Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
And now she was making new friends in Lule?.
Summer really liked M?rten’s police partner, Aurora, and they had become good friends over the past months.
She often invited Aurora to dinner, along with a few of M?rten’s other friends.
They would sit outside on the porch and drink wine as M?rten and the men grilled salmon or chicken, talking quietly together; there was something about Aurora that Summer found appealing.
They had similar values and laughed at the same jokes, and she was easy to be around.
The policewoman was younger than Summer, but that didn’t seem to be an issue, as And while Summer was trying to break her need to always be in control, she could understand that in Aurora’s field of work a lack of spontaneity and recklessness might be a good thing to help keep her safe.
M?rten had confided that he thought Aurora might have been sweet on him for a while.
Summer didn’t disagree—it’d take a hard woman not to be a little starry-eyed around this irresistible man—but as soon as M?rten revealed Summer was coming back to live with him, Aurora had cooled her enthusiasm, becoming completely professional around him, making it clear, to Summer at least, that she would not be a threat.
Aurora clearly had strong morals, and lusting after a man who was rapturously in love with another woman was not something she would ever do.
Thinking about Aurora, Summer lifted her head, breaking the kiss so she could stare down into M?rten’s clear-blue eyes, a question on her lips.
“What?” he asked, his hungry gaze never leaving her mouth.
“I was just wondering how Aurora is going today? You haven’t had a single phone call from her?
Should we be worried?” Aurora had one bad habit, and that was she would call M?rten constantly, peppering him with questions.
She was a rookie and still on probation, and paired together with her need to be a stickler for the rules, she didn’t like to make a decision without first consulting M?rten.
Which drove him mad at times. Summer knew that M?rten and Aurora were working on something big, but neither of them would give her the details, and M?rten had probably had to push the boundaries with his boss and Aurora to get these few days of leave approved.
It was a little odd that Aurora hadn’t been in touch with him even once today.
“Why are you thinking about Aurora? She’s the last thing on my mind right now.
In fact…” He rolled her over so that he was on his knees, pulling her up to a sitting position next to him.
“I have something I want to ask you.” He tugged her up, so they were both standing, leaned in and kissed her achingly tenderly on the lips, pulled his gloves off and tucked them into his pocket, then dropped to one knee in the dirt in front of her.
What the hell…?
“Oh.” It was the only sound Summer was capable of uttering before she covered her mouth with both hands. Was M?rten about to do what she thought he was going to do?
* * *
“Summer,” M?rten said, looking directly up into her eyes. “This might seem an odd place to do this, but I believe I fell completely and utterly in love with you that first time when we made love out in the forest, so it feels fitting we keep the magic going out here amongst the trees.”
Summer made a small squeaking sound, her eyes so big and round they almost filled her entire face.
M?rten hadn’t known he was going to do this until this very moment.
He’d been carrying the ring in his shirt pocket for a few weeks now, unsure how to make the perfect proposal, hoping that inspiration would hit.
And now it had. They’d just shared an extraordinary moment with a beautiful, wild animal, and his heart was still beating fast in his chest at the majesty of the wolverine, its eyes so fierce and arresting he couldn’t look away.
The sun was setting low on the horizon, the sky turning indigo, and the cold air was so hushed and crisp.
They were completely alone, just the two of them in this heavenly landscape.
But he had to get this right. He knew they were awesome together, but God, he hoped she felt the same.
Reaching up, he touched the necklace at the base of her throat. “I love that you continue to wear this,” he said. “Because Marco will always be a part of your life, a part of who you are.”
“Oh.” Summer seemed taken aback, as if she wondered where he was going with this.
But Marco needed to be acknowledged. Summer had been in love with him, and his untimely death had colored the rest of her life.
In many ways, Marco had helped shape Summer into the woman he loved.
Now, he hoped that Summer could finally let Marco go, and give her heart wholly to him.
“And I want to make a promise to Marco that I will love you as much as he ever did. That I will hold your heart safe within mine, keep your soul protected forevermore.” As he said this, he touched the necklace quickly once more.
Then he pulled the ring out of his shirt pocket and held it up for her to see.
The solitaire diamond sparkled in the soft evening light.
Tears sprang to Summer’s eyes, and she got down on her knees beside him, so they were now face to face.
“Will you let me do that, Summer? Will you marry me?” He clasped both of her hands between his. Her fingers were cold, but he barely registered the fact as he stared into her eyes, liquid pools of emotion, waiting for his answer.
“This is so unexpected,” Summer replied, her gaze never leaving his.
“But you’re right; you couldn’t have found a more perfect place.
” She tilted her head back so she could stare at the heavens.
He did the same and saw a single pinprick of light—the evening star—high above in the pastel sky.
“And I know Marco would give me his blessing. He would never have wanted me to shut myself away from love,” Summer continued, lowering her head as he did the same, so that their noses were almost touching.
He could feel her soft breath on his lips, see the pumping vein in her neck giving away how fast her heart was beating.
“So, my answer is yes. Yes, I will marry you, M?rten.”
Her mouth collided with his and they were lost in each other for moments of ecstasy. When at last she broke away, he fumbled with her left hand, holding his breath as he slid the ring on her finger, praying he’d got the size right and it would fit her small hands.
It did. They both looked down as she wiggled the ring, making it sparkle, and Summer seemed completely entranced by it; unable to look away. “It’s gorgeous,” she murmured.
“You’ve just made me the happiest man on Earth,” M?rten whispered.
“Ditto,” Summer whispered back. “I feel like my heart is going to burst.”
“Come on,” he said at last, pulling her back to her feet.
“While I’d love nothing more than to lay you down in the grass and have my wicked way with you, I think we should get moving.
” The air was growing colder with every minute they spent here, and it was a half-hour trek back to where they’d left his car.
They had torches and a GPS, so they couldn’t get lost, but he wanted her back in their hotel room, warm and safe where he could make love to her properly.
He made her put her gloves on, even though all she wanted to do was keep staring at the ring, and he replaced his.
It felt like he was barely touching the ground as they worked their way back through the undergrowth to the small animal track they’d followed to reach the clearing.
Once they attained the small rise, they turned as one to look back at the spot where they’d seen the wolverine.
This place would live forever in their hearts now.
“Now Nikki and Jacob have an extra reason to come and visit. To attend our engagement party,” he said, grabbing her hand and leading her up the path.
“Yes. Oh, yes.” Summer did a little skip and a hop.
“Let’s make it soon, then. I can’t wait to see them.
Although I’ll have to put up with Nikki lording it over me, because she knew we’d end up together all along.
” Summer did a good imitation of Nikki’s pretty pout, one eyebrow raised in a knowing glance, exactly the way Nikki would’ve done.
M?rten laughed. He’d like to see Jacob again, too.
Couldn’t wait to share the news with his friend.
If it hadn’t been for Jacob, M?rten might never have met Summer, so he had a lot to thank him for.
Summer meant everything to him now; he couldn’t imagine never having met her. It must’ve been fate, or kismet, or karma. Whatever it was, he was so glad that he now held Summer’s heart. It was the most precious thing he could imagine.