Epilogue
MALIK
ONE YEAR LATER
" D ad, if you don't make a decision soon, we'll be here until closing." Sage leans against the jewelry counter, exasperation clear in her voice. "It's just a ring."
"It's not just a ring," I correct her, studying the three diamond options the jeweler has laid out before us. "It's a promise. A symbol. It needs to be perfect."
One year. It's been one year since Jason Mills slunk out of Crimson Hollow with his tail between his legs, one year since Melody and I decided to stop hiding our relationship. One year of building a life together that I never imagined possible at this stage of my life.
"She'll love any of them because they're from you," Sage says, softening. "But if you're asking my professional opinion, the oval cut suits her personality best. Classic but not conventional. Like Melody."
I pick up the ring in question, a two-carat oval diamond set in rose gold with smaller stones flanking it. It catches the light, sending prisms dancing across the glass counter. "You think she'll say yes?"
Sage rolls her eyes. "The woman moved into your cabin permanently six months ago. She's practically adopted your friends as her own. She wears your t-shirts to bed and corrects anyone who suggests you're just dating. What do you think?"
Heat rises in my chest at the memory of Melody in one of my shirts, long legs bare, curls wild around her face as she grades papers at the kitchen table. Our kitchen table now.
"Mr. Harris?" The jeweler returns, elegant in her tailored suit. "Have you made your selection?"
"This one." I hand her the oval cut. "Can you have it sized by Friday?"
"Of course." She smiles knowingly. "Special occasion?"
"Our anniversary," I reply. "One year since we decided to make it official."
After completing the paperwork and making the payment, Sage and I walk to the Jeep parked outside. The autumn air carries the scent of pine and woodsmoke, Crimson Hollow preparing for the coming winter.
"So what's the plan?" Sage asks as we drive toward Bean & Bloom. "Please tell me you're not just going to hand her the box over dinner."
"Give me some credit," I say, mock offended. "I've got it all arranged."
"Details, old man. I need details."
I smile at her persistence. "The cliff lookout where I first took her hiking. Sunset. I've coordinated with Jake to set up lights in the trees and a small table. Venus is handling flowers. The Kanes are sending over a bottle of Iron Vine's best."
"Romantic," Sage approves. "Melody's going to cry."
"That's not the goal."
"But it's the inevitable outcome." She glances at me. "You know, a year ago, when you told me you were dating my best friend, I thought it would be weird forever. But you two...you fit. In a way that makes sense when it absolutely shouldn't."
"Thanks. I think."
"It's a compliment," she assures me. "You're happier than I've ever seen you. More present. Less brooding mountain man, more actual human person."
I can't argue with her assessment. Melody has changed me, softened my edges without weakening my core. The Malik Harris of a year ago would never have spent hours in a jewelry store, never have planned a romantic proposal, never have believed he deserved this kind of happiness.
"And Melody..." Sage continues. "She's flourishing here. The students adore her. She stands up to Principal Brightly when needed. She even told off that PTA mom who complained about her teaching 'inappropriate' literature."
Pride swells in my chest. "She's remarkable."
"You both are." Sage's voice turns serious. "I'm happy for you, Dad. Really."
I reach across to squeeze her hand. "Your blessing means everything, you know that."
"I know." She squeezes back. "Now don't screw up the proposal."
Friday evening arrives with perfect autumn weather, the sky painted in shades of amber and rose as the sun begins its descent behind the mountains. Golden aspens shimmer on the hillsides, and the first hint of snow dusts the distant peaks.
The air is crisp enough that Melody wears a cable-knit sweater, and our breath becomes visible in small clouds as we climb higher. She thinks we're having a simple anniversary picnic, unaware of the elaborate preparations Jake and I completed earlier in the day.
"Are we almost there?" she calls from a few paces behind me on the trail. "These new hiking boots are giving me blisters."
"Just around this bend," I promise, reaching back to take her hand. "Trust me, it's worth it."
When we round the corner to the lookout point, her gasp tells me Jake executed the plan perfectly.
Hundreds of tiny lights twinkle in the surrounding trees, casting a magical glow over the small table set for two.
A path of rose petals leads to the railing overlooking the valley where Crimson Hollow nestles between mountain peaks.
