Page 92 of My Heart Before You

“What do you mean?” Her brows furrowed.

The grin that broke across his face was so wide, her own lips automatically followed suit. “I didn’t spend the whole trip with Max. The last day I spent in Virginia asking your family for your hand.”

Her mouth dropped open. “They know?”

“They know and they happily gave their blessing.”

Though Colin had only spent time with her family during their visit over the summer, she understood that they saw what she saw—his incredible character and that he meant everything to her.

The confident twist returned to his lips.

“It seems you thought of everything.”

“Iaman Eagle Scout,” he reminded her.

“Don’t get too cocky, or I’ll have us married in the Commons.”

His eyes slid into a playful glare. “You wouldn’t.”

“You just told me I can have whatever I want.”

“Whatever you want that doesn’t cause me bodily harm.”

Her lips raised, glancing from his eyes to the ring that sat on her finger. Sadness washed over her like the slight fall breeze flitting through the leaves of the tree outside the window.

At a different time, in a different life, there had been a different ring on that finger. The tightness she usually felt between her shoulders and around her ribs gave a little quick grasp, then released.

“Emilie . . .” Colin’s voice was serious. “If you don’t want to do this now, I’ll wait. If you never want to do this, I’ll happily be a part of your life however you’ll have me.”

Her fingers lifted to his jaw, fixing her gaze on his. “I want to marry you. Sometimes in happiness, little moments of sadness seep through, but it doesn’t diminish the love I have for you. They are separate in my chest, but occasionally I feel them both at the same time.” She wove her fingers over his ear and into the unruly hair at the nape of his neck. “Most of the time I just feel the happiness being with you.”

Colin gave a small single nod. He always seemed to recognize her pain and accept her in spite of it. His warm thumb traced her cheek as he lifted her lips to his in a kiss so affirming, she felt wholly, completely, absolutely, understood and loved.

?Epilogue?

Colin stood in the corridor next to the surgical suite, tying the strings of his scrub cap behind his head and tucking the loose strands of his hair beneath. He placed the paper into his chest pocket before grabbing a gown from the cart nearby.

It was amazing how much life had transformed in the last two years. How the instant that Emilie said yes to marrying him, it set forward a chain reaction of one change after another. It turned out that she hadn’t been kidding about being married in the Commons.

He remembered protesting that the weather might not cooperate with an outdoor venue, or rather it was more likely that lightning would strike a nearby tree downing a large branch that would cleave him in half. Emilie had laughed it off and once he could see that she had her heart set on the idea, he conceded.

In the end, she’d been right. It had been the perfect place to have a wedding, especially in mid-October with the fall leaves ablaze as the altar behind them. The only thing more stunning than the venue had been his bride. The way the blush lace wedding dress hugged her body before cinching at her waist and flowing ethereally to the ground had taken his breath away. Her chestnut hair had been swept into a relaxed gather of curls at the base of her neck with a few loose strands grazing the paleness of her freckled skin.

He’d never seen anything more gorgeous in his entire life than Emilie at their wedding.

Kitty pushing open the swinging door to the surgical suite broke him from his revere.

“We’re ready for you.”

???

A few hours later when things had calmed down, he stood next to Emilie and kissed her forehead.

“You are so incredibly strong,” he whispered to her.

Her eyes were tired but happy when she looked into his. “I love you.”

“I love you.” His heart seemed too big for his chest, the way it thrummed against his sternum.

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