Page 117 of Her Wild Coast Refuge

“You said I love you.”

I pull back to stare into his eyes. “I do. You don’t have to say it back. I know you’ve just been through a horrible thing. It’s okay.”

“I love you too.”

I stare at him while my stomach flutters out of control.

Dawson gets out of bed to unpack something from his suitcase, then returns. “I know it’s soon…”

A look of tenderness passes over his features that I start to cry.

In his fist is a small black pouch. “But I don’t want to wait.”

This is really happening.

Dawson kisses my forehead, his lips lingering. “Lexie…this life is ours now. Ours to build and nurture. There’s nothing standing in our way.”

He slides a shiny gold band from the pouch. It’s etched with a river wave. I gasp. It’s simple yet elegant. Perfect.

“Mary Alice gave me your granddad’s wedding ring. She wanted it to be yours.”

I gasp. “This is his ring?”

“Redesigned, but yes.”

I kiss him hard. “Dawson! This is the most perfect thing.”

He rolls me on top of him, his eyes serious. “Marry me, Lexie.”

“I love you,” I reply as everything settles perfectly into place inside my heart. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

He takes my hand and slides the ring into place. I imagine my family’s love within it, mixed with mine and Dawson’s.

“It’s beautiful,” I say. “This can be our first day of forever.”

He cradles my face and kisses me softly. “Our forever.”

* * *

Dawsonand I do the breakfast dishes when Hunter calls. I put him on speaker so I can dry my hands.

“Brian just called,” he says, getting to the point as usual. “We’ve got some information from the lab. Okay if I stop by?”

“Yeah, we’re home,” I reply. Dawson embraces me from behind and kisses my head. In the reflection of the glass, I savor what I see. These last few months with Dawson have been the best of my life.

Hunter ends the call and I swivel into Dawson’s arms.

“Hunter give you bad news?” he asks.

“I think it’s about my locket.”

Dawson folds his arms tighter around me. “Maybe we’ll finally have answers.”

“Right.”

He gently lifts my chin, then kisses me with tenderness, his lips warm. “Whatever it is, we’ll tackle it together, okay? You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I love you, Dawson James,” I say, kissing him back.

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