Epilogue
EPILOGUE
A month later
“I’ve got this!” Caleb said, punching his fist in the air. He let out a deep breath he’d been holding, trying to shake off his nerves. After all, it wasn’t every day that one popped the question to the woman of their dreams.
Landon raised a brow and looked Caleb over from head to toe. “Is that your proposal outfit?”
“What’s wrong with it?” Caleb asked. He was wearing a black V-neck sweater and a pair of dark washed jeans. He let out a snort. “Only in movies do men wear tuxes to propose. I’m just going to be authentically myself.”
Landon shrugged. “I guess it’s okay. I thought you’d want the wow factor.”
“Sophia is always wowed by me,” Caleb said, earning groans from his brothers. “That’s okay. She wows me too. Every time I see her beautiful face.”
This time the Brothers Stone didn’t let out a single groan. They knew he and Sophia had found the real deal.
“Are you sure you’re all set? Because you know I wasn’t completely prepared for my proposal,” Xavier said, making a face. “I had to use a makeshift ring.”
Caleb was on the verge of strangling both of his brothers. “Aren’t the two of you supposed to be pumping me up?”
Xavier held up his hands. “I wasn’t being negative. Just trying to teach by example.”
“That was you,” Caleb told him. “I was born ready. Beautiful round-cut diamond in an antique setting. Check. Asked Skip for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Check. Got a little diamond necklace for Lily. Check. Memorized my speech. Check.”
Landon and Xavier exchanged a loaded glance.
“What was that look for?” Caleb asked. “Come on. Tell me.”
“Nothing,” Landon quickly said. “We just wondered if you told Mom.”
Ugh. He had completely forgotten to tell his mother about his plans to propose to Sophia. Daisy would be crushed if he proceeded without giving her a heads-up. Being so far away from her boys was hard enough. Caleb never wanted her to feel as if she wasn’t a part of the fabric of their lives.
“Argh,” Caleb said, slapping his hand to his forehead. “How could I have forgotten to loop her in?”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind,” Landon said, patting him on the back.
“Why don’t you FaceTime her now?” Xavier suggested. “She would love that.”
“Good idea,” Caleb said, reaching for his phone and dialing Daisy’s number. In a matter of seconds, she picked up and Caleb saw her radiant face staring back at him.
“Hey, Caleb! I was just thinking about you,” Daisy said, grinning.
“Of course you were. I’ve always been your favorite,” he teased. His brothers were out of the camera frame, so his mother couldn’t see them rolling their eyes.
“You know I don’t play favorites,” she said. “There’s always been enough love to go around. How are things in Alaska?” she asked. “And the lovely Sophia? Are you still keeping her happy?”
“I sure hope so, since I’m about to ask her a very important question that will change both of our lives.” He was getting a little choked up just saying the words out loud.
Daisy let out a gasp. “Caleb. You’re proposing to Sophia?”
“I am, Mom. I’ve found my other half,” he said, his voice sounding raspy to his own ears. Ever since he could remember, his mother had told him and his brothers that one day they would find their other halves. After his disastrous relationship with Abby and the subsequent fallout, Caleb had stopped believing in that possibility. Until now. Until meeting Sophia.
Tears streamed down Daisy’s face, and she made no attempt to wipe them away. “I’m so proud of you, Caleb, for being courageous and giving love another chance. You could have given up on love, but you didn’t. I think that I want to be like you when I grow up. You have my blessing, if you’re wondering.”
“Aww, Mom, you’re going to make me cry,” Caleb said, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly, Landon and Xavier were beside him, sharing the camera space so their mother could see all of them.
“Save the tears for the proposal,” Xavier said, slapping him on the back.
“Xavier! Landon!” Daisy cried. “All of my boys together on this very special day. I couldn’t be happier.”
“We’ve got his back, Mom,” Landon said. “One for all and all for one. Always.”
Daisy blew them kisses and said, “Go get engaged, Caleb. The two of you deserve every happiness this world has to offer.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Caleb said. “Love you.” The call disconnected amidst shouts of “I love you” and hand-blown kisses from their mom.
“Good deal,” Xavier said, gripping Caleb’s shoulder. “She’s super proud.”
“And happy,” Landon said. “At the end of the day, if Mama’s happy…”
“Then everyone’s happy,” Caleb and Xavier chimed in, all of them bursting into laughter. It was their truth. Making Daisy smile was always a huge achievement. She had always given so much, yet never asked for anything in return. Caleb hoped to be that solid for Sophia and Lily.
“Now I’m ready,” Caleb said, rubbing his hands together. “What time is it?”
“Time to get things shaking,” Hattie said as she hobbled into the room on Jacques’s arm. She had a wide grin on her face. She was wearing head-to-toe pink, which happened to be her favorite color. In Hattie-isms this meant she’d given her blessing to Caleb and Sophia. “Jacques is on hand to take you to Sophia’s place so you can whisk her away to the falls.” Hattie clapped her hands together.
