10. Epilogue
Bonnie and I trek along the narrow dirt path, our fingers laced together in that easy, natural way that still sparks embers low in my gut after all these months. I can”t resist stealing sidelong glances at her, drinking in the sight I”ll never get enough of. Loose tendrils of that gorgeous honey-blonde hair dance in the breeze, framing her delicate features. The slope of those full lips curved in a smile as she takes in the scenery around us, eyes alight with wonder.
Just watching her exist in this untamed space she adores so fiercely has a profound sense of rightness settling over me, warmth spreading through my very marrow. This is where she was always meant to be.
And I was meant to be right here alongside her every step of the way.
We round a bend in the path, and my eyes land on the familiar creek rushing alongside us. The burbling waters are calm, almost serene now, sunlight sparking diamonds across the rippling surface.
But I can easily picture them as they were that fateful day—churning and deadly. I can still feel the desperate, bone-deep dread that gripped me when I first spotted Bonnie trapped against those boulders, the rapids crashing around her. The way my pulse roared in my ears as I plunged into that icy water without a second thought, fighting against the merciless churn with every ounce of my strength.
My feet grind to a halt in the dirt path, and I tug gently to still Bonnie”s momentum. She turns to face me.
”Garrett?” she asks. ”What is it?”
My throat feels thick, the words suddenly lodged there as a thousand different emotions claw at the surface. But I have to find a way to give them shape. To finally put a voice to this profound sense of purpose, of gratitude, that”s been building inside me ever since the day she first stormed into my world.
I lift my free hand to trace the delicate arch of her cheekbone with the calloused pad of my thumb. ”Do you remember what this creek looked like the first time we laid eyes on each other?”
Bonnie”s lips quirk in a wry smile at that, her gaze sparking with playful challenge. ”How could I forget?”
”You were the force of nature I couldn”t resist that day. The daredevil spark that reignited my soul after all this time.” My thumb traces the plush seam of her parted lips, holding her transfixed. ”And I don”t ever want to resist you again.”
Taking her hand in mine, I draw in one more fortifying breath before slowly, deliberately, sinking onto one knee in the middle of the trail. Bonnie”s mouth drops open in a tiny ”o” of surprise, those long lashes fluttering rapidly as realization dawns.
”Garrett...” she breathes, barely more than a whisper.
I don”t let her finish. Instead, I reach into the pocket of my flannel shirt to extract the small, weathered velvet box I”ve been carrying for weeks. Flipping open the lid reveals the delicate ring nestled inside—a slender, rose-gold band cradling the most brilliant emerald solitaire I could find.
Bonnie”s free hand flies to her lips, and I can already see the telltale shimmer of tears gathering in her lashes. But her gaze never wavers from mine, steady and trusting and utterly spellbinding in its openness.
”I needed you in my life like I”ve never needed anything. To be that wildfire spirit who reminds me to embrace life in its full, terrifying glory every single day. The force that pulls me out of my own head whenever I get trapped in the contingencies.”
I squeeze her fingers tighter in my calloused grasp, pouring every ounce of sincerity and reverence into each syllable. ” I want to be the man by your side for all of your adventures. Every thrill, every rush, every breathtaking horizon we chase together from this day forward. For the rest of our lives.”
Bonnie”s chest is heaving with the force of her sharp inhalations, her eyes wide and luminous. But she doesn”t look away, doesn”t flinch from the naked promise blazing in my stare as I finally ask, ”Bonnie Henderson, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
For several endless heartbeats, the only sound is the gentle rush of the creek and the thundering of my pulse in my ears as I wait for her answer. Then, that radiant smile I love so damn much blossoms across her lips, eyes crinkling at the corners as she lets out a breathless laugh laced with pure, unbridled joy.
”Yes,” she whispers fiercely, swiping at the dampness sparkling on her lashes with the back of her wrist. ”Yes, always. To every adventure we can dream up together.”
With hands that tremble ever so slightly, I gently take Bonnie”s slender hand in mine and slide the glittering emerald ring into place on her fourth finger with a sense of reverence.
She stares down at the sparkling gem, lower lip captured between her teeth as her chest rises and falls rapidly. When I stand, she lifts those luminous brown eyes to mine.
”I love you,” she whispers fiercely. ”Every wild, protective inch of you.”
Those three words resonate deep within me in a way nothing else ever has. I crush her to me, breathing her in as I bury my face in that tousled mass of golden waves.
”And I love every fearless, beautiful piece of you right back,” I murmur gruffly against the curve of her ear.
Suddenly, a peal of thunder booms overhead. We both tilt our gazes skyward to the rapidly darkening clouds massing above the peaks, fat droplets of rain beginning to patter down around us.
Bonnie meets my eyes. ”Just like old times?”
I don”t bother responding with words. Instead, I haul my new fiancée back against me and slant my mouth over hers in a searing kiss filled with all the wild, primal promise of a lifetime”s worth of adventures still to come.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against Bonnie”s, letting the rain wash over us in cleansing waves. ”Just like the beginning,” I murmur against her lips.
Her brilliant grin is the only answer I need as the winds pick up, swirling around us, two unstoppable forces of nature embracing the storm together.
Then, without a word, she takes off at a run down the trail, her bright laughter ringing out in the crisp air as I give chase.
What”s next for Garrett and Bonnie? Download a bonus epilogue to find out!
Next in the Series
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