Page 106 of All Along The Watchtower

I risked a glance at Rios. His expression hadn’t changed, but his shoulders had gone rigid. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Madden had been one of the loudest voices condemning him after Gwen disappeared. She’d never forgiven him for being the last person to see her cousin alive.

My hands tightened on the glass. After everything that had come out about what really happened to Gwen, I wondered if Madden felt any remorse for how she’d treated Rios. Forhelping drive him off the island. Somehow I doubted it. Some people couldn’t admit they were wrong, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

I topped off his beer and slid it across the bar. “Karma?”

He sipped at the beer and jerked one shoulder. “Maybe now she’ll learn to think before she acts.” Lifting his glass in a toast, he headed over to join his family.

I watched Rios settle in beside his niece and Gabi, noting the way he kept his back to the wall, maintaining clear sight lines to all exits. Ford’s gaze tracked him too, his expression thoughtful.

“Is he okay?”

“Something’s stuck in his craw. If he’s here long enough, Sawyer and I will get it out of him.”

The screech of feedback made me wince as Monty tapped the mic. He bounded onto our makeshift stage, beaming at the crowd. “Welcome, welcome to karaoke night at the OBX Brewhouse! Now, we’ve got some ground rules. Two-song limit per person. And if you’re on the banned list—you know who you are—don’t even think about it.”

I relaxed slightly. Maybe this wouldn’t be the disaster I feared.

“To kick things off, we’ve got a special treat. Please welcome Ford Donoghue and Bree Cartwright!”

My head snapped up. “Excuse me, what? I don’t karaoke.”

Ford turned that devastating smile on me—the one that had talked me into everything from sneaking onto fishing boats to midnight swims since we were kids. He held out his hand. “Come on.”

The crowd started chanting my name. Pop and the Gray Beards were the loudest, though Peyton and Mimi’s voices rang clear above the rest. I hadn’t even seen her and Mama Flo arrive.

I shot Ford a look that promised retribution. “Fine.”

The bar erupted in cheers as I came out from behind the counter.

Ford’s hand closed around mine and he tugged me up onto the stage.

“What are we even singing?” I demanded.

He handed over a microphone with a grin. “A classic.”

The opening notes of “I Got You Babe” filled the bar, and I shot Ford a look. “Really? This is your idea of a classic?”

He just grinned and launched into Sonny’s part. I couldn’t help laughing at his exaggerated gestures and dramatic facial expressions. What the hell? In for a penny.

I channeled my inner Cher, complete with hair flips and hip swaying. The crowd ate it up, particularly when Ford and I played up the cheese factor, facing each other and gesturing dramatically. Pop was practically falling out of his booth laughing.

Peyton had her phone up, no doubt recording the whole mortifying spectacle for posterity. I’d have to get her to send it to me later. Not that I’d ever admit that out loud.

We finished with a flourish, and I took an exaggerated bow, ready to escape back behind the bar. But Ford’s hand tightened on mine when I tried to step away.

I turned back. “What are you…”

The words died in my throat as he dropped to one knee.

“What?” My voice came out as a squeak.

The entire bar went dead silent.

Ford grinned up at me, still on one knee. “Bree Cartwright, I’ve loved you most of my life. First as my best friend, then as the woman who stole my heart, and now as this amazing bonus mom to my kid. You’re the missing piece I didn’t even know I was looking for until I lost you. I was an idiot to ever let you go, and I don’t want to waste another minute. Will you marry me?”

My heart threatened to burst right out of my chest, hammering so hard I could barely hear anything else over the rush of blood in my ears. My vision blurred as tears welled up. I blinked hard, desperate not to cry in front of half the island. Ford still knelt before me, his green eyes filled with so much love it made my chest ache.

This was Ford. My Ford. The boy who’d held my hand through every thunderstorm. Who’d snuck me candy bars when I was stuck in detention. Who’d taught me to swim and climb trees and throw a punch. The man who’d come back into my life and proved that sometimes dreams really did come true.

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