Chapter 43
43
SIX MONTHS LATER
Belinda couldn’t help but smile at the couple she was photographing. The morning sun was beaming from behind her and shining on their faces, and the tranquil bay was in the background. They were dressed casually— he was in khaki pants and a blue shirt, and his wife wore a blue dress. She had taken numerous pictures of them, but as they looked at each other with love in their eyes and his arms wrapped around her, Belinda smiled again. “Okay, I think I have lots of photographs for your fortieth anniversary.”
Harry and Ruthanne Malroney walked over to her and peered down at her camera to look at a few of the shots. He smiled at his wife. “You’re beautiful, Ruthanne.”
Ruthanne beamed up at Harry, and Belinda thought of how Aaron had described the couple. As much as Harry could be a demanding pain in the ass, it was obvious he loved his wife. The same couldn’t be said for the Mathersons, who had turned on each other in their trials, both being sentenced for murder and attempted murder.
Saying goodbye to the Malroneys, she decided to keep exploring. She inhaled deeply as the scent of pine mingled with sea grass and the briny air. Taking advantage of the spring morning light, she focused and snapped photographs from the wooden pathways on the trails of Kiptopeke State Park. An eagle flew above, its wings barely flapping as it soared to one of the taller trees, where she was sure a nest must be hiding.
Smiling, she continued wandering among the paths, thrilled to be out in nature, taking in all the glories the Eastern Shore offers.
Hearing a noise behind her, she turned and smiled as Aaron walked toward her. He’d come with her, running along the beach while she wandered along the paths. She wondered if he had stopped by the car because his hair was combed back, and he’d donned a fresh shirt.
No matter how often she looked at him, she could still see the young, teenage hottie she’d fallen for so many years before. Only now, as an adult, he was so much more handsome, and she no longer felt like the nerd—especially not the way he was smiling at her now.
Every day, he continued to prove to her that she was the center of his world, and he was secure in the knowledge that he was the center of hers.
It had been a year since he passed the detective examination, and every day, she watched him go off to a job that he loved. Her portfolio and business had grown, and she was now sought after as a photographer for not only the Eastern Shore but she accepted a few events in Virginia Beach. There was even a small gallery in Norfolk that sold her nature prints.
She still worked early mornings several times a week at Bess’s Bakery but no longer lived in the apartment above. It had been hard to give up the easy access to her sister, but Aaron had bought a house last month, and she moved in with him.
He finally reached her, and she opened her arms wide, moving directly into his embrace.
“How are the pictures going this morning?”
“Wonderful!” she said. “The lighting is perfect, and it seems as though the whole shore, including the wildlife, is coming out to greet me just to have their photograph taken.”
“It sounds like they know who the best photographer is.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I think I’m just lucky.”
She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “Actually, I know I’m lucky just to be with you.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then his attention moved beyond her shoulder. “Oh, that looks like a good shot.”
She turned and lifted her camera, her gaze moving all around but not seeing anything special. Turning back, she said, “I don’t see what you were talking about, Aaron?—”
A gasp left her lips. Aaron was down on one knee with a small jeweler’s box in his hand. And in the box was a beautiful solitaire diamond. Her hands flew to her lips as her eyes filled with tears.
“You are my everything, Belinda. And I want to be your everything for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”
She dropped to her knees and flung her arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”
When she loosened her tight hold, she leaned back to see his smile shoot straight to her heart. He slipped the ring on her finger and helped her to stand.
In the middle of the park, underneath the pine trees blowing gently in the breeze from the bay, they stood together, secure in each other’s arms.