Page 21 of Saved By the Mountain Man

“Now, I’d like to remedy that and try again.”

“What do you?—”

Matt lets go of me and goes down on one knee. I’ve seen this exact picture of him before, but that was back when we were kids. He takes out a small red velvet box from his pocket and opens it. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Dan? Will you give this poor man another chance?”

My hands fly to my mouth as tears slide down my cheeks. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you, and no, I’m not running away again.”

He slides the ring onto my finger and presses his lips on it. “I know, Dan. I know. And that’s why I did it here, with only you and me, so you don’t feel any pressure to say yes. So you can say no if you’re not ready.”

I give him a dramatic look of surprise, my mouth forming an ‘o’. “Say no? Wait. That’s an option? Darn it. You could’ve said so earlier!”

“Oh, you brat.” Matt kisses me hungrily, sending sparks of pleasure all over me.

And so I stand there, the love of my life kissing me, my artworks displayed all around me, Goldie waiting for us at home, and I think, ‘What a beautiful, beautiful life.’

EXTENDED EPILOGUE

MATTHEW

Five Years Later

Sadie, our only child, for now, blows bubbles in front of Jim’s face. He accidentally inhales some of them and sneezes, making Sadie laugh loudly. Dan stands behind them, a huge smile on her face but ready to swoop in anytime.

It’s Sadie’s fifth birthday, and we’re celebrating in Jim’s backyard. It’s the first time we’ve invited some of our neighbors and friends because we usually just have a family lunch or dinner. The cabin is too far for some of them, so Jim’s is the perfect place for the small party.

Milo, my best friend since second grade, claps my back and offers me a bottle of beer. I raise a brow at him. “Really? This is a children’s party.”

“I’m sorry, but the only word I hear is ‘party’. Besides, Dani wouldn’t mind. She’s always been cool.”

“Yes, she is.”

Milo’s foot taps against the Bermuda grass. He opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, closes it again. I elbow him in the stomach. “Spill it. You’re the worst at keeping secrets. You know that, right?”

He pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a harsh exhale. “I saw you that day.”

“What do you mean?”

“The storm. I got worried, so I went to check up on you. Then, I saw you on the terrace.”

I’m in his face so fast, he almost falls backward. “Did you look at my wife?”

Milo’s eyes are wide. “Jesus, no. I saw you naked and hightailed out of there. I figured you looked more than okay and obviously didn’t need any help.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I thought it wasn’t Dani at first. I thought you finally moved on and found someone. Then, she talked about being in your cabin in the storm, so … I put two and two together.”

“Or you could’ve just asked,” I mumble. “Forget you saw anything.”

“I saw your ass and nothing else. And you don’t have to tell me twice, you know. If I could bleach my brain, I would.”

Milo and I watch in stunned silence as a boy Sadie’s age comes bounding to her and pokes her with a toy sword. She stops him with a glare and says, “Stop. Go away and leave me alone.”

The boy’s smile fades, and he runs in search of his mother.

Milo laughs softly. “Remember when you told me how much you hated the town gossip, Lydia?”

“Yeah. She’s been managing that grocery for, what, twenty to thirty years? And she thinks she has a say in my life. I go there for oranges, and she’ll interrogate me for an hour or so.” I take a long swallow of my apple juice and sigh. “A week after I proposed, she badgered Dan into having a dozen kids because, according to her, ‘That’s the way it is in a town as small as ours.’ So no, I’m not her biggest fan.”

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