Page 119 of Loud Unspoken Memories

I swallow, a tear of my own dropping down onto her cheek. “I’m going to need you to say it.”

“I love you, Dallas Montana. I love you so much.”

I close my eyes and let the words sink in, my heart expanding with every passing second. She was right. Phoebe was right. My heart is so goddamn full. Fuller than I thought it could be. Thereisroom for both. Hell, there’s room for bothandroom to spare.

As I slide into her, I see my future in her eyes. A future I couldn’t even dream of a few weeks ago. A future I was sure wasn’t in the cards for me. A future that will exist only because she exists.

This woman was made for me. Placed on this earth for me. Designed by God for me.

We make love like we’re the only two people who ever have. As if the act was created for us. Inventedbyus. And when we come together spectacularly, my entire life makes sense.

I slump down on top of her, both of us breathing heavily and holding on to each other in a way that lets us both know this is a feeling we intend on having over and over again for the rest of our lives.

I perch up on an elbow. “Let me get one thing straight. You got on a plane? I thought you said it would take an act of God.”

She runs a hand through my hair that’s hanging down and tickling her face. “Don’t you know by now that I’d do anything for you? I mean, you got me to climb a tower, Dallas. Getting on a plane was just another leap of faith.”

“You think all this is just some divine intervention?”

“I don’t know. Could be.” She shrugs. “Or maybe it’s just the butterflies.”

I smile then touch my forehead to hers. “Is it too early to ask you to marry me?”

She giggles. “Maybe just a bit. There are things we need to talk about.”

I was kidding and she knows it. Or at least IthinkI was kidding.

She squeezes my arm then continues playing with my hair. It reminds me of the cabin.

“But just so you know”—she reaches between us and puts her hand on my heart—“when you do ask, the answer will be yes.”

My heart pounds even harder than it did a few moments ago.

I roll off her and she rests her head on my chest. “How about for now, I just move to New York and we’ll see how things go?”

“You’d…move here?”

“I love it here. And I love more than you, Dallas. I love your family.”

“Yours is pretty great, too. They’re here, you know.”

She perches her head on a hand and looks up at me. “Asher and Bug arehere?”

“They flew up with me.” I shrug. “You said you always spend Christmas together. I didn’t want you to miss out on that.”

“How are you for real?” she asks.

“Sweetheart, I’ve been asking myself that same thing about you since the day we met.”

Her smile is bright. “That’s the first time you called me sweetheart when my life wasn’t in danger.”

I laugh. “Maybe it is in danger. I do plan on eating you alive every chance I get.”

She lays her head back down on me, shaking my body with her silent laughter. Then she sighs deeply. “In all seriousness, there is something we need to talk about.”

“Charlie,” I say, running a hand down the smooth skin of her back.

“I’m a full-time mom now. We come as a package deal. I need to know you can handle that.”

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