Page 163 of Now and Then
When I do, the sun brushes the horizon, painting the sky in pale pinks and golds. Lanterns sway gently from the trees, and the scents of freshly tilled soil and early blooms drift through the air. But it’s the pergola in the distance that stops me. My chest tightens. My breath catches.
“You finished it,” I say, completely in awe.
Hunter wraps his hands around my waist and pulls me into his warmth. “Want to go see it?”
“Is that even a real question?” I push against Hunter with my butt, and he grunts. “Of course I want to see it!”
He nudges me forward, and I take a tentative step. Behind me, I hear murmurs and stifled laughter of our friends doing a less-than-stellar job of hiding.
“So much for subtlety,” Hunter says. “Ignore them.”
He links our hands and leads me to my swing. It’s exactly like the drawing he gave me for Christmas, even down to the—
I gasp, swallowing back tears and run my hand over the heart etched into the post with H + S = FOREVER in the center.
“You remembered.”
He grins, and a slight pink hue appears on his cheeks that makes me smile.
“Someday,” he says, “you’ll believe me when I tell you I remember everything.”
Stepping under the pergola, I take in the handcrafted wooden swing hanging from thick ropes. Floral vines snake up the sides, but it’s the sea of wildflowers beyond that steals my breath away. Tears prick the corner of my eyes.
I turn and freeze.
“Hunter, I—” My voice catches as he drops to one knee.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“I haven’t even asked you yet,” he says.
We both laugh. Hunter gathers my hands in his.
“All those mornings we talked about the future,” he says softly. “All the almosts. All the what-ifs. All the waiting.”
His thumb brushes over my knuckles.
“For a long time, I thought loving you meant standing back and praying someday we’d find our way to each other.”
He gestures to the swing behind me.
“Turns out, finding our way to each other was only the beginning.” His voice softens. “The best part is what comes next. A life with you. A home that’s ours. Thousands of sunrises together.”
His eyes lock on mine.
“You’re my best friend. My home. My always.”
He releases my hands and pulls out a diamond ring from his shirt pocket. I gasp, my hands covering my mouth.
Time slows.
Every sound except the beat of my heart fades.
“Sutton Joy . . . will you marry me?”
The words hang in the air. Tears slip down my cheeks as my mind flashes through every memory we’ve ever shared. Every kiss, every touch, every lingering look, every moment of longing that led us here.
“Babe?” he asks.
