Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
THREE MONTHS LATER
Wes
Long before Cove, long before becoming a pilot, I’d throw a surfboard in the truck, disappear for a couple of days, and lose myself in the rhythm of the ocean.
I’d drive straight across Vancouver Island until I reached Tofino.
There was always something about this place—the towering trees, the crashing waves—that has always quieted my mind.
Years later, when things with Cove really started taking off, I bought my own place out here.
Whenever I need to think or escape, this is where I come. And when I want to do something special for the woman I love, there is nowhere else I’d rather bring her.
The oceanfront home sits perched above the rugged shoreline, tucked between an expanse of tall cedars and the Pacific Ocean.
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the endless stretch of beach below.
Waves crash against the rocks with the kind of steady rhythm that makes you forget the rest of the world exists.
I’d flown us over yesterday afternoon, telling Lottie that we were sneaking away for one last weekend before summer is over.
Cove is gearing up for another major product launch, and Lottie’s calendar is already filled with fall and winter weddings, so I pointed out that we could both use the break.
And that’s true, but the real reason for this trip is sitting in the pocket of my duffel bag upstairs: a small velvet box that has me feeling more nervous than the first time I flew a plane by myself.
I look through the wall of windows to where Lottie stands barefoot on the deck, the ocean breeze catching the hem of the blue dress she insisted on wearing despite promising that she’d pack “comfortable clothes.”
She’s watching the waves roll toward shore completely unaware that by the end of today, I’m going to ask her to marry me. Again. Only this time, there won’t be a contract waiting at the end of the aisle.
Just forever.
I usually pull out my surfboard when I’m in town, but I scratched that activity off our weekend itinerary before we even left Deep Cove.
My wife informed me in no uncertain terms that no wetsuit on the planet is thick enough to make the Pacific Ocean enjoyable.
After watching her dip a toe into the ocean yesterday and then run back to dry land, I’m inclined to believe her.
Lucky for us, Tofino has plenty more to offer than freezing water.
Lottie slips through the sliding patio door, closing it behind her. A dramatic shiver rolls through her as she rubs warmth back into her bare arms.
“I don’t know how people swim in that,” she says, peering back toward the waves crashing against the shoreline. “It’s beautiful…but absolutely not.”
A laugh rumbles out of me. “It’s not that cold.”
“I guess if you don’t mind your soul leaving your body, it’s okay.”
I grin.
Lottie toes off her sandals, still looking at the beach below as the afternoon sun pours through the glass, turning her hair almost golden.
“I really don’t think I’ve ever seen a place this beautiful,” she sighs.
But all I can think is that the most breathtaking view in the room isn’t the one outside the windows. It’s my wife standing in front of them.
The ocean breeze has given her cheeks the prettiest blush of pink, and her thick hair, a little longer now than it was when we first met, falls in loose waves around her shoulders.
She’s been toying with the idea of cutting it, but so far I have talked her out of it.
Not because I didn’t think she’d look beautiful—Lottie could shave her head and still stop traffic—but because I love running my hands through it when her head is on my chest.
She catches me staring. “What’s on your mind, Pilot?”
“I’m just admiring my wife.”
She rolls her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips tells me she loves hearing it. I cross the room until I’m standing behind her.
“Happy?” I ask, slipping an arm around her waist.
She glances around the house, taking in the soaring cedar ceilings, the wall of windows framing the ocean, and the fire crackling in the stone fireplace.
“Very. You’ve planned another pretty incredible weekend getaway,” she says. “This is the kind of place people put on Pinterest boards. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to my husband owing a place like this.”
“One of the perks.”
She leans back against me with a contented sigh. “I could definitely get used to this ocean view.”
I chuckle as she tips her head back to look at me. “This is amazing, don’t get me wrong. The house, the plane, the view.” A smile spreads across her face. “They’re all incredible.”
Her hand settles over mine at her waist. “But I’d be just as happy if we were sitting in lawn chairs in Deep Cove watching the sunset.”
My chest tightens. That’s Lottie. She appreciates every opportunity this life affords us, but she’s never once expected it.
Never treated it like it was owed to her.
She appreciates everything, she always thanks the staff by name, and she somehow makes every place we visit feel less impressive than the person she’s sharing it with.
Money has never been what impresses her.
Love does. And every time she reminds me of that, I fall a little harder.
“You’re freezing, baby. Go sit by the fire and I’ll make us warm drinks.”
She turns in my arms, pressing a lingering kiss to my lips. “With marshmallows?”
I lightly smack her ass. “If you’re lucky.”
Lottie pads across the living room, dropping onto the oversized sofa in front of the stone fireplace. She tucks her knees up to her chest and stretches her hands toward the dancing flames.
My eyes brush down the length of her hot as fuck body. One look at Lottie and desire hits me like a freight train.
I leave her curled up by the fire and wander into the kitchen.
I pull a saucepan from the cabinet and pour in some milk before adding dark chocolate, a splash of vanilla, and a generous pour of Bailey’s.
While it warms on the stove, I head to our bedroom and grab the ring from my duffel.
I open the box, turning the ring over in my hand before slipping it into my pocket and returning to the kitchen.
