Page 77 of Sweet Surrender

She searched his face, wondering why he sounded so serious.

“You said you love a big family,” he said, his eyes suddenly ahead of them. “Does that mean you want a family of your own one day? Kids?”

“At least two,” she heard herself admit, her eyes on the boys as they flung themselves to the ground, making snow angels.

They’re already angels. Wild, rambunctious, sweet as honey angels…

“Boys,” Zane called out suddenly. “Pavilion, now.”

She blinked up at him in surprise, wondering why he was cutting their tour around the park short. But he leapt out of the cart and tied Pepper to a lamppost before she could ask.

“Let’s go see what the boys are up to,” he said mysteriously, offering her his hand.

She took it, allowing him to lift her out, and getting that same electric tingle she always got when their hands touched.

The path to the pavilion was shoveled and salted, so she didn’t have to watch her footing. Which was a good thing, because she was so busy trying to figure out what in the world was going on with all three Lawrence boys.

Nick and Cal sprinted up the steps of the pavilion ahead of them, scampering around and looking like they would bounce off the walls, if there were any. It was such a beautiful sight—the two little boys under all of the Christmas lights and holly, with the twinkling colors making their blond heads seem to glow like little halos.

Zane gazed down at her as they climbed the steps together. When they reached the top, the boys paused in a rare moment of stillness, watching as Zane led her to the very center of the structure as snow began to fall softly on the park all around them.

“What are we…” she began.

But she forgot how to speak as Zane went down to one knee in front of her, holding out something small and sparkling.

“Rebecca Hawthorne,” he said, his voice deep with emotion. “Will you marry me?”

Tears sprang from her eyes as she finally registered what was happening, and before she could even think of answering, she found herself sobbing so hard that she couldn’t get a breath in.

“Miss Hawthorne, are you okay?” Cal asked, running over to hug her. “We didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“You don’t have to get married,” Nick said, sounding a little sad himself.

His blue eyes looked even larger and more beautiful than ever behind his new glasses, and somehow that made her cry even harder.

“I’m n-not sad,” she managed. “I’m soh-h-happy.”

“You don’t look happy,” Nick pointed out.

“That’s because she didn’t say yes yet,” Cal said firmly. “And he didn’t kiss her. They definitely have to kiss, or it doesn’t work, and it’s not forever.”

“Do you boys want this?” Becca asked them. As much as she wanted it, more than she had ever wanted anything, shewouldn’t push her way in. “Do you want me to be part of your family?”

“Yes,” Nick yelled.

“We helped choose the ring,” Cal told her. “You have to stop crying so you can look at it.”

“Oh,” Becca said, wiping her eyes so that the world came into focus again and she could see the pretty little ring in Zane’s hand.

He held it patiently, and she could see that there were tears brimming in his eyes too.

“See how there’s a big one?” Nick asked. “That one’s for Dad.”

“And the two little ones are forus,” Cal said. “Because if you say yes, you getallof us to be your family.”

Sure enough, a pretty little diamond flanked by two tiny ones winked up at her from the golden band.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

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