Page 92 of Chasing Forever

Chase practically dragged Callie up the trail to the clifftop. She’d been fighting him every step of the way, but he was determined to get her there.

“I’m not jumping. I did it once, and I don’t need to do it again!”

He didn’t reply. He just smiled and shook his head. He could hardly believe a year had passed since they’d been there.

All his fears about what would happen after they’d returned to their “real lives” had been unfounded. They no longer lived next door to each other, but a fifteen-minute drive turned out to be nothing. They’d easily slipped into a routine of seeing each other after work and sometimes during the middle of the day.

Callie would surprise him by showing up at his office with lunch or dragging him off to a restaurant, insisting he needed a break. Now that he’d transitioned into estate planning, he hadn’t felt the same need for a break, but he loved seeing her just the same.

And so did everyone else at the office. She’d effectively charmed everyone there, including his sometimes-reticent father. Don’t even get him started about his mom and sister. They were over the moon that Callie had joined their family, even though she hadn’t officially joined them yet. But he hoped that was about to change…

He’d brought her back to Kauai under the pretense that they needed a winter getaway, and where better than the place they’d originally met? This time, things were different, though. They only rented one condo instead of two, and he’d chosen the same unit she’d stayed at before in reverence to her grandmother’s memory.

Callie had cried when he’d told her, but he knew they were happy tears. They were excited to return to Hawaii even though they were only staying for a week this time.

They both had busy schedules, especially now that her book, Chasing Forever, had hit the bestseller list. After their trip, Callie would begin a book-signing tour, starting in Michigan and then fanning out to a few nearby states. He’d been so proud of her the day she’d told him the news. Of course, he was proud of her every day. Her writing had flourished this past year, and she was getting ready to release another book soon.

When they reached the clifftop, Chase walked right past the group of teenagers waiting to jump and led her to the outcrop where he’d found her talking to her grandma last year.

“What are you up to?” she said as he helped her up on a rock.

“Sit down,” he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He wanted this to be perfect, but he was sweating from the climb, and his hands were shaking. So much for being the perfect book hero!

She sat on the rock and scooted over to make room for him, but he remained standing.

“Chase?”

She looked so beautiful sitting there in the sunlight and so much happier than when he’d found her there the last time. He’d like to think he was partially responsible for that, especially since she’d had the same effect on him.

“I didn’t bring you up here to jump this time,” he began.

She looked somewhat relieved, but her brow was furrowed with confusion. He wasn’t one for long speeches unless he was in a courtroom and it was required of him. But he wanted this moment to be memorable, and he searched for the perfect words.

Callie was the wordsmith, though, not him. Realizing she wouldn’t expect that of him, he dropped to one knee.

Her hands automatically flew to her mouth, and her brown eyes went wide. “Ohmigod.”

“Callie?” He fumbled around in his swim trunks pocket for the box. He’d worn a swimsuit to throw her off and had no intention of actually swimming.

“Yes!”

It sounded more like an answer than a question, but he continued just to be sure.

“I brought you here because this is where it all began for us. This is where I fell in love with you—your beauty, your caring nature, your humor. I want us to come back here every year for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”

She cried and nodded as he finally freed the velvet box from his pocket and popped open the lid.

Miranda had insisted on approving the ring before he bought it, and judging by the way Callie was gazing at it through her tears, he felt assured it was the right choice.

“Ohmigod. Yes!” She held out her left hand, which was shaking.

He slipped the ring on her finger, and then she flung herself into his arms, almost toppling them both off the rocks.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she repeated, plastering his face with kisses.

Then there was loud cheering, and he remembered they weren’t alone. Some of the people waiting to jump had obviously caught on to what was happening, and they were smiling and clapping.

Chase gave them a wave of acknowledgment while Callie held up her hand with the ring. Another round of cheering ensued, and then the onlookers went back to their purpose for being there.

“You planned this all along,” she accused, her smile bright and her tears now gone.

“Guilty as charged.”

“I thought you came up here to jump again.”

“I did, but not off this cliff. We took a risk a year ago by falling in love. Now we’re taking another risk, and I’m ready for it—ready to be your husband and love you for the rest of our lives.”

She leaned forward and kissed him, sealing the deal with her lips and effectively telling him everything he wanted to know. But he should have realized she’d back up her actions with words.

“Now you know the end of the story. I told you there’d be a happy ending!”

THE END