Page 113 of Yours To Hold

Mason rubs a thumb over my ring finger. “It was my grandma’s.”

You could see my smile from space, it’s so big.

“Ye—”

Willow cuts me off.

“Please, please,pleasesay yes, Ivy!” Willow’s hands are clasped under her chin, eyes wide with excitement.

I don’t know how I could ever say no to her.

Or the man down on one knee for me.

“Yes! Of course!” Both of them wrap me in a hug as Mason plants one on my lips.

“Thank God,” Mason whispers against my lips.

“I don’t know why you were so worried. You know I can’t ever say no to you.”

“I have something for you too!” Willow chirps.

“As long as I have you two, I have everything I need.”

My voice is still shaky. Mason and I talked about marriage, but it always seemed like such a faraway thing. But with the bar doing well and the gallery taking off, I don’t really know why we were waiting.

Mason wasn’t, apparently.

“Are you surprised?”

“No wonder you were so antsy to get going.”

Mason laughs, his breath warm on my face. “I’ve chickened out like three times this week.”

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Hey, it’s nerve-racking.”

Willow comes back, handing me a small black box. I pop open the lid to find a small gold willow branch charm sitting on the velvet.

As if I wasn’t already crying before, the tears fall harder. “I love it.” I pull her in for a hug.

“I can’t wait for you to be my stepmom.”

I kiss Willow’s cheek. “I love you so much. So much, I might even let you win the next cannonball contest.”

“Yes!” Her sweet laugh rings through the small area.

How did I get so lucky?

I never pictured this would be my life. Paris. Tokyo. Sydney. You name it, I wanted to live in any city I could find on the map that wasn’t Dixon. Everything I wanted was outside the town I grew up in.

Now? Now, everything is in Dixon.

Mason. Willow. Gemma. The gallery.

My entire life is Dixon and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mason wipes a tear away from my cheek as I stare into the face I love so much.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

I smile, still holding Willow in my arms.

“Who knew I would love Dixon so much?”

THE END