Epilogue
EPILOGUE
T he warm summer breeze rustled through the trees and sent sparks from the bonfire toward the blue sky. Clara sat in front of the fire and watched the flames dance, enjoying the moment of peace. Heath had poured her a glass of wine to enjoy with her book before he’d taken the kids to the lake to fish.
She was in charge of keeping the blaze burning and ready to cook dinner later.
He was right. Waiting to take the kids camping was a good decision.
She smiled at the silly shrieks and giggles in the distance. The last six months had been filled with more laughter and happiness than her kids had ever experienced—than she’d ever experienced. Moving in with Heath created a beautiful world she’d never imagined possible. For the first time, she truly had a partner in life. A man who loved her with his entire being, as well as adored Davey and Avery.
She’d faced down her demons, attended a whole lot of therapy alone and with her kids, and found herself exactly where she wanted to be.
“Mama!” Davey yelled as he ran down the dirt path toward her. His fishing pole bobbed back and forth and something swung from the line. “I caught a fish!”
She clapped her hands and jumped to her feet. “Wow, buddy! That’s so exciting.” She stopped short of her son as the fish dangled in front of her. Lord help her if she was expected to take this thing off the hook.
Avery and Heath came into view. Avery skipped at his side while Heath carried both their poles along with a white cooler.
If they planned to eat what was caught, she hoped that cooler held more than the one little fish Davey snagged.
“Did you catch anything Avery?” she asked.
Avery shrugged. “Nah, I picked flowers.” She handed over a tiny bouquet of colorful wildflowers.
“These are beautiful.” Clara took the offering and placed a kiss on Avery’s brow. Nothing was sweeter than her children giving gifts they both were proud of. “Sounds like a productive outing. Fish and flowers. Who could want anything more?”
“What about forever?” Heath unloaded his arms and hooked his mouth into a sheepish grin before erasing the space between them. He captured one of her hands.
Tilting her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes, amused by the almost shy quality of his voice. “Excuse me?”
“The kids and I had a nice long talk while we were by the water. I asked them if they’re happy,” Heath said.
“We are,” Davey and Avery both said over giggles.
“And I asked them if they think we should make this thing permanent,” Heath continued.
“We do!” They both jumped up and down.
Heath pulled a ring box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.
Clara sucked in a breath. Tears blurred her vision but there was no mistaking the pure joy radiating from the kids’ faces.
“I’ve waited my whole life to find someone like you,” Heath said. “You’ve not only shown me what true love looks like, but you’ve given me a family. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to be a father figure to Avery and Davey. I want to make all three of you officially mine. Davey and Avery already gave me their blessing, so now it’s up to you. Will you be my wife?”
Avery tugged at her shirt. “Say yes, Mama.”
“Yeah,” Davey said. “Make Heath our dad.”
“Well give me a second to talk, please.” Clara shot her kids a wink before mirroring Heath’s position and falling to her knees. She didn’t want to be above him in this moment. They were equals in all ways, all the time. “The last few months you’ve showered me with more than I thought I deserved. You’ve given me space to heal and to grow and to be the best version of myself. You’ve captured my heart and my soul. You’ve opened yourself to Davey and Avery and showed me a side of unconditional love that melts me daily. I want nothing more than to be your wife.”
Heath gathered her in his arms and captured her mouth with his.
The kids cheered and clapped.
Chuckling, she pulled back and let Heath slide the square cut diamond onto her finger.
“All right, munchkins,” Heath said, opening his arms to them. “Family hug.”
The kids slammed against them, almost knocking them off balance.
“Can we call you Dad now?” Davey asked.
His earnestness turned Clara’s insides into mush and her heart grew impossibly larger.
Unshed tears in Heath’s eyes glimmered brighter than her new diamond. “You sure can, buddy.”
Overcome with happiness, Clara held her family tight, determined to never let them go.
* * *
Don’t miss out on the thrilling conclusion to the Safe Haven Women’s Shelter series with Katherine’s Last Hope