Epilogue
“ I can’t believe you made me burn my muffins,” Eileen groused at him.
Declan tried not to laugh, but she looked so cute. They were in their kitchen—yep, he had moved in that day after she came from the hospital and never left—and he was trying his best to teach her how to bake banana nut muffins. It was not going well.
It had been six months since that horrible night, but it was just a whisper—like a bad dream they had shared. Bryan pleaded out so Eileen didn’t have to be part of a trial. She was disappointed because she wanted to face off against him in court, but Declan didn’t want her near the man.
“How is it my fault?” he asked.
She turned to him and let one eyebrow rise up as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. God, she was pretty. He loved it when she looked at him in that badass way. And yes, she had just been screaming his name. Declan had had her up on the island, his head between her legs, and they had both missed the timer going off.
“Okay, but you know…I was doing it to please you.”
She rolled her eyes, but he knew she wasn’t really mad. In fact, it had been her fault they were in this situation. His plan to do strip baking had never worked. One way or another, she would convince him to get completely naked before they accomplished anything. It wasn’t that hard to achieve that because he was always ready to get naked with her.
“We can try it again.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’m done baking.”
This had been something they went through all the time.
“Not fair. I had to learn how to shoot a gun.”
He did not like that, but it was part of her job, so he tried it.
“Fine, but maybe I could get better at something else.”
He picked her up by her waist and set her on the kitchen island again. Maybe this time, he would follow through with his plans.
“What am I supposed to tell our children?”
Her mouth twitched. “Are you pregnant, Declan?”
“No, but I don’t want to say I couldn’t teach my wife how to bake.”
She opened her mouth to blast him, but he pulled out the ring he bought five months earlier. Declan had wanted to propose to her for months, but he had never felt the time was right. Now that everything was done with the case that brought them together, he felt okay with proposing. And he was ready to start the next chapter of their life together.
“Will you marry me, Eileen?”
He opened the box to reveal a square diamond. Simply elegant, just like the love of his life. The longer she stared at it and said nothing, his confidence frayed.
“Eileen?”
When she looked up at him, tears filled her eyes.
“Okay, no. I take it back.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’m sorry I made you cry. Pretend I didn’t propose to you.”
He tried to snap the ring box close, but she grabbed it.
“There is no takesy backsies.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and he wanted it to stop. It was breaking his damned heart.
“I can if it makes you that miserable.”
She shook her head. “I’m not miserable.”
“Then, why are you crying?”
She swallowed as she held the ring box against her chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. “I’m happy. I was hoping our relationship was leading to this, but I wasn’t sure.”
He leaned forward and set his forehead against hers. “This was always the plan. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t spook you.”
She sighed, but it was filled with happiness. “Good.” She pulled back and opened the box. “It’s pretty.”
“Just like my woman.”
Her mouth curved. He never got sick of that. A simple gesture could bring her so much joy. Declan had discovered that Eileen was more like him than he thought when they first met. Their happiness was found in the simple things, and they didn’t need big gestures to prove their love to each other.
“So, is that a yes or a no?”
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with those happy tears. “Yes. Always. I love you, Declan, even if you are a crappy shot.”
Declan chuckled as he took the box from her hands and slipped the ring on her finger. “And I love you, even if you burn everything you put your hands on.”
He cupped her face and kissed her, with the smell of burnt muffins surrounding them and the warmth of their love filling their home. Always.
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