Chapter 28
Two weeks later, Carson was still trying to find the perfect moment.
He’d bought the ring three days after his conversation with Nora in the kitchen.
Had spent an entire Saturday visiting jewelry stores until he found the right one—simple, elegant, with a single diamond that caught the light just right.
The kind of ring Nora would actually wear.
The kind that said I know you instead of trying to impress.
But finding the moment? That was harder.
He’d considered a dozen scenarios. Taking her back to the cabin. A fancy dinner downtown. The lake where they’d had their first real conversation after she’d left him. Even proposing at The Brew & View where they’d first met, though Finn had vetoed that idea immediately.
“Too weird,” Finn had said. “Don’t propose where she asked you for help with a stalker. That’s not romantic, that’s traumatic.”
Valid point.
So Carson had been carrying the ring in his jacket pocket for two weeks, waiting for the moment to feel right. For the universe to give him a sign. For—
His phone rang. Captain Holloway.
“Black, I need you to come in. The Eugene trial starts tomorrow. DA wants to go over your testimony one more time.”
Carson checked his watch. Five PM. He’d promised Nora he’d be home by six. They had plans—nothing special, just dinner and a movie. But plans nonetheless.
Old Carson would have said yes immediately. Would have stayed at the station as long as needed. Would have put the job first.
New Carson? New Carson had learned to set boundaries.
“Can it wait until morning?” Carson asked. “I have plans tonight. I can come in early tomorrow, seven AM, and we’ll have plenty of time before court.”
Silence on the other end. Then, “Yeah. That works. Seven AM tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
Carson hung up feeling proud of himself. He’d set a boundary. Protected his personal time. Prioritized Nora.
Dr. Carpenter would be proud.
He left the station at exactly five-fifteen, stopped at the grocery store for ingredients, and made it home by six.
Nora wasn’t there yet. Her car wasn’t in the parking lot. She’d texted earlier that she had a late meeting with a client but should be home by six-thirty.
Perfect. He’d have time to cook. To make something special.
Carson put on music and started preparing chicken piccata—one of Nora’s favorites. He’d made it three times in the past month, perfecting the recipe. Getting the sauce just right. Learning how to cook the chicken so it was tender but not dry.
Normal domestic things. Things that a year ago would have bored him. Now? Now he found them meditative. Relaxing. A way to show love that didn’t require words.
He was plating the food when he heard Nora’s key in the lock.
“Something smells amazing,” she called out.
“Chicken piccata. Your favorite.”
She appeared in the kitchen doorway, and Carson’s breath caught the way it always did. She was beautiful—wearing a simple black dress from her client meeting, her hair up, tired but smiling.
This. This was the moment.
Not planned. Not orchestrated. Just real. Just them. Just a Tuesday evening in the life they’d built together.
“Marry me,” Carson said.
Nora froze. “What?”
He set down the serving spoon and moved to her.
“I don’t have the ring on me—it’s in the bedroom, I didn’t think I’d do this tonight, I was going to plan something special—but I can’t wait anymore.
Marry me, Nora. Be my partner for the rest of my life.
Let me spend every day showing you how much you mean to me. ”
“Carson—”
“I know it’s not romantic,” he rushed out.
“I know I should have planned this better. Should have taken you somewhere special. Should have gotten down on one knee with the ring and a speech prepared. But this—” He gestured around the kitchen.
“This is us. This is real. And I don’t want to wait for the perfect moment because every moment with you is perfect. ”
Tears were streaming down Nora’s face now. “You’re proposing to me in our kitchen while cooking dinner.”
“I am. Is that okay? Or should I—”
“It’s perfect.” She laughed through her tears. “It’s so perfect I can’t even—yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“Yes?” Had he heard her right?
“Yes, you idiot. Of course yes!”
Carson pulled her into his arms and kissed her, deep and thorough and full of promise. When they broke apart, both were laughing and crying and holding onto each other like they’d never let go.
“I really do have a ring,” Carson said. “It’s in my sock drawer. I’ve been carrying it in my jacket for two weeks trying to find the right moment. But I couldn’t wait anymore. I needed you to know. Needed to make this official.”
“Show me the ring.”
They went to the bedroom, and Carson pulled out the small velvet box he’d hidden under his socks. Opened it to reveal the ring he’d spent hours choosing.
Nora’s hand flew to her mouth. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s not too simple? I know some guys go for the big flashy diamonds, but I thought—”
“It’s perfect. It’s exactly what I would have chosen.” She held out her left hand. “Put it on me.”
Her excitement filled him with more happiness than he could express. Carson slid the ring onto her finger, and it fit perfectly. Like it was meant to be there. Like this was always how the story was supposed to end.
“How does it feel?” he asked.
“Right. It feels right.” She looked up at him with shining eyes. “We’re getting married.”
“We are. You’re stuck with me now.”
“Good. I was planning on keeping you anyway.”
They stood there in the bedroom, holding hands, both processing what this meant. They were engaged. They were building a future. They were choosing forever.
“The chicken’s probably cold,” Carson said after a moment.
“I don’t care. We can reheat it.” Nora pulled him toward the bed. “Right now, I want to celebrate. Just us. Before we tell anyone. Before this becomes real to the rest of the world.”
“It’s already real.”
“I know. But let’s keep it ours for a little while. Just tonight. Tomorrow we can tell everyone. Tonight, it’s just for us.”
So they celebrated. Made love. Talked about wedding plans and honeymoons and the life they’d build as husband and wife. Laughed about how terrible Carson’s proposal had been and how perfect it was anyway.
And later, when they finally reheated dinner and ate it at midnight in their pajamas, both wearing matching grins, Carson thought about how far they’d come.
From victim and detective to partners to lovers to fiancés.
It hadn’t been easy. They’d almost lost each other. Had to do the hard work of change and growth and forgiveness.
But they’d made it. They’d chosen each other. Again and again.
And now they got to choose forever.
“I love you,” Carson said as they climbed back into bed.
“I love you too.” Nora held up her hand, watching the ring catch the moonlight from the window. “My fiancé.”
“My fiancée.”
“That sounds good.”
“It sounds perfect.”
They fell asleep wrapped around each other, both feeling the deep satisfaction of having found what they’d been searching for. Not perfection. Not the absence of problems. Just partnership. Just love. Just forever.
And tomorrow, they’d tell the world. Would celebrate with friends and family. Would start planning the wedding that would make this official.
But tonight? Tonight was just for them. For this moment. For the quiet joy of choosing each other.
One more time. One last time before the forever began.
It was enough. More than enough.
It was the beginning of everything.