Epilogue
One Year Later
Olivia
“May I have this dance?” Rhett asks, holding out a hand to me as a Kane Brown song comes on over the speakers.
“Yes, please.” I giggle, my second drink starting to get to me.
He keeps my hand locked in his and moves his other hand to my waist, drawing me into him. I take advantage of the closeness and gently whisper, “How are you doing?”
“I’m actually doing okay.”
“Are you sure?” Concern lines my brow. He’s been out with me three times now since he told me the truth about why he doesn’t come to bars anymore. Tonight is his first time having a drink. He’s on his second beer, which he’s been nursing for an hour, but that’s still a feat in and of itself. He’s been out on the dance floor line dancing with Lauren, Callie, and me. He’s better at it than me, which is so annoying . Why does he have to be good at everything? I’m telling myself his background with the guitar helps his sense of rhythm.
“I’m with you, how could I not be okay?”
My cheeks flush. Even after being officially together for a year now, he still gets to me. His touch still sets me on fire. His words still take my breath away. He still makes me believe in myself and makes me feel cherished, never like a burden.
“Just tell me if you want to leave, okay? And you don’t have to finish your beer. You can take things slow. I’m just proud of you for trusting yourself enough to let loose even a little bit when you want to.” I nuzzle into his chest.
He draws out from me to look me in the eyes. “I’m okay. I promise. In fact, I’ve never been better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.” He gnaws on his lower lip.
“What’s going through that head of yours?”
“Come with me.” He tugs me toward the front door of the bar.
“Where are we going? Callie and Lauren are still inside. We can’t just leave them.”
“We aren’t leaving them. Don’t worry.”
We step out into the cool night air, and he continues to pull me along. We round the corner of the building where Callie and Lauren are hunched over something looking like a couple of deer caught in the headlights.
“Rhett! What are you doing? You’re early. You’re ruining it.” Callie gives him a very meaningful look.
I glance between the two of them and then down at Callie and Lauren’s feet. There’s a tangle of string lights, an absurd amount of wildflowers, and a tiny to-go box like the one Rhett brought lava cakes in when I first came to town. I turn back to Rhett for an explanation, and he’s down on one knee, wielding a ring with a dainty circular diamond and a tiny diamond accent on either side. When Callie and Lauren manage to plug in the string lights behind me, it shimmers in the light. It’s perfect.
“Rhett, are you—” My voice comes out shaky.
Rhett’s eyes are watery. “Yes.” His words send chills across my body despite the fact that it’s easily eighty degrees outside.
“I love you with every fiber of my being, and you have continued to challenge me and make me into a better version of myself than I could ever be on my own. You’ve supported me and pushed me to believe that I am a good person who is worthy of love, and I hope to spend the rest of my days doing that for you.” He swipes a tear from his cheek. “I couldn’t resist you from the moment you rolled into town, and our connection has only gotten stronger and stronger. Now that you’ve settled into the job with Morgan, and we’ve lived together for longer than we’ve been dating, I have this knowing in my heart that I’m ready for the next step with you. I want to create a life with you. I want to raise beautiful babies with you. I want to grow old with you. I want everything with you. Will you marry me, Wildflower?”
Lauren and Callie each let out shrieks, and I swear I can hear some sniffles behind me, but I’m only focused on the man I love kneeling in front of me. “Yes! Yes! I want all of that with you. Yes! Please!”
He jolts upright, wrapping his muscular arms around me tight and crashing his lips into mine. It’s a messy kiss, mixed with tears and made difficult by each of our insistence on bearing huge smiles. When we pull back from one another, I find a swarm of the people I love all around me. Rhett. Callie and Lauren. My parents. Carol. Everyone is here, snapping photos, taking videos, and giving hugs and words of congratulations.
A year ago, I rolled into this town only focused on getting through the three months I had to be here, desperate to keep people at a distance. Now, I have a whole swarm of people who love me, and I’m putting down roots in the place I least expected. Yet, I wouldn’t want my life to be any other way. I finally get to live life on my terms with the people I love.