Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
ORDER
DAHLIA
He helps me into the kayak, steadying it with one hand, and gets in after me. It’s a face-to-face kayak. I didn’t even know they made them like this, but it makes it so much easier to talk like this.
As soon as we push off, I swear something in my chest goes weightless.
The paddle slices through the water with that crisp, satisfying sound I’ve only ever heard in videos or dreamed about.
A breeze brushes my hair over my shoulders.
The shoreline glows with the gorgeous lights from Windhaven.
And suddenly I’m having a full-on moment, because this feels like stepping straight into that picture hanging in our cabin—the gorgeous kayak scene I’ve been so drawn to.
It was like a portal to a life I wanted.
And now I’m living it.
Dylan’s watching me, and his brows lift.
“You okay?” he asks.
I laugh, but it’s shaky. “This feels like a dream.”
“A good dream?” he asks.
“The best kind of dream.”
“I’m glad,” he says, soft and certain. “Because I want this to be your real life.”
My throat tightens. I blink at the shimmer on the water, trying not to cry.
I’ve been extra emotional ever since everything that happened with my dad.
I was hurt he didn’t respond to my text, even though I told him I didn’t want to hear from him.
I’m just a mess of contradictions and unresolved feelings.
But this, what I have with Dylan, there are no uncertainties.
“What are you thinking?” he asks. “So many expressions are crossing your face.”
“I was just thinking about how priceless this is—what we have. I might be uncertain about a lot of things, but not about you, not about us. I trust you…and I believe in us.”
He puts his hand on his heart. “Dahlia,” he says softly.
“I never knew that, when I fell in your lap, I’d be down for the count. Fallen for keeps.”
His smile is the sweetest. “Luckiest day of my life.” He shakes his head.
“I never imagined I’d have this. I wanted to find love one day, but it felt so out of reach that I wasn’t sure I’d ever experience it.
Now I don’t want to live a day without you.
Turns out I’m all for love.” He laughs. “I’m all for us. ”
I smile at him, too overwhelmed to speak.
“You look like you’re about to write poetry about this moment,” he teases.
“I could,” I say. “And it would be beautiful.”
“Everything you do is beautiful.”
“See? You make it easy to consider poetry.”
He laughs, and then something catches his eye, and he goes still.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Look behind you.”
I turn and see two adult loons float near us. I gasp when one of them turns, and I see the two baby loons floating with them.
“Oh my goodness,” I breathe.
“Did you know that loons who have stayed together for years strengthen their bond with synchronized swimming?” he whispers.
I cover my mouth to not startle the loons by laughing too loud.
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“If they weren’t here right now, I’d totally synchronize swim with you,” he says, glancing over at me and pounding his heart lightly with his fist.
“I’d synchronize swim with you too, cornball,” I tell him.
“Aww. I know you would. Our timing is impeccable.” He looks at me and gives me a sexy smirk.
We watch the loons, and I shoot a few pictures of them with my phone to show Chloe later.
“Hey, Doll?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we could have a baby soon?”
I freeze.
“Are you serious?” I finally ask.
He steadies us and looks at me intently. “With all my heart.”
I press my lips together, feeling hysterical laughter bubbling in my chest. “We’re kinda doing everything backwards.”
“Backwards how?” he asks innocently. Which means probably not innocent at all.
“Like most people get married before deciding to have babies. And all the future things.”
“Oh,” he says brightly. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
I choke on my own breath. “What?”
“I’m so glad I’ve gotten you to say what you want,” he says proudly. “A kayak proposal. I love it.”
I stare at him, my mouth dropping open. “I-I, uh—”
“I accept,” he says grandly. “I, Dylan Whitman, accept your proposal.”
I sputter. “I didn’t—”
“You didn’t think I’d say yes? I say yes with all my heart,” he says earnestly.
His lips twitch, and I splash water on him.
And then we’re both laughing so hard the kayak threatens to tip. The loons float to a quieter section of water.
“I can’t believe you,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
“You suggested it,” he says.
“I didn’t!”
“You implied it.”
“I really didn’t.”
“You’re thinking about it now, though, aren’t you?” he says smugly.
“Because you brought it up!”
His head falls back, and he laughs so hard. I splash water on him again.
“So you don’t hate the idea,” he says through his laughter.
“No.”
He lifts his arm in triumph.
When we’ve calmed down, he leans over and touches my face.
“All teasing aside. I want babies with you. I want marriage with you. I want us living in the house of our dreams here…with random trips to California on a whim. I want it all in whichever order it happens, because I know whatever we do together will be amazing.”
“I want all of that too. A life with you. Marriage, babies,” I tell him.
“In that order, huh?” he teases.
I laugh. “Well, yes, I think I would prefer that this time.”
“Okay, I’m filing it all away in here.” He taps his head. “But…can I tell Goldie you proposed?”
I snort. “She’ll throw a party, and Juju will make a theme cake.”
“A kayak cake,” he says. “With strawberry filling.”
“That actually sounds pretty good.”
“Yeah? So it’s on? We’re doing this?”
I groan, but I’m laughing.
He leans forward. “Come here.”
I meet him in the middle, and we kiss. Just a gentle brush at first. And then he deepens it. His hand cups my jaw, and his thumb sweeps across my cheek. His lips part mine, and I feel every promise wrapped inside this moment.
By the time we paddle back, thanking the loon family for hanging out with us, the sky is a deep purple, and the water is a mirror of stars. He helps me out of the kayak, hands warm on my waist, steady and sure. He keeps touching me like he needs the contact.
We step onto the dock, both slightly damp and wobbly.
He brushes a strand of hair from my cheek. “Just for the record…I won’t push you with all those things. I’m patient. I’ll wait until you’re ready for it all.”
“Thank you,” I say softly. “I do want it all and maybe even soon…”
His eyes soften. “Yay,” he says softly.
I swat his chest. “I can’t believe you brought up babies in a kayak.”
“I know,” he says, grinning. “Trapped audience. No escape.”
“So evil.”
“In love,” he says emphatically.
I step closer, sliding my hands up his arms.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “Me too.”
This kiss is deep and slow…reverent. With promises of the future.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against his. “Backwards wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
He laughs softly. “I think backwards would look pretty damn great on us. Either way, I love you.”
And with his arms around me, I believe him.
“I love you too.”