I pour the hot chocolate into two oversized mugs, top them with whipped cream, and finish each with a dusting of chocolate. I grab the bakery box of chocolate chip cookies we’d picked up in town this morning from the counter and make my way back to the living room.
Lottie looks up from the fire, eyes wide. “Who knew my husband is so skilled in the kitchen?”
“I enjoy taking care of my wife.” She takes a mug from my hand. “I’d do just about anything to see that smile on your face.”
She cradles the mug between both hands, letting the warmth seep into her fingers before taking a careful sip. Her eyes close and a satisfied hum escapes her. “Okay,” She peeks at me over the rim of the mug. “This might be the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.”
I smirk. “Might?”
She laughs. “Fine. It definitely is.”
She takes another sip before grinning at me. “So, I married the hottest pilot on the planet.” She tips her head thoughtfully. “Who also happens to make an elite Bailey’s hot chocolate.”
I can’t help but smile. “Quite the résumé.”
“You’re unfairly good at taking care of me.”
“Well,” I say quietly, “I’m pretty crazy about my wife.”
Her smile softens into one that has the power to completely undo me.
We settle into the couch together, the fire crackling softly a few feet away. Between stolen kisses, we make quick work of the cookies in the box. Somehow, the simplest moments with Lottie always become my favorites.
“I’ve eaten too many of these.” She pats her stomach dramatically. “I don’t think I’ll have room for dinner.”
“You’re going to have to make room for dinner,” I tell her. “Dinner’s non-negotiable. I’ve booked us a reservation at Tofino’s best restaurant. You’re going to love it.”
She sighs, pretending to think it over. “Well, if I absolutely have to, I suppose I can force myself to endure some fine dining.”
“Such a sacrifice.”
Her smile turns playful as she set her mug on the coffee table. “So,” she tilts her head to the side. “What should we do until dinner?” I know that look in her eyes. My wife wants me.
I really want to kiss that teasing smile right off her face, and throw her over my shoulder. But not yet.
“I’ve got a few ideas,” I say, unable to keep the grin off my face. “But you’re going to have to be patient, Peach.”
She narrows her eyes. “Patient has never really been my thing.”
“I know.”
I lean forward and steal one quick kiss. “That’s what makes this so much fun.”
My heart pounds harder than it ever has in the cockpit. The moment my knee hits the floor, her entire expression changes.
Her eyes go impossibly wide when she sees me on one knee. When I reach into my pocket, the first tear slips free. She doesn’t brush it away. She lets it fall, then another, and another, never once looking away from me.
Every tear feels like its own answer. Like she’s letting me see every ounce of what she’s feeling instead of trying to hold it together. It’s beautiful, raw, and honest and somehow, I fall even harder for the woman sitting in front of me.
Lottie’s smile falters. “Wes, what are you doing?”
“The first time I asked you to marry me, it was an agreement.” I pull the diamond eternity band from my pocket.
“This time, I’m choosing you. I’m choosing a life with you.
” I swallow hard, glancing down at the ring before meeting her gaze.
“You are my favorite person in the world. My favourite person to come home to. I’ve never had someone who is mine to love, someone I get to take care of, someone I can’t wait to wake up beside every morning.
And even though you’re probably going to spend the rest of our lives reminding me to talk about my feelings.
” She laughs through her tears. “I can’t wait to spend all of that time with you.
Lottie, I know I can be quiet and closed-off, and I can disappear into my own head more than I should.
But one thing you’ll never have to question is how completely I love you.
It’s you Lottie Winters. It’s aways been you. ”
I rise on my knees so that I can look into her eyes. She grips my face in both hands, her palms warm against my jaw as she presses her forehead to mine. She tips her chin just enough for our eyes to meet, tears glistening in hers.
“I want to give you everything, Lottie,” I tell her. “I want a real wedding. I want to watch you walk toward me in a white dress. I want your mom and dad there. I want my family there. I want flowers, music, vows we actually chose, every person who loves us watching us promise forever.”
I smile through the emotion threatening to undo me. “I want you to have the wedding you deserved from the very beginning. I love you. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person.”
Before I can say another word, Lottie’s lips find mine and she kisses me fiercely. I hold her face in my hands and kiss her back. This woman owns every beat of my heart, now and forever.
When I break the kiss, our foreheads stay pressed together as we smile through the tears.
“You’re mine, Peach. You’re my person, my home. Every ordinary day, every impossible one… I want them all with you.” Her lips are on mine again, slow and reverent. I could spend a lifetime collecting kisses like these ones.
“This time no contracts, no pretending, no conditions. Just me and the biggest promise I’ll ever make.” I smile through the tears. “Lottie Winters, will you marry me again?”
A sob escapes her, the sound echoing through the cabin. “Yes.” A kiss lands softly on my lips. “Yes.” Another kiss. “Yes, baby.” She laughs through her tears. “I’ll marry you a thousand times.”
My heart swells impossibly big in my chest. This is the beginning of a beautiful life together. Hand in hand with the woman I love. Whatever waits for us beyond today, we will face it together.
That’s the promise we’re making to each other.
I slip the ring onto her finger, beside the engagement ring and wedding band she’s worn from the beginning.
“Wes Winters,” she whispers. “I can’t wait to marry you for the second time.”
I pull her into my arms as the waves crash outside and the fire crackles behind us.
There’s nothing more I could ever want.