Chapter 19 Thea
Chapter nineteen
Thea
Everything was right in Thea’s world as she stood in her café with the man she’d loved for so many years, finally holding her in his arms.
“I have a suggestion,” Nathaniel said slowly, “and you may not like it.”
Thea raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s never a good sign.”
“Hear me out,” he said defensively. “Sometimes I do have good ideas.”
“Sometimes?” she asked.
“Most of the time,” he said.
She didn’t argue.
“I love you,” he said, “and I have for many years, and you love me. And I know this sounds strange, but I think we should get married.” He said the last words in a rush, as if saying them faster would make her think about them less.
“You think we should get married?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“I do,” he said, barreling forward. “We love each other. I can’t speak for you, but I have never even once considered anyone else.
And I think that you and I are meant to be together.
And if there are strange men lurking around town with nefarious intent, I would rather myself be turned into a cat a thousand times over before letting him come near you.
And if I wasn’t here and you were alone and something happened, I would never forgive myself,” he said.
He paused to take a breath and Thea jumped in. “It may sound strange, but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. There’s nothing I would rather do than spend the rest of my life with you, and Ginger, and this café.”
“And you wouldn’t have to pay rent if we were married,” he pointed out.
Thea laughed. “Now you’re speaking my language. That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me, you know.”
Her words were teasing, but inside she was considering what he had said. It was true. She had loved him, and she had never once considered looking for anyone else. If she was going to marry anyone in this lifetime, it would be him—and they had already wasted so many years.
It didn’t seem right to waste any more.
“I think we should,” she said.
Nathaniel’s jaw dropped open. “Really?” he asked incredulously. “I didn’t think you would agree to it.”
“I don’t know, not having to pay rent anymore sounds like a pretty good plan to me.”
“Oh, so you’re only marrying me for my building?” he asked, pulling her closer with a smirk.
“Only because it was the only building available in town.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing, because otherwise you might not have stuck around.”
“Oh, I definitely wouldn’t have stuck around,” she said. “I hated you back then.”
“Now here we are,” he said, sliding his hand down her shoulder. “You, me, your hand in mine. And you’re sure you want to marry me?”
Thea smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’ve wanted to marry you since you stole my heart all those years ago.”
“At least I didn’t steal your cake,” he pointed out.
“Well, you tried your best to ruin a couple of them,” she said.
“But I didn’t,” he said proudly. “And here we are. Your mother would be thrilled.”
Thea smiled at the reminder of her mother’s matchmaking. “My father would be pretty happy, too,” she said. “He always had a soft spot for you, and I never was quite sure why.” She winked at him to soften the harsh words.
“Now that’s hurtful,” Nathaniel said, but his eyes were twinkling.
“You know you were their favorite,” Thea said. “Sometimes I think they loved you more than they loved me. They would both be overjoyed to see the two of us together.”
“Together forever,” Nathaniel said, bringing their linked hands up and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “How soon can I officially make you mine?”
“I’m already yours,” she said, the words sticking in her throat. “I always have been.”
Nathaniel smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I know,” he said. “Just as I’ve always been yours. But,” he smiled, “what I meant was how soon until I can make you Mrs. Alder instead of Miss Greene?”
The reminder of the way he’d always called her by her last name brought back so many memories.
“Is tomorrow too soon?” she asked.
Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “We might have a little trouble getting the priest to agree,” he said. “But if you’re sure, I’ll go talk to him right away.”
Thea looked around the kitchen, still a mess from the day’s work. “And leave me to clean up this mess all by myself?” she teased.
Nathaniel laughed. “You want me to help you clean up first?”
“If you want to,” she said, pulling her hand away from him to start cleaning, but he pulled her back.
“Anything for you, my love.”
And as he leaned down to seal their betrothal with a proper kiss, Thea knew that she wouldn’t trade their story for anything. It may not have been what she’d always dreamed of, but it had brought her here to the Northlands, and it had brought her to Nathaniel. And nothing was better than this.
My darling Thea,
I suppose it’s silly to write you a letter that I will then carry over and hand to you, but I thought maybe I should redeem letters after the way our previous letters turned out. So this is my love letter to you.
You have only grown in grace and in beauty and in kindness since the moment I first met you.
The way you care for every person who visits your café, and the way you work tirelessly to feed people, and the way you care about your establishment and your cat has only made me fall even more in love with you.
I never could have imagined the day that I walked into you in the town square in Riyel, that I would find the girl of my dreams carrying a cake and acting as if she thought I was the worst person in the world, and yet I found you.
Or perhaps you found me. I’m not sure which it was.
Either way, I have finally found you again, and I have no intention of ever losing you again.
Thank you for letting me prove just how much I love you.
I’m hopelessly in love with you, Thea Greene, and I cannot wait until the day that I get to make you mine forever and never leave your side again.
Forever yours,
Nathaniel