Page 164 of Now and Then

“Yeah?” I blink, the world catching up to me.

He laughs, wiping at his own tears. “Did you hear me?”

I nod, unable to speak.

“And?”

I’ve imagined this moment a thousand different ways.

Somehow, none of them were this perfect.

“Oh,” I whisper, my voice trembling but certain. “Of course I’ll marry you, Hunter James. There’s no other person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

A slow, relieved smile lights up his entire face as he slips the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly. His hand is warm around mine. I pull him up to me, wrapping my arms around his neck, and we kiss. Soft at first, then deeper, teeth grazing, laughter mingling with tears.

“Get a room!” Navy shouts, breaking the spell.

Then, chaos erupts.

Rowan barrels through the yard, arms outstretched for hugs, and Hunter scoops him up just in time to prevent him from running straight into the swing post. I step back, taking in the scene. Everyone is smiling, cheering, clapping, and laughing. My heart feels so full it might burst.

This moment, right here, right now, is perfect.

“I told you, Sutton,” Rowans says.

I place my hand on his arm. “Told me what, Row?”

“That maybe you could find love with Hunter.” His little smile could light up the whole sky.

I nod as Hunter kisses my temple. “You sure did, Row. You sure did.”

“Okay, okay,” Vinnie calls, trying to get everyone’s attention. “This calls for a group hug!”

We collapse into a tangle of arms and laughter. Rowan squirms against Hunter’s hip, Navy smiles at me, and Greer’s arms hug around both of us.

Hunter leans down to whisper in my ear, “You’re amazing.”

I laugh through the tears, shaking my head. “You’re insane.”

“Insane in love,” he says, and I press up to kiss him again.

When we break apart, Luke claps his hands once. “We’d better get going if we’re going to make the ball game on time.”

“Ball game?” I glance between them.

Hunter grins. “Everyone got tickets so we could take Rowan to his first major league game.”

My chest warms. “You did?”

“It also seemed like a great way to celebrate our engagement,” he says with a shrug. “All of us together.”

I step into him again, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Have I told you lately that you’re the best kind of man?”

“Only all the time.” He leans down and kisses me. “And you are the best kind of woman.”

“Alright,” Luke says, “let’s get a move on.”

Everyone moves toward the driveway, voices overlapping, laughter carrying through the air.