EPILOGUE
EZRA
SIX MONTHS LATER
“These look amazing!” Lauren fawns over the finished marketing materials set to release in a few months for next spring's campaign. Though the crazed interest in her has dimmed since multiple celebrity scandals have cropped up recently, we chose to keep Lauren as our primary model anyway—she’s gorgeous, I love her, and I couldn’t care less about her influencer status, so it was a no-brainer.
“Kent did an excellent job,” I agree from behind her, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. Glossy brochures and posters are spread out on the conference table waiting for my final approval, but honestly, if Lauren’s happy then so am I.
“I guess if songwriting ever fails me, modeling can be my backup plan,” she jokes as if she wasn’t just nominated for a music award.
In between dates around Suitor’s Crossing and sex around the lodge and my cabin, Lauren scribbled a notebook full of new lyrics that eventually turned into three major hits for a popular country singer and one song promises to become an awards show darling.
“What if I have a better backup plan?”
She turns in my arms with a hum of curiosity, and a rash of nerves surges through me. This isn’t how I wanted to do this; I’d imagined whisking Lauren to Paris and romancing her with wine and chocolate, but the opportunity to know her answer now is too much to resist.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
Reaching into the inside pocket of my jacket, I retrieve the small velvet box I’ve kept close to my heart for the past month. It pops open with a soft click that Lauren’s surprised gasp quickly masks.
“I’m talking about the future. Marriage.” I drag a labored breath through my lungs. We’ve discussed our dreams of family and forever, but we never set a timeline. Six months ago, we barely knew each other, but this is Suitor’s Crossing—a town built on heart sparks , soulmates—and Lauren is mine.
Ignoring the slight tremble in my hand, I offer the ring to her, my heart literally in my hand. “I love you, Lauren Elaine soon-to-be Caldwell, I hope. From your unbelievable violet eyes to your sexy curves. From your immense talent to your kind heart. You’ve stolen all of my control, broken the boundaries I put on myself, and freed me to a life of love. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
Tears drip down her cheeks. The glossy sheen over her extraordinary purple gaze highlights the specks of deeper lavender buried within.
Is it normal for a woman to cry at a marriage proposal?
Lauren cups my cheeks and smiles, giving me hope that I haven’t totally fucked this up. “Yes, I’ll be your wife, Ezra.” She levers herself high enough to seal the promise with a kiss. “You’re my protector, my love. My muse . And my life wouldn’t be complete without you.”
“Thank fuck,” I groan.
Sweeping a hand across the table to toss all the papers to the floor, I lift my woman in my arms and set her on the cleared wood top. The ring easily slides onto her left hand, and I kiss the spot before showing my new fiancée exactly how much she means to me.
Something the whole of Hearthstone Lodge learns, too.
***
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