"Malik..." She turns to me, eyes wide. "What is all this?"
"Happy anniversary," I say simply, leading her to the table. "One year since you walked into school on my arm and told the world you loved me."
"And started the biggest scandal in Crimson Hollow history," she adds with a laugh. "Mrs. Peterson still clutches her pearls when she sees us together at the grocery store."
I pour two glasses of champagne, handing one to her. "To scandals, then."
"To us," she counters, touching her glass to mine. The crystal sings in the mountain air.
We eat the dinner I carefully packed, hefty chicken sandwiches with wild mushrooms and grilled pineapple from her favorite restaurant in town.
The conversation flows easily between us, comfortable silences interspersed with stories and plans.
As the sun dips lower, painting the sky in deepening purples, I know the moment has arrived.
"Walk with me?" I ask, standing and offering my hand.
She takes it without hesitation, following me to the railing where the valley spreads out below us. I position her in front of me, my arms wrapped around her waist as we watch the last rays of sunlight gild the tops of the pines.
"Remember the first time I brought you here?" I murmur against her hair. "Three months after we met."
"I remember," she says, leaning back against my chest. "You told me the Kootenay legend about the mountains being ancient guardians watching over the valley."
"And you said if they were watching, they'd seen some things in that cabin of mine."
Her laugh vibrates through both our bodies. "I stand by that assessment."
I turn her in my arms, needing to see her face for what comes next. "This past year has been the best of my life, Melody. You brought light and warmth into a life I thought would always be solitary. You challenged me, trusted me, loved me without reservation."
Her eyes soften as she realizes what's happening. "Malik..."
"Let me finish." I take her hands in mine. "I promised myself long ago that I would never make promises I couldn't keep. So I need you to know that what I'm about to ask comes with absolute certainty."
Releasing one of her hands, I reach into my pocket and withdraw the small velvet box. Her breath catches as I open it, revealing the oval diamond glinting in the fairy lights.
"I want forever with you, Melody Washington. I want mornings and evenings and all the moments in between. I want to build a life worthy of the gift you've given me by loving me." I drop to one knee, holding the ring up to her. "Will you marry me?"
Tears spill down her cheeks as she nods, unable to speak for a moment. "Yes," she finally manages. "Yes, of course I will."
I slide the ring onto her finger, then rise to capture her lips with mine. The kiss is salt-sweet with her tears, full of promise and passion. When we finally part, both breathless, she looks down at her hand.
"It's perfect," she whispers. "How did you know?"
"I had help," I admit. "Sage has opinions about diamond cuts."
Her laugh turns into another sob as she throws her arms around my neck. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." I hold her close, savoring the knowledge that this remarkable woman has chosen me, has agreed to share her life with mine.
The lights in the trees seem to brighten as darkness falls completely, creating our own private constellation. Below us, Crimson Hollow comes alive with evening lights, the small town that brought us together and embraced our unlikely love story.
"What happens now?" Melody asks, her head resting against my chest.
"Now we go home," I tell her. "And tomorrow we start planning our future."
"Home," she repeats, the word carrying weight and warmth. "I like the sound of that."
As we gather our things to head back down the mountain, I watch my fiancée admiring her ring in the twinkling lights.
One year ago, I was a solitary man with walls built high around my heart.
Now I'm planning a wedding with a woman half my age who somehow makes me feel both younger and wiser than my years.
The trail ahead is dark, but I know every step by heart. Melody's hand finds mine as we begin our descent, her trust in me absolute, even in the darkness. It's a metaphor for our relationship, I realize. Not always easy, not always clear, but guided by something deeper than sight.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, sensing my contemplative mood.
"How unexpected life can be," I reply honestly. "How the best things often come from the most unlikely beginnings."
She squeezes my hand. "Like a fake engagement turning into a real one?"
"Exactly like that."
The cabin lights come into view as we reach the bottom of the trail, warm and welcoming in the night. No longer my refuge from the world, but our home built on choice and love and second chances.
Tomorrow there will be phone calls to make and news to share. Tonight belongs to just the two of us, celebrating the journey from strangers to lovers to future husband and wife.
A journey that began with two simple words spoken in desperation at a club one year ago. "My fiancé."
Words that are finally, beautifully true.