Page 76 of Silver Lining Love

I could see that he was bursting to speak, but I just needed to say what I needed to say before he spoke. Because I knew if he asked me to, I’d change my mind. And I couldn’t do that.

He nodded as he exhaled in resignation.

“I am so thankful to you, Wyatt. I don’t know what I would have done without you this past year. I owe you… everything. And I love you. I love you so much it actually hurts sometimes. And I wish that was enough. If it were just me, it would be. I’d stay living next door to you…forever. But it’s not just me. I have three other lives, more important than mine, to consider. They deserve the best, and honestly, I think Wishing Well is the best. Alice is thriving and she has her new best friend. Mikey hasn’t been on his phone once since we got here. And the truth is, it’s not just them. I’m a better person here. I haven’t cursed in front of them once since we’ve been here. And I’ve had morerealconversations in the past forty-eight hours than I’ve probably had my entire life. I need that. I need a village, not just for the kids but for me.” I sniffed as tears began to slide down my face, but I tried to be brave and push on. “I know that us moving here means that we can’t be together. And that breaks my heart,” I cried. “You have no ideahow muchthat breaks my heart. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I need to move to the place that you never want to live again, but I do.” I inhaled a deep, shaky breath. “I’m going to move here with the kids, Wyatt. I love you. I’ve loved you for six years. You are the only person I’ve ever loved and probably will ever love, but I have to do what’s best for the kids and for me.”

I held my breath, waiting to hear his reaction. I’m not going to lie; I was hoping for some tears. Or if not, at least supreme disappointment and sorrow. But there was none of that. If anything, he looked…excited.

“Can I talk now?” he asked after I was silent for a few moments.

To be honest, I was scared of what I was about to hear. What if he was like, “I think that’s for the best. Do you need help packing?”

I forced myself to nod.

“I was coming to find you because I talked to Jan Jenson?—”

“The realtor?” I’d met her today and she’d given me her card. I was going to contact her tomorrow.

“Yeah, she said that the Carter place next door was going to be going on the market next month, but if I wanted to tour it before I left, she’d take me through.”

“Tour?” I had no clue what he was talking about.

“I mentioned to her that I was thinking about moving home if I could convince the woman I loved that it was a good idea. I asked her if there were any properties in the area, close to Mom and Dad, and she asked, ‘Is next door close enough’?”

“Wait…” I shook my head, trying to process what I was hearing. “Are you serious? You said youneverwanted to move back here.”

“I didn’t for a long time. But I do now. I want to be close to my family. I want the kids to be close to my family. And only an asshole would break up Moose and Goldie Hen again, don’t you think?”

My cheeks hurt from the smile that spread on my face. “Are youreallyserious?” I asked again, still in disbelief.

“We can go see the house tomorrow, and if we like it, we can put in an offer.”

“We?” My heart skippedallthe beats.

“Unless you don’t want to move in with me before the wedding. Oh, that’s the other thing I was going to ask you. What do you think about marrying me?”

Unable to control myself, I launched myself onto Wyatt and threw my arms around his neck, causing the swing to rock back. “Whoa. I’ll take that as yes.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” I exclaimed as I buried my face in my favorite spot, the crook of his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes, I want to put an offer on it and I don’t even care what it looks like if it’s next door to your parents. And yes, only an asshole would break up Moose and Goldie Hen.”

He laughed as his hands ran up and down my back, and I cried as he held me. But this time, for once, they were happy tears. The happiest tears.

EPILOGUE

Wyatt

“Whenever you have a great disappointment, you don’t know if it is the end of a story or the beginning of a great adventure.” ~ Gamma Mary

TWO MONTHS LATER

“And now, please clear the floor for the first dance of the bride and groom.”

The tent erupted in cheers as I took Whitney’s hand, and we walked out onto the floor. Chris Lane’s “Big, Big Plans” started playing and I pulled her into my arms. After I’d told her about the song coming on when we were driving to the lake to tell her that I loved her, we’d decided it was our song.

She smiled up at me, radiating love.

“I love you, Mrs. Briggs,” I said as I ran my hands up and down the bare skin of her back.

“I love you, Mr. Briggs.” She lifted up on her toes and kissed me.

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