42. Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter forty-two
L ater that evening, Nick found Aria in the backyard. She’d bought four turquoise-painted Adirondack chairs and placed them in a circle around a new fire pit in the garden. She was seated in one of the chairs, reading a book, and didn’t seem to see him walking toward her.
He and Mason had found what he was looking for downtown, then he’d taken a drive out to her parents’ ranch to talk to them before coming home.
He wished Stacy could be here for this, but thought it better that they start their new life together, just the two of them.
Well, and Mason and Lyric, who were coming up behind him, recording everything.
God, Aria looked beautiful in a simple pink T-shirt and a long deep blue skirt that hugged her curves. Her feet were bare, her hair hanging past her shoulders in loose waves.
The second she spotted him, her bright blue eyes lit with joy and her smile nearly made his heart stop.
He was so nervous, but excited. He leaned down and handed her the huge bundle of flowers and kissed her, long and deep. “I missed you today.”
She buried her nose in the blooms and inhaled deeply, smiling with joy and contentment. “I didn’t think you’d be gone so long after you left with Mason this afternoon.” She studied him. “Everything okay?”
He brushed his hand down her long hair. “Better than okay. I have you.”
She smiled again. “And I have you.”
He took her hand and tugged, silently asking her to stand with him.
She set her book and the flowers on the arm of the chair, then stood. She spotted Mason and her sister in the distance. “What’s going on?”
He touched his finger to her jaw and turned her face back to him. “Just look at me, sweetheart.”
She grinned, a sultry look in her eyes. “I never get tired of looking at you.”
“I love you so much. More than I ever thought possible to love someone.”
“I love you, too. It’s why I can’t stand to be apart from you.”
“Then let’s never be apart.” He sank down on one knee, ignoring the ache in his injured thigh, and instead looked up into Aria’s astonished face, the tears brimming in her eyes, her smile as happy as he’d ever seen it. “I don’t want to spend another day without you. I want to wake up to your loving smile and fall asleep to your beautiful face. I want to build a life and a family with you. So, please, make me even happier than you already do and say you’ll be my wife. Will you marry me?”
She’d been nodding since his knee hit the ground. “YES!” She leaned down and kissed his lips. “Yes.” She kissed him again. “Yes.” She really kissed him, sliding her tongue along his, and sinking into the moment and the way they both loved to be this close, this connected. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips and kissed him again.
Nick stood and took her into his arms, holding her close and loving how desperately she clung to him. Then he realized he’d made a mistake and stepped back, holding her at arm’s length. “I forgot the ring.”
He pulled the black velvet box out of his pocket and held it up in front of him, then flipped open the lid.
Aria’s eyes went wide. She looked from the ring, to him, and back again. “Nick, it’s beautiful.”
Nick plucked the ring from the cushion, took Aria’s left hand, and slid the ring into place. It fit perfectly. He kissed her knuckle right over the ring, then stared into her beautiful blue eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
They fell into another kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers in his hair.
He was so excited and happy, he picked her up off her feet and spun her around and yelled, “She said yes.”
Aria laughed. “Of course I said yes.” She buried her face in his neck and hugged him hard.
Mason and Lyric rushed to congratulate them. They shared a round of hugs, then Lyric held up her phone and showed them the picture she’d taken. “I’ve got your engagement announcement right here.” In the photo, Nick and Aria were kissing and Aria’s hand was on the back of his head, her engagement ring sparkling in the sunset light.
It was perfect.
It was beautiful.
And anyone looking at them would see what Nick saw. They really and truly loved each other.
“We need to send it to Stacy.” Aria squeezed his hand. “I can’t believe you proposed. I mean, I knew you would. I just didn’t expect it now. Like this. But it was so…perfect.” She went up on tiptoe and kissed him again. “You’re amazing.”
“So are you. And I have one more question.”
She eyed him. “What’s that?”
“Will you marry me three weeks from Sunday?”
Her eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
“I don’t want to wait. You won’t have to close the bar. It’s already closed. Melody and Fox can fly in on Saturday. I already asked. Your mom and dad would love to have the ceremony on the ranch. I talked to the florist next door to the jeweler downtown. They’re waiting for your call to tell them what kind of flowers you want. All you need to do is get a dress. My family can’t wait to come down.”
“You already talked to them?”
“Yes, right after I talked to your parents about asking you to marry me.”
“You did?” Aria’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s really sweet, but you didn’t have to get their permission. You already knew I’d marry you.”
“I wanted to do it right, even if we are doing it fast. I want you to have everything you want for the wedding, but I don’t want to wait. Please, say yes.”
“What about Stacy?”
“I spoke to her foster mom, Anne. She’s happy to bring her down. Stacy’s case worker approved it.” Hopefully, they’d get Stacy’s decision about them adopting her tomorrow. He had already requested a meeting with her father and his attorney the day after that. But first, he wanted to make Aria his wife.
“Anne will stay with her here, in one of your parents’ cabins, until we return from our honeymoon. Stacy will have a chance to get to know both our families. My parents are going to stay there, too.”
“You’ve already set this up?”
“We leave on the Monday after the wedding for our honeymoon.”
Her eyes lit up. “Where?”
“Hawaii. An oceanfront cottage with a really pretty and private beach.”
“That sounds expensive.”
“It’s our honeymoon. And like Mason, I invested in Gunn Brothers Distillery. Not a lot, but enough that I’ve got a chunk of money saved up for our wedding, even after I paid for this house. So say yes again and make me the happiest man on the planet.”
Aria’s smile nearly knocked him to his knees. “I already said I would. I don’t care how or when as long as I get to say you’re my husband.”
“No title needed, sweetheart. I’m yours. Have been since the second I saw you.” But he needed to be sure this was how she wanted to get married. “You’ve probably been thinking about your wedding for a long time.”
She put her fingers over his lips. “I always wanted a simple ceremony with my family and friends. I already have the dress.”
“You do?” That surprised him, but then he remembered why she’d have a dress. “Because you were going to marry that asshole?”
She shook her head. “No. I bought it after him because I’d seen it and knew it was what I wanted. All I needed was the love of my life to show up. You did the day after I bought the dress.”
“That’s…” He couldn’t believe it. “Amazing.”
“I like to think it was fate.” She kissed him softly. “So I guess we have a lot to do over the next few weeks.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I was the moment I met you.”
He crushed her to his chest and kissed her like he’d never get to do it again, like she meant everything to him, like he’d never get enough of her. Because that would never happen.
Aria hugged him close. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.
“For what?”
“Making my dreams come true.”
“You are my every dream and fantasy, sweetheart.” He held her tighter, his heart so full it felt like it might burst with happiness.
She’d changed his life. She made his life worth living.
Every day wouldn’t be easy, but with her by his side, they could get through anything. And together, they’d be happy.
He picked her up and spun her around again just so he could see her smile and hear her laugh. Best thing he’d ever seen or heard in his life. He felt lighter than he’d ever felt in his life.
Now all he had to do was make them official.