perfect woman for me. You challenge me. You inspire me. You center me. You ground me. You turn me on like crazy,” he adds with a grin.

I grin back at him as I brush away a stray tear that’s fallen down my cheek.

“You once told me that wherever your sewing machine was, is where your home was. That’s what you are for me. You feel like home, Bree, and when I’m with you, everything in the world seems right. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?”

“Oh my God,” I say again. It seems to be all I can say. I force myself to swallow and take a deep breath. “Yes, Luke. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

My own voice surprises me. Despite how my legs quiver, my voice doesn’t sound shaky or nervous at all. It sounds strong. Sure.

“You’re my home too, Luke,” I tell him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He stands and envelops me in a deep and passionate kiss. Then he pulls back and slides the ring onto my finger.

“God,” I breathe. “It’s perfect.” It really is — Luke has outdone himself. The ring is vintage, with a huge gleaming emerald stone instead of a diamond.

“I almost got something more traditional,” he admits. “But I saw that emerald and it just seemed to suit you. I’ll always remember you the first night I met you, when you were wearing that green dress.”

“It’s perfect,” I tell him. I hold my hand up to admire it. “You know, I actually have a pair of emerald earrings that look very similar to this. I actually almost wore them that night, but I dropped one of them in the toilet, and then it was this whole big thing, and I was already freaking out about being late to this thing…”

Luke has the strangest look on his face so I laugh. “Anyway, you don’t need to hear about my toilet earrings right now.”

“No, Bree, please, tell me more about these ‘toilet earrings’,” he teases.

“Shut-up.” I go back to admiring the ring, when something occurs to me. I stare up at Luke in horror. “Do you mean to tell me I’ve had an engagement ring sitting in my house for a month now?!”

He grins. “Yeah. You have. Remember when I said the truth of everything I felt was in this box? I wasn’t lying.”

I punch him lately. “You’re crazy. What if I had gotten rid of the sewing box?”

“Would you have done that?”

“No,” I admit.

“Then there you go.”

I twist the ring around my finger. “But, wait, you dropped this off over a month ago. Well before I had decided to sell the company. What were you going to do about the IPO?”

He shakes his head. “I was going to do whatever the fuck I had to do to keep you,” he says. “Your father may have loved you more than he loved his company, but he isn’t the only man in your life who felt that way. I would have walked away from Loft & Barn if I had to. If it meant getting to be with you.”

“Oh, Luke.” I press my lips against his again, drawing his body in close to mine. Somehow knowing that makes me love him even more. “I’m glad you don’t have to do that now.”

“Me too,” he admits with a chuckle. “And I’m glad you’re going to get to go back to Bounce.” His face freezes.

“What?” I ask, suddenly alarmed.

“You’re not going back to Paris now, right?”

I laugh. “No. Definitely not going back to Paris. Well, maybe for the odd business trip, but hopefully you’ll be able to come with me sometimes. I can’t wait for you to meet Margaux.”

He grins. “I’d like that too.”

I pull him close and run my hands through his messy brown hair.

“What would you say about going back to the bedroom so that I can fuck my brand new fiancee?” he asks, grazing his lips against mine.

I bite back a grin as my skin flushes. “I think that’s one of the better ideas you’ve ever had.”

“Just wait — you’re in for a lifetime of good ideas.”

I let him kiss me, but before we head back to the bedroom, I pause.

“Luke,” I whisper, pressing my lips against the shell of his ear. “When we tell our children and grandchildren the story of how we got engaged, can we skip the fact that we were both almost completely naked at the time?”

He roars with laughter. “Yes — we’ll definitely skip the fact that we were both almost naked.”

I grin. “Luke?”

“Yes, Bree?”

“Can you also make sure to mention that I’m the funny one?”

He laughs again and then silences me with another kiss. Just the feel of his lips against mine makes my pulse race and my knees week. I shiver as I realize this is what I have to look forward to — a lifetime of kisses from Luke.

I sigh happily as I let him lead me to the bedroom.