Page 70 of In this Moment

Her eyes widened but she nodded.

“Can I show you your camp?” He held out his hand and when she took it, he closed his fingers around hers. Together, he walked with her down the rest of the trail to the campsite.

He owed his siblings more than he could ever repay because they’d dropped everything to rush up the mountain and set up the most romantic campsite he could ever have imagined. Torches lit the perimeter of the site, with a small path of candles leading to their tent. Another, smaller tent, sat on the other side of the campfire, for Jonah. There were jars of fresh mountain flowers scattered around—that must have been Chelsea’s doing—and blankets on the ground around the fire for them to cuddle in later.

Hopefully.

He had to remember how they’d left things betweenthem.

He needed to remember why they were there.

They stopped in front of the campfire. The sun was just starting to get low in the sky, casting the perfect shadows over everything, to create an even more intimate setting.

Evie looked around, taking it all in. Finally she looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I don’t understand. What is…why…”

He took a deep breath. He hadn’t rehearsed anything, but his feelings for Evie were so clear that he knew he could trust his heart to find the right words. “From the moment I met you, Evie Rose, I’ve been completely smitten with you. I have traveled the world a few times over, and never in all my travels have I met anyone quite like you. The more time I spent with you, the more I got to know you, and just when I thought I knew everything there was to know…there’s more. You’re so sweet and caring. So giving of yourself. I know you would do anything for anyone who needed a hand. But you’re strong, too. The strongest woman I know, who can raise such a great kid, all on her own, run a business and keep it all together even when everything is stacked against you.” She ducked her head and blushed, but he wasn’t even close to being finished. He had so much he needed to say. “You’re gorgeous, and sexy and…I just can’t get enough of you, EvieRose.”

He reached out and took her other hand in his, giving them both a squeeze so she would look up at him with those beautiful eyes. “It wasn’t that long ago that I got down on one knee in the middle of Main Street. I had a lot of feelings that day, but every word I said was true. And today, I have something else I want to say toyou.”

He looked over at the group of women, who’d been joined by his brothers, his mother, and Chelsea who stood with them. Jonah stood right in the middle of the little group. Declan released one of Evie’s hands and gestured to Jonah. Jade gave him a pat on the shoulder, and the boy came to join them. He looked a little unsure, but Declan knew it would be okay in a minute.

“Jonah,” he said to the boy. “I have a very important question to ask you, and I should have asked you this before but you’ll have to forgive me because I’ve been a little pressed for time today.”

“Okay.” Obviously understanding the gravity of the situation, Jonah nodded solemnly.

Declan looked up at Evie, who now had tears in her eyes. “Would you excuse me for just one second?” She nodded and he turned to the boy, kneeling in front of him and taking both his hands in hisown.

“Jonah,” Declan began. “I’ve had so much fun getting to know you and what a wonderful kid you are. I know you have a dad and he’s a great one.” Jonah nodded. “But, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to be there for you and your mom. I promise to love you both, be there for whatever you need and care about you both, always. If you wouldn’t mind, Jonah, I’d like to ask you if I could be your bonus dad. Would that be okay withyou?”

Jonah bit his lip and looked up at his mom for guidance.

“He asked you, kiddo. You can answer.”

He nodded before he looked back at Declan and then very seriously he said, “Yes. I would really, really likethat.”

Overcome, Declan reached out and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you, buddy. You’ve made me very happy.” When he released the boy, there were tears gleaming in his eyes as well. “And I have a little present for you.” Declan reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife. “I know it might be a bit much for you right now, but I’ll teach you how to use it and it can always be a symbol of us, okay? Because even though it’s sharp, not even this knife will be able to cut through how much I love you and your mom. Does that make sense?”

Jonah nodded, although Declan couldn’t be sure he understood. Declan knew it was cheesy, but he was okay with that because he meant every word. “Good.” With one hand still in Jonah’s, he turned back to Evie. With all his heart, he hoped he could convey to this woman in front of him just how much she meant to him. “Evie. I had to ask Jonah first, but there’s something I need to ask you. And this time, I’m not asking you for any other reason except I loveyou.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

He released Jonah’s hand, reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a ring box. He got down on one knee, more because he needed to stop shaking than because it was traditional, and opened the box. Evie gasped when she saw the ring from the bottom right-hand side of the ring case she kept in the back of her store. The ring her eyes had gotten big over the day they picked out the fake ring. The ring that Declan knew from the very beginning had been the ring she’d fantasized about having on her finger. It could only be thatone.

“Evie Rose. Never in my whole life did I believe that love could exist for me. But only a few short weeks with you changed all that. Not only do I now believe that love can exist, I know it. Because you have a piece of my heart, Evie. A huge piece. That day you asked me to be your fiancé, I never could have expected that not only would I enjoy everything that being engaged to you meant, but that I would want it to be real more than anything else in the world.

“Evie Rose, I love you more than anything else in the world.” It felt so good to finally say the words out loud, so he said them again. “I love you with every bit of my being and who I am, and you have such a hold on me, Evie, that I don’t think I would be able to make it through one more day without you.” He ducked his head and shook it briefly, laughing at his own vulnerability. “Believe me, I never imagined I’d be doing this. But now that I know how perfect it can be with you and Jonah, I can’t imagine a life withoutyou.”

Tears streamed openly down Evie’s cheeks but she didn’t wipe themaway.

“All this is to say that, I love you, Evie.” He said it again. Damn, it felt so good. “Would you make me the happiest man in the world, put me out of my misery and agree to be mywife?”

She nodded and a sob escaped her lips. A hand flew to her mouth and she made a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

“Mom!” Jonah tugged on her hand. “Say yes. Idid!”

Everyone laughed, and Declan was reminