Epilogue
The sun dipped low over the hills just outside Blossom Springs, casting golden light across the wraparound porch of the little farmhouse Mitch and Izzy now called home. Wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves as the scent of lilacs and fresh-cut grass floated in the air.
Izzy rocked gently in the porch swing, a glass of sweet tea balanced on her knee, and her bare feet brushing against Mitch’s shin. He sat beside her, legs stretched out, one arm casually draped along the back of the swing.
"I can't wait to see the wildflowers start to pop up. Thank you so much for spending so much time helping me plant them today."
He chuckled, and she nearly sighed because she enjoyed the sound so much. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd like being a flower farmer, but this life has really grown on me."
She laughed. "It has a way of doing that. Your hands in fresh dirt, seeing the seeds you lovingly planted poke through the dirt and bloom, and finally the beautiful flowers as they open up. It's such a wholesome life. It's hard work, but I can't believe I actually get to live like this."
She watched his chest expand as he took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, his that deep brown she'd first noticed and fallen in love with. Fine lines were etched at the corners of his eyes, and a few shining silver strands of hair wove their way into his temples. He was incredibly handsome.
"I can't believe I get to live like this either.
I'll be honest, though, the past few months of fixing fences, unpacking boxes, moving furniture, cleaning out the woodshed and the barn, I wasn't always loving life.
But now that we've managed to set this place up the way we want it, I love the hell out of this place. "
Izzy laughed. "I'm right there with you. When I moved into the upstairs of Petal Pushers, it wasn't anything like it was when I moved here. There were so many repairs on this place. My goodness, I had no idea."
Mitch nodded. "We could have hired someone to do most of that work, but there was something inside of me that wanted to do it myself. Now, every day when I come up the driveway, I am proud as hell of what we've done here."
She leaned over and kissed his lips. "I am, too. That's why we did it. So we would be proud of our place. I can't wait to have our friends out here for a party."
"I'd love that. It's been a couple of months since we joined them at Sarge's for their Thursday night out. Why don't we go there tomorrow and enjoy?"
She giggled. "Yes. That sounds heavenly. Thank you."
"I think so, too. I'll let Jace know to expect two more tomorrow."
Izzy clapped her hands and leaned back against the arm he had around the back of the swing. They swung silently for some time, listening to the birds chirping. A gentle breeze blew the trees near the first garden they'd planted, and she watched the baby leaves dance.
Mitch took a deep breath and said, "I'll tell Jace we're celebrating and to have something special set up."
She watched a bird land on the fencepost he'd installed just yesterday, and her lips curved up. "Okay," she responded absently.
The swing moved as Mitch stood, and she turned her attention to him instead of the bird. He knelt in front of her, the handsomest smile on his face she'd ever seen, when he asked. "Don't you want to know what we're celebrating?"
"Celebrating?"
"Honey, I just said I'll tell Jace we're celebrating and to have something set up for that."
She shook her head, her brows pinched together. She recalled him saying something, but it hadn't sunk in what he meant. Not that they didn't have a lot to celebrate, they were living proof that life should be celebrated.
"I'm sorry. I guess I thought you meant this place, the repairs, and that Petal Pushers is doing a fantastic business. DeMario Security is, too. Sadie is doing well. There's a lot to celebrate."
He grinned. "I'm a bit selfish, I guess. I want one more thing to celebrate."
"You do?"
He laughed then, and the sight of his happy dancing eyes and the curve of his sexy lips had her enthralled with the sight of him. He was incredible. How did she get so lucky? Her parents must be looking down from heaven and grinning like mad.
Mitch pulled a ring from his front pocket and held it up to her. "I'd love to celebrate that you've agreed to be my wife. So, let me make it a formal question. Izzy, Isabelle Payton, will you do me the extreme honor of being my wife? Spend the rest of your life with me?"
Her eyes rounded. She felt foolish that she hadn't caught on to his meaning.
She should have been dreaming of this day after all they'd been through together.
Didn't girls always dream about being proposed to?
But they'd been so busy fixing up Petal Pushers, working with Quinn on the expansion, complete with offices for DeMario Security attached.
Then buying this place, moving, fixing up so many things here from damaged wood floors to broken windows, to uneven cabinets, then planting the flower gardens so she could infuse every arrangement she made with her own flowers, she'd never dreamed of this.
Mitch's brows rose into his hair, and she blinked. "I'm speechless." A tear fell from her eye, and she took a deep breath. "Yes. Of course, I'll marry you. I...I...didn't expect this."
His brows furrowed. "You didn't think we'd marry one day?"
She chuckled. "I did. I mean, I guess I hoped, but we've been so damned busy, I didn't know when we'd even fit it in, and I didn't know if you were ready. Then I wasn't sure what your thoughts were on marriage, I mean, we've never talked about it. Then..."
"Shhh." He kissed her lips. "Say it again. Without all the other stuff."
She laughed. "Yes." She held his face between her hands. "Yes, Mitch DeMario, I'll marry you."
She kissed his lips, enjoying the feel of his tongue as it slid along hers. Their lips moved gently against each other’s, the feelings of all he meant to her swirled in her mind, nearly making her dizzy.
He pulled back slightly and took her left hand in his and slipped the ring on her finger. It was beautiful. A white gold band with a single diamond flanked by two tiny sapphires.
“It’s us,” Mitch said, his voice a bit rougher than usual. “Strong, steady, and built from something hard-earned. I never thought I’d want more than peace, but then I met you, and peace turned into possibility. Into home.”
Izzy blinked quickly. “Mitch...” She swallowed. "It's stunning."
"You're stunning, Iz. You're everything."
They kissed as the last bit of sun disappeared. There was no danger, no fear, only love, laughter, and the promise of forever.
And somewhere in the background, the quiet hum of their new life played on, steady, sweet, and perfectly theirs.
Love. Laughter. Forever.
Mitch and Izzy have weathered danger, uncovered secrets, and found their happily-ever-after... but their journey doesn’t end at “yes.”
What happens when vows are made, promises are sealed, and the whole town comes together to celebrate?
Don’t miss the exclusive wedding bonus epilogue!