Chapter 29
Danielle
"I love you, too," Cal whispers, closing the distance between us. His lips find mine, and a sweet, delicious cocoon of passion, love, and need wraps around us, creating a warmth that pulls us closer, until there's nothing but complete surrender to this moment.
"I thought dessert was supposed to come after dinner," I say, my eyes lingering on his as the kiss ends. "I'm sure the cookies are delicious, but nothing could ever be as good as the way you kiss me."
He responds with another kiss—long, sweet, and intense.
Pulling away, he smiles. "You might change your mind after you taste the cookies," he teases. "They're really good."
I laugh out loud. "I highly doubt it."
As we sit down to eat dinner, I decide to ask something that's been on my mind, unsure of how to approach it.
"Cal," I begin. "Hannah's gift, the necklace... it’s something that really touched me. But I feel like an imposter. I’m not her mother."
Cal smiles gently, nodding as if he understands exactly what I’m getting at.
"I took Hannah shopping for her mom a couple of weeks ago," he replies, leaning back in his chair. "We found the mother-and-daughter necklace, which she loved. I agreed it was a great gift. When we got ready to pay for it, she looked up at me and asked, 'What about Elle?'"
He smiles softly as if recalling the memory.
"I reminded her," he continues, "that we had already agreed on getting you that cashmere sweater you’d loved the last time we all went out. Remember?"
I nod, remembering the perfect shade of blue I love so much and the buttery feel of the cashmere on my skin as I tried on the sweater.
"Hannah shook her head and said, 'No, Daddy. I want to get her this necklace. Elle is my second mommy.'"
His voice falters a little, but he presses on.
"I tried to talk her out of it because I wasn't sure you'd be okay with it, or how it would make you feel. But Hannah is right. Since the day we met, you've been more of a mother to her than Meghan ever has. It hurts to say that, because Hannah deserves better, but it’s true. You’ve filled a void in that little girl's life that Meghan created with her absence and disinterest. I’m not going to tell Hannah how she should feel about you or the role she believes you play in her life. "
"And you’re okay with it?" I ask, searching his face for any doubt.
He smiles softly, placing his hand over mine. "I’m more than okay," he says. "I agree with Hannah."
***
After dinner, we move to the couch, and Cal hands me the small shoe-sized gift he brought with him. I take it and shake it lightly. It gives just a little but doesn’t reveal its contents.
“What is it?” I ask, looking at Cal, who’s sitting beside me with that mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I’m not telling,” he replies, offering me a playful smile.
I unwrap the box and open it, expecting to see whatever surprise he’s been teasing. But inside is another box, just as beautifully wrapped as the first.
“What?” I exclaim, a laugh escaping me. “Cal, what are you doing?”
“Open it,” he says, his excitement practically radiating from him.
I raise an eyebrow, but do as he asks, peeling away the wrapping paper and revealing yet another box, small, wrapped with a big bow, just like the others.
“Cal,” I say, my tone amused. “Please tell me this is the last box.”
He doesn’t answer, just watches me with that steady gaze. I carefully unwrap it and open the lid. Inside is a velvet jewelry box. My breath catches, and my hands begin to tremble as I pull it out.
“Cal?” I murmur, my heartbeat picking up pace. “What is this?”
He reaches across and takes the box from my shaking hands. Before I can say another word—though I’m not sure I could even if I tried—he’s on one knee in front of me, a grin stretching across his face, his eyes full of hope.
“Elle,” he begins, his voice calm and full of warmth. "I don't even know where to begin, because there’s so much I want to say, so much hidden in my heart. I know it might sound crazy, but I feel like I've loved you for a lifetime."
My heart swells, a rush of love and emotion surging through me. I want to shout "Yes!" from the top of my lungs, but the words are stuck, lodged somewhere deep in my chest. I remain silent, mesmerized by the way his eyes hold mine, as he takes a breath and continues.
"When I met you ten years ago, I gave you a piece of my heart. The part that felt an incredible need to protect you and your little sister. If you'd come into my family back then, I would’ve loved you the way I love Beth. You would’ve been part of my family, my sibling.
And I know, I know your reality would have been a good one.
But that’s not the life we got to live. And now, here we are in the reality we were meant to live. Together and in love."
He pauses, his gaze intense and full of meaning.
“I love you, Elle. I’m in love with you. I want to make you a part of my family, as my wife. Will you marry me?”
With unbridled certainty, I scream, "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Jackson Reed Callahan. I want to be yours forever!"
