Epilogue
“You got this,” Sam whispers in my ear.
“I know.” Taking off at a full sprint, I leap mid-step to scramble up the vertical wall. My muddy shoes slip against the surface, but I grab the top and hoist myself up. Once I’m settled, I wave for Sam to follow.
With a huge grin, he runs toward the wall. He barely even has to jump as tall as he is, and within seconds, he joins me at the top. We sit, straddling the wall, facing each other.
“Nice to see you again,” Sam says with a wink before studying our perch. “Isn’t this where it all started?”
“Yep. You were sitting there, and I was here when you held out your hand and said, ‘I’m Sam.’” I use my deepest voice to impersonate him, but it’s still several pitches too high.
“I don’t really sound like that, do I?”
“Thankfully, no. If you did, none of this would have happened.”
A mischievous grin takes over his face. “Think of all the trouble I could’ve saved myself.”
“Shut up,” I say, playfully smacking his chest.
He grabs my hand, holding it to his heart. “Best trouble I ever could’ve asked for.”
I roll my eyes but let them settle on his. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” As he pats my leg, crusty mud flakes off my pants. “I’d kiss you, but you have a little something right here.” He reaches up to smear mud down my cheek.
Yelping, I jerk away as he laughs.
“Come on, you two!” Lisa yells. “No one wants to watch your PDA!”
Thankfully, I’m covered in mud because I know my cheeks are red.
Sam and I jump down from the wall, and join our friends in our jog to the next obstacle. This is the biggest group I’ve ever done the Mud Down with. Lisa, of course, is here, but she brought Brent along, and he seems to be enjoying himself so far. Jackie and Hannah surprised me by wanting to come again. Even Walt drove down from Wyoming to
join in.
The seven of us complete obstacle after obstacle until we finish the race. To my utter disbelief, Lisa actually joins all the guys as they rush through the electroshock wires at the end. Hannah, Jackie, and I meet them all on the other side. I can’t wait to see the pictures of their faces later.
As we collect our newest t-shirts, I can’t help but notice how different this feels. It’s the same shirt we get every year, the same fabric, the same fit, and yet, the sensation of having it in my hands is better than ever before. I don’t know how to describe it.
Until I look at Sam.
He’s the difference. He’s the reason this accomplishment feels so much more incredible than any other year. We’ve completed our first Mud Down together as a couple. He was right next to me the whole time either cheering me on or offering to help if I needed it. Though, I didn’t need it much. He was my partner through the whole thing. He never tried to one-up me, didn’t sulk when I completed an obstacle without him. In fact, he high-fived me every time I did.
Because he’s proud of who I am.
As we head off to get our finisher beers, Sam leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek. “I’m going to grab our bag so we can take a picture. Be right back.”
I sigh contentedly as I watch him jog away.
“He’s still swoon-worthy?” Lisa whispers to me.
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“Well, like I said, I’ve always liked him.” She wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I’m happy for you, Brynn.”
“Thanks,” I say, resting my head on her shoulder. “It’s been a crazy seven months. I mean, we went from not being able to stand sharing the same space, to being in love, to living together.”
“Don’t forget working together, too.”
“Yeah, I still can’t believe Professor St. James opened up another intern spot just for him.”
We step forward to order our beers before stepping aside to wait on the rest of our group.
“How do you know Sam wasn’t her first pick, and the second spot wasn’t for you?” Lisa arches an eyebrow.
I give her a pointed look. “Yeah, right.”
With a laugh, Lisa cracks open beer and tilts it toward mine. “Cheers.”
“We should wait for Sam.”
A sly grin spreads across her face. “He’s already here,” she says, jutting her chin behind me.
Confused, I turn around to find Sam kneeling in the dirt. His adoring smile blinds me. That’s when I notice something small in his hand. I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth, my eyes immediately tearing up.
“Brynn,” Sam says. “You know I love you, right?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“And from what I’ve gathered in my own research, you love me, too.”
A laugh bursts from my lips, but tears accompany it. I wipe them away, smearing the mud further across my face.
Sam keeps smiling. “This may seem sort of sudden, considering our rocky start, but I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I know without a doubt, I want to spend the rest of my days making you happy, and building our future together.”
I’m making all kinds of faces to stop the happy tears from streaming down my face, but it’s all in vain. They slip out, one by one.
“So, Brynn Erlenmeyer...” He swallows, taking a moment to compose himself. “Will you please make me the luckiest man on the planet by being my wife?”
“Yes,” I choke out.
With the biggest self-satisfied grin on his face, Sam stands and slides a rose-gold silicone ring onto my finger. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a real one later. I didn’t want to risk losing it in the mud.”
“It’s perfect,” I say, and throw my arms around his neck, pulling his lips to mine.
Cheers and applause go up all around us as we seal our commitment with a tender, albeit muddy, kiss.
Sam pulls back and presses his forehead to mine. “Oh, and I’m absolutely taking your name.”
I chuckle. “We can hand out flasks as our party favors.”
“I love you so much, Brynn Erlenmeyer.”
“I love you, too, Sam Mudboy.”
The End