Chapter Twenty-Five
Catherine
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“H EY,” I SAID AND TOUCHED his arm. “What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could take a walk on the beach.”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “That sounds nice. You’re trying to escape your party?”
“Not escape,” he said. “I just wanted to spend some time with you.”
“I’m certainly not going to complain about taking a walk on the beach in the moonlight. Isn’t that every girl’s dream?”
He let out a soft chuckle. “Is it? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been a girl.”
I swatted him gently for that, laughing as we started walking side by side toward the beach. The music and chatter from the party became drowned out by the sound of waves gently lapping at the shore. The salty breeze tugged at my dress and his hair, making everything feel unreal, like a scene straight out of a romance movie.
We stopped at the edge of the water, looking out at the moon’s reflection in the dark, glittering sea.
“Let’s go down this way,” he said, gently pulling me.
“Mr. Hastings, are you planning to seduce me?”
He laughed. “I’m always trying to seduce you.”
The beach wound around a slight corner. The party felt like it was miles away.
“Wait here,” he said.
“Where are you going?” I asked, a little concerned. It was fairly dark, and I wasn’t typically prone to being scared, but I didn’t want to be alone on the beach.
Suddenly, the beach ahead lit up with candles around a white blanket. “Timothy? What is going on?”
He put a little remote back in his pocket. “I wanted this to be special,” he said.
He took my hand and led me to the blanket surrounded by what looked like a hundred candles, which were just the little battery-operated ones.
“I wanted to tell you how much I love you,” he said.
“Timothy...” I whispered, my voice catching in my throat. A sense of wonder washed over me along with a sudden realization. He had coordinated this incredibly romantic surprise, and the effort he had put into it took my breath away.
He gently brushed a loose strand of hair from my face and tugged me closer. “You tumbled into my life, and from that moment on, things have never been the same. You are a breath of fresh air. You’ve shown me a sense of joy and love that I never thought I’d experience. You’ve been the best part of my every day since then.”
I was in awe, completely captivated and helpless against the rush of emotions flooding through me. I wanted to tell him I felt the same way, but I didn’t dare interrupt what sounded like it might have been a speech he had prepared.
“I want to spend the rest of my life chasing sunsets with you, Catherine,” he continued, his voice husky and filled with emotion. “Waking up next to you, sharing coffee in the morning, lazy Sundays, everything...I want it all with you. I want to be the man you can count on when things are rough.”
Tears welled up in my eyes and trickled down my cheeks before I could stop them. His words were more than I could process. I could only feel.
“I know how fast things are moving with us, and I don’t want to rush you, but I can’t imagine another day without knowing you’re mine forever. So...”
And then he was down on one knee, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. My heart hammered in my chest as he opened it. A beautiful diamond ring winked at me from inside. It was stunning, a simple band with a single diamond sitting atop it like a lonely star. It was simple and beautiful. I wanted to jump up and down and shout ‘yes,’ but he hadn’t asked the question. I had to wait.
“Catherine,” he began, his voice full of emotion, “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. There will never be another woman who makes me smile like you do. I want to spend my days smiling, Catherine. Will you marry me?”
The world around me seemed to freeze; the only thing I could focus on was Timothy staring into my eyes.
My heart swelled with love and gratitude, knowing that I had found my soul mate in him. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I looked into his eyes, seeing the depth of his love reflected in them.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I want to marry you.”
My heart was overflowing with happiness and love. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the beach and his love, I knew that I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Timothy took my hand and slid the ring on my finger before getting to his feet. “I cannot wait to marry you,” he said.
A smile played on his lips as he drew me into his arms, holding me close. “I love you,” he said, his voice whispering against my ear. The words tingled down my spine, bringing with them a sense of contentment and peace.
“Timothy Hastings, I love you too,” I replied, struggling to keep the tears at bay. But they were unstoppable at this point, cascading down my face in a flood of emotion. He held me tighter, as if he could absorb all the overflowing emotions.
We stood there for what felt like an eternity with the waves lapping against the shore. “I can’t believe you did all this,” I said.
“I had some help.”
“Who?”
“Paisley set all this up,” he said. “And she helped me pick out the ring.”
“She’s okay with this?” I asked.
“Are you kidding?” he laughed. “I think she might be more excited than both of us.”
“Good. I’ll talk to her. I don’t want her to think I’m going to steal you away.”
“She’s not worried,” he said. “We had a talk before any of this happened. I talked to your dad as well.”
I rolled my eyes. “You and my dad,” I teased.
“We should probably get back there. Paisely is going to think you shut me down and walked away.”
We walked down the beach holding hands once again. We had barely made it back to his property when Paisley rushed toward us.
“Well?” she asked.
I looked at Timothy. “I said yes!” I held up my hand to flaunt the ring.
Paisley squealed with delight, throwing her arms around us in a tight hug. “I knew it! I knew she’d say yes,” she exclaimed, her voice shrill with excitement.
Timothy chuckled, wrapping his arm around me. “Of course she did. Who could resist all this?” he teased, drawing laughter from both of us.
As we walked back into the party, a cheer went up around us. Everybody rushed forward to congratulate us. Amber hugged me. “Congratulations! Let me see the ring!”
I extended my hand, showing off the diamond ring that was now sitting comfortably on my finger. Amber gasped in delight. “Oh, Catherine, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed.
“Have you seen my dad?” I asked.
“Right here,” he said and emerged from the crowd.
“Dad,” I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arms. He enveloped me in a warm hug.
“I couldn’t possibly be happier for you, sweetheart,” he replied, pulling back to look at me. His eyes glossed over with tears, and a smile beamed on his face.
“Thank you, Dad,” I whispered. He wiped away a stray tear that fell down my cheek before turning to Timothy.
“Take care of my girl,” he said, offering Timothy a hand. They shook hands firmly, sharing an unspoken understanding.
“You have my word,” Timothy replied, wrapping his arm around my waist and drawing me close to him.
“Everyone, I would like to make the first toast to the happy couple,” Dad said, raising a champagne flute. I wasn’t going to lecture him about one glass of champagne.
“To my beautiful daughter Catherine and to Timothy,” he began, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. “May your hearts always be filled with love for each other. May you always find happiness in each other’s arms. And may your life together be full of joy, laughter, and many beautiful moments.”
Everyone raised their glasses as my father ended his toast. A chorus of “Cheers!” echoed through the crowd. The clinking of glasses filled the air as Timothy and I touched our glasses together, sharing a private smile before taking a sip of champagne.
As the night continued, more toasts were made, each one filled with heartfelt words and wishes for our future. My heart swelled with each passing moment, the reality seeping in deeper with every congratulatory hug and well-wish. I was engaged to the man I loved. I knew he was a catch. I was the lucky lady who’d managed to snare him.
Timothy held my hand throughout it all, his thumb gently rubbing over my knuckles in a comforting rhythm. His eyes never left mine. “I can’t believe we’re engaged,” he whispered into my ear.
“I know,” I answered.
“I can’t wait until we can be done with this party. I want to take you upstairs and celebrate in private.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
The party started to wind down with only a few people lingering. Timothy and I made our way into the house. We checked on Paisley, who was sound asleep in her room.
“The old people lasted longer than the teenager,” I giggled softly.
As we walked through the house, locking things up, we noticed my dad and Marcy sitting outside in the backyard, deep in conversation. I couldn’t help but smile. He needed a lady friend. I hoped they stayed in touch after we went home. I wanted my dad to be happy. He deserved to find a companion to live out the rest of his days with.
Amber and Luke had disappeared from the party about thirty minutes earlier. Bennet and Bella were in the living room watching a movie. After saying goodnight, we finally went to our room.