Page 67 of All Because I Loved You

“I had three parties that were cancelled due to the storm, so I’ve been on the phone all morning, trying to reschedule or at least get deposits back. I also have a bride that is scheduled to be married in two weeks at the Harborview, but their entire main floor flooded out, causing a ton of damage that’s going to take months to fix. So, unless I want the bride wearing rainboots at her reception, I need to figure something out and fast.”

“You always do,” Isla assured her.

Raelyn plopped in the chair across from Isla and placed her big black bag on her lap. “I do, don’t I? I’m not going to let this stop me. I will figure it out!”

“In the meantime, want to go over your orders.”

“That’s why I’m here.” Raelyn took her planner out of her bag and placed it on the table. “Oh! The bride originally wanted a rustic wedding before her mother talked her into the Harborview. There’s that barn over on Beaver Creek Road. I bet I could turn that place into something the bride will love.”

“I don’t even know who owns that barn.”

“Me either, but I’m going to find out.” Raelyn jotted notes down in her planner then smacked her hands on the table. “Where were we?”

Six hours later, tired and ready to collapse on the couch, Isla pulled into the driveway. Nolan should have been home by now, but his flight had been cancelled, and he’d been on standby since this morning.

She had no idea how she went three years without him in her life. It’d been a couple days since he’d left, and she missed him like crazy.

Three years ago, her brain would have come up with a million different scenarios of why he really wasn’t home yet, but her mind was calm.

She walked in the house and dropped her bag on the table before pouring herself a glass of wine and headed outside to the backyard. She still hadn’t taken the furniture back out and made a mental note to do so. “Oh, screw it,” she said out loud. She put her wine glass now. “I’ll just do it now.”

“Do what now?” Nolan’s voice broke through the early evening air.

She spun around; mouth wide open. “Nolan!” She ran at him and jumped into his arms. “You’re home!”

He held her tight. “I’m home.” He pulled back and lowered her to the ground. “Miss me?”

She scrunched her nose and held up her thumb and forefinger. “Maybe just a little.”

“A little!” He scooped her up off her feet. “Well, I missed you a lot.”

He started walking to the house, and she pointed toward her wine. “Wait, my wine.”

“Your mouth is going to be too busy for it anyway,” he said before capturing her lips in a searing kiss that told her just how much he missed her. He pulled away. “Still want that wine?”

“What wine?”

“God, I love you.”

“I’m kind of loveable.”

“You know what I said to my mom after that first day we met?”

“No, what’s that?”

“I told her I was going to marry you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I did. Ask her.” He put her down and kissed her head. Nolan reached into his pocket, took out the ring he’d been holding onto for the last three years, and dropped to his knee.

“Oh my God!”

“Isla Garrick, I knew at six years old that you were the one and nineteen years later, I still know. These last three years without you have been miserable, and I never want to be apart from you again. So.” He clicked the box open. “Will you marry me?”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, smile spreading, allowing a sob to escape. She nodded and jumped into his arms. Her weight hit him hard, but he didn’t let them fall. He’d never let her fall.

“Yes!” she screamed, tilting her head to the sky. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”

She kissed him then and the vision he had of their future that had been ruined three years ago, came back into view. He could see it, taste it, and couldn’t wait to experience every second with Isla, the girl of his dreams since he was six years old, at his side where she belonged.

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