“Remember, Caleb,” she added, “you’re special. And don’t you ever forget it.”
Overwhelmed with love, Caleb embraced his grandmother. “Thanks for always being in my corner.”
Caleb drove off with Jacques at the wheel of Hattie’s white Bentley, the fanciest car she owned. He had it all planned out. Jacques would drive them to the falls, where Caleb would take her to the prettiest spot, then get down on bended knee and propose.
“You okay back there?” Jacques asked. “Today’s going to change everything in your life, Caleb.”
“You’ve got that right, Jacques. A whole new world for me. Bring it on,” he said, getting more excited the closer they got to Sophia’s house. As the stunning Alaskan scenery whizzed past his window, he felt his enthusiasm building. By the time they pulled up to Sophia’s house, he was practically jumping out of his seat to exit the car.
“I’ll be waiting for the two of you,” Jacques said, tipping his hat to him.
Caleb flashed him a grin and headed to the door. He had timed his arrival down to the minute according to when he’d told Sophia to expect him. He held his arms at his side and shook them to release his nerves. This was going to be a special day for him and Sophia. Of course she might suspect something was up when she saw the Bentley, but she might think it was tied in to her upcoming birthday.
He rapped on the door, turning around to send Jacques a thumbs-up sign. He began whistling as he waited. He knocked again, harder this time. After the third round of knocks the door opened up, revealing a weary-looking Sophia. She was wearing pajamas decorated with heart shapes, big fuzzy slippers, and a long white robe. Her hair was a bit messy, having been placed in a bun that was coming undone.
“Caleb?” she asked, appearing confused by him showing up at her door.
His heart plummeted. “Sophia. Did you forget about our date?”
Sophia’s hand went to cover her mouth. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” She looked past him. “Is that Jacques out there? In Hattie’s Bentley?” Her voice was filled with awe.
“Yeah, I had something special planned for us,” Caleb explained, trying to hide his disappointment.
“Come in, but don’t get too close,” Sophia instructed him. “I’m not feeling so hot.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Caleb said. He figured he’d already been exposed to her cold germs. “My immune system is pretty strong.”
Once he was inside, she continued, “Lily got sick last night with a bad cold, and I must’ve gotten her germs. It was a rough night. I totally forgot about today, and I’m so sorry.”
The sad expression that came over her face replaced all of his disappointment. She was sick, and he wanted to take care of both his girls. He swept his hand across her cheek.
“Have you eaten? Why don’t you go sit on the couch and relax while I make you some tea and toast? Or anything else you might like. A burger? Fries? And I can run a bath for you with Epsom salts.”
“You’re incredibly sweet, Caleb. And I’ll take you up on that, since Lily is sleeping at the moment, so I can take a breather.” Her brow furrowed. “Why is Jacques here? What had you planned for our date?”
Caleb hesitated. What should he say? His heart was brimming almost to overflowing. Even though his plan had fallen apart, he still wanted to ask Sophia this monumental question.
“Tell me, Caleb,” Sophia pressed. He could tell she wasn’t going to let it go. When it came to things like this, Sophia was a total bloodhound.
“They do say in sickness and in health,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the cedar box and holding it in plain view. A little gasp slipped past her lips as he dropped to his knees.
“Sophia, you’ve changed my life for the better. You’re everything to me. Kind, compassionate, and loving,” Caleb said. “I’ve never wavered in my feelings for you, Sophia. It just took me a little time to realize it was love. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. I want you and only you. Sophia, it would be the honor of my life if you would marry me.” He popped the box open to reveal a stunning antique diamond ring that shimmered and sparkled to perfection.
“Will you?” he asked, waiting on pins and needles for her answer. So much hinged on this question. He felt a little out of breath.
She let out a little squeal. “Yes, of course I will, Caleb,” she said, reaching down and tugging him to a standing position. He gently placed the ring on her finger, admiring how beautiful it looked.
“I want our life to be full of adventures, whether it’s right here in Moose Falls or exploring the wilds of Africa,” Caleb said. “And I know Lily already has a dad, but I’m committed to being a parent to her and always loving her.”
“Oh, you’ve made me so happy,” Sophia said, reaching up and placing her arms around his neck.
“We’re going to make each other incredibly happy,” Caleb said, smiling down at her.
“I think you’re going to shock a lot of women by settling down, Caleb Stone. You’ve earned quite a reputation as a flirt,” she said in a teasing voice.
“From now on, you’re the only one I’ll ever be flirting with, Sophia Brand,” Caleb said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest. He leaned down and placed a blistering kiss on her lips, signifying what they both already knew with absolute certainty. They were in this for the long haul, wherever their journey took them.