Epilogue
SIX WEEKS LATER
LAUREN
West surprised me with a birthday party at my favorite restaurant, inviting my family and our friends. Dylan had been hiding in the kitchen and when she came out pretending to be a server delivering appetizers, I may or may not have screamed. But I definitely cried.
Throughout dinner, she shared stories of her travels while West shifted next to me. He kept a hand on me, rubbing here and there, driving me to distraction, but maybe he wasn’t as comfortable being around everyone as I’d hoped he would be.
Looking around the tables filled with friends, new and old, and my family and his, one person caught my eye. “What’s up with Ridge? I thought he said he was fine hanging out for a couple hours?” The former Ranger was giving Lars a run for the stoic title, wearing a permanent frown as he silently sipped his beer. We’d sat him with his cousin Blake Anderson, whose wife Caris was helping in the search for a local therapist to work with clients at the lodge.
West craned his neck, looking behind us. “Hmm…wait, hold on. His eyes keep flicking to the woman to Caris’ left, but I’m not sure who that is.”
“An old girlfriend, maybe?” Now I was intrigued. Both Ridge and Lars were coming around since I moved in with West and they’d relaxed a bit more with me, so I feel like I knew them a bit better.
“Nah, he hasn’t dated anyone since he got here. Hold on, she turned her head. Oh, that’s Addison. She’s new to Caris’ practice and I have another meeting with her about making space on her schedule for us.” West turned back to me with a funny look. “Man, I’m gonna have fun with him later.”
Turning my head, I looked at Ridge with fresh eyes, then glanced over to Addison to see if she was reacting to being glared at by a brooding if handsome former soldier. Yes, he was handsome, all of them were, but I was partial to mine and I’d be keeping that part of my observation to myself. “Go easy on him. It may not be what you’re thinking. Maybe he has indigestion or something.”
West laughed. “Yeah, no. It’s the woman sitting across from him. Trust me.”
After our plates were cleared, and we ordered one last round of drinks, I tugged him close. “Are you still worried about Beck?” My stepdad had welcomed West to the family dinners we’d managed to make despite our busy schedules and even gave him a thump on the back when he and my mom had arrived for dinner tonight. A sure sign of Beck’s affection.
Shaking his head, he cupped my face and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “Not a bit. He’s good with me and you. As long as I never make you cry. He’s promised me I won’t know when, won’t know where, but I’ll find myself shanghaied and dropped off in the middle of nowhere, never to be heard from again should that ever happen. So, yeah. We have an agreement.” West couldn’t hold a straight face. Grinning, he sat back and stared at me.
“Seriously, he knows what it’s like when you find the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with. He even told me the story about Taya dumping pasta all over him, and that was it. He was a goner for her.”
I laughed because I was there. I had a front-row seat to my mom and Beck’s very messy meet-cute. “You should have seen their faces. Both of them were shocked, then mom got all flustered and Beck was just calm and reassuring and wait, what did you just say?”
I watched as West held onto my hand, stood up from the table, then got down on one knee. And oh, no, he didn’t. He couldn’t be.
Everyone at the surrounding tables went silent.
“Lauren, I’ve always been a man of few words, but I know my mind and my heart. And I know that I can’t see myself with anyone but you. I used to think I’d be on my own forever, and I was fine with that. Until forty-three days ago, when I saw a catering van swerving on the mountain road. And the driver was the prettiest woman, although with questionable footwear choices for the current weather conditions I’d ever come across. And she turned out to be super smart too when she chose me.”
Laughter rang out. I remained locked on West’s handsome face as tears threatened to fall at any moment.
“I never saw you coming, sweetheart. And isn’t that the best way to discover the love of your life? I think you feel the same about me. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known each other because when you know, you know. And Lauren Davis, I know my life would be less fun, and so damn lonely without you in it. I love you.” He opened the box I hadn’t seen him holding u. Al now. A soft gasp escaped me, then tears blurred my vision. “Oh, West.”
“Marry me?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” I chanted. “I love you, West Stafford.” Throwing my arms around his neck, I let the tears fall freely, whispering all the naughty things I wanted to do when we got home—to his mountain and now mine.
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