Page 96 of When You Saved Me

“Wow,” Charlie whispered, breathlessly. “It’s incredible.”

“When I first moved here, I’d spend almost every night doing this. Finding random hills on my property to see which one had the best view of the sunset. It took a while, but this one…it’s my favorite spot.”

She settled her head on my chest. “I can see why. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before.”

“Well, I was hoping you’d spend your nights coming here with me… Forever…if you want to.”

Charlie sat up and maybe it was the sunset or the fact thatI was about to ask her the most important question of my entire life, but she looked like an angel. The glow of the evening light haloed around her face, making her adorable freckles darken and her blue eyes shine. The sun gleamed in her hair, showing off all the shades of auburn and red. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“Forever’s an awfully long time, Grumps. Are you sure you’re in for that?”

My hands were shaking like a leaf on a tree as I fumbled for the ring in my pocket. When I finally grasped it, I pulled it out and showed it to her. Those rosy lips that I loved so much popped open right before she covered them with her hands.

“Deacon,” she breathed.

I willed my voice to be steady as I said, “Charlie, before you came into my life, I was a shell of a man. I was so haunted by my past that I had stopped living. All I wanted to do was be alone.” I took her left hand in mine and stroked the top of it with my thumb.

“The moment I saw you, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. All I knew was that you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid my eyes on and if it took sacrificing my own life to get you out of that fire, I would have.”

“Deacon—” Her eyes shuddered as she grasped my hand.

“I would have, Charlie. Because I love you. More than life itself, I love you. You brought me out of the darkness. You taught me how to laugh and smile again. You showed me that no matter what comes my way, I can survive it with you by my side.”

Palming the side of her face, I brought my forehead to hers. “You saved me, Charlie. And it would be my greatest honor to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

Tears tipped over the rims of her eyes as she nodded. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Blissful rays of light burst through my heart as her words sank in.

She was mine.

She was trulymine.

Forever.

I hugged her tight to my chest, the warm smell of vanilla wafting around me as I settled my face into the crook of her neck. Happiness flooded every cell in my body, it felt like I was fucking floating.

I wasso damn happy. I thought my heart might burst from my chest.

“I love you!” Charlie exclaimed as she pulled back and captured my face in her hands. “I love you so much!”

I looked down and reached for her hand so I could make it official. Spreading her fingers wide, she watched as I slipped the ring onto her finger.

“Holy shit, Deacon! It’s so pretty. Oh my god!”

“You like it?”

Her glassy eyes met mine. “It’s perfect.”

“Phew! I had Willow and Sarah help me pick it out because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.”

We both laughed and when she smiled at me, the sunset as our background, I knew my brothers were here with me. Each one of them surrounding us with their light. Remindingme that, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better day.

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