My heart pounds as I extend a trembling hand toward him. Cal doesn’t hesitate for a second. He takes my hand in his, his fingers warm and steady, as he slips the most beautiful ring I've ever seen onto my finger.
He stands and lifts me into his arms, twirling me around a couple of times as I hold onto him, laughing and crying with joy.
"You said yes!" he shouts. "You said yes!"
He gently sets me down and kisses me. The twirling has left me dizzy, but it’s not what’s making me breathless and dazed—it’s him. The way he holds me. The way he wraps me in his arms. The way his lips move over mine, making me forget time and place.
I feel his lips leave mine and travel across my neck, gently kissing my collarbone before he whispers in my ear, "You were meant to be mine."
He’s right. This is the reality I want to live in—a reality where I am his, and he is mine for the rest of our lives.
***
Cal picks up one of the last ice cream sandwiches we made with the cookies I baked a few nights ago and takes a big bite.
He smiles, watching me as I stare at the ring on my finger.
It’s a classic round diamond, sparkling brilliantly at the center.
The band is platinum, giving it an elegant, timeless feel.
Tiny pave diamonds line the sides, catching the light with every movement.
It’s simple yet sophisticated. The kind of ring I would have picked out of hundreds. Perfect in every way.
"Does Hannah know?" I ask, the thought suddenly dawning on me. Without her blessing, I can’t marry Cal.
"She helped me pick out the ring," he replies between bites. "She’s got great taste."
"Are you serious?" I say. "How on earth was she able to keep it a secret?"
"She’s five," he chuckles, "so confidentiality is a bit beyond her. I bribed her."
"You didn’t!" I say, mock horror in my voice.
"I promised her a trip to Disney World next summer."
"Cal!" I exclaim.
"Now, before you judge me," he says. "I was planning on taking her anyway. Will you come with us?"
"I'd go to the ends of the earth so long as I'm with you," I say, sliding off my chair and onto his lap. I wrap my arms around him and kiss him gently.
"I want you to meet my grandparents."
"I’d love to," I say, a surge of excitement filling me, quickly followed by a pang of guilt. I know Cal’s grandparents have visited the family, but that was during the time Cal and I weren’t speaking.
"Do you think they'll like me?" I ask, eyeing him closely.
"They're going to love you," he assures me, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it gently.
I watch him as his gaze shifts to his watch. "Want to go back to the house with me to wait for Hannah?"
"What time is she due back?"
He nuzzles my neck, kissing me there. "In about half an hour," he whispers in my ear.
"So, we have time," I say, giggling as his beard tickles my neck.
"What did you have in mind?" he murmurs, his tone low and teasing.
"I need your help hanging some drapes in my bedroom," I say, kissing him on the lips.
"Oh, really?" he says, arching an eyebrow. "Is that what they’re calling it these days?"
I throw my head back and laugh out loud, just as Cal begins to tickle me. I try to stand, but he's got a firm hold on me with one arm, while his other hand works its way up and down my sides. All the while, his lips and beard tickle the most sensitive part of my neck.
The shrill sound of his phone ringing cuts through the moment.
"Ugh," he murmurs, glancing at the caller ID and showing it to me.
It’s Meghan.
I quickly spring to my feet and adjust my shirt. I feel exposed, as though she’s walked in on us.
Cal doesn’t speak right away, but I can almost hear Meghan’s voice at the other end—impatient and condescending.
"I’ll be right there," he says, before ending the call. Glancing at me, he takes my hand and pulls me into his arms. "We weren’t doing anything wrong, babe."
"I know," I say, as heat works its way up my neck.
"Meghan and I have been over for years," he says. "I don’t owe her a thing, and neither do you. Plus, we're engaged, remember?"
I nod, offering him a tentative smile.
"She’s parked in the driveway," he says. "I’m going to go get Hannah."
He kisses me—a slow, tender kiss—before asking, "Do you want to come with me?"
"I think it would be best if I wait here," I say, meeting his gaze.
He nods in understanding before heading toward the door.
"I'll be right back," he says, shooting me a grin and a wink before walking out.
***
When Cal isn't back in half an hour, I glance out the window, wondering what Meghan is still doing at his house.
The jingle of keys at the door lets me know Tina's home. With the holiday and her working back-to-back double shifts, I haven’t seen her since Christmas Eve.
"You're home," she says, pulling off her coat and scarf. "I expected you to be next door or at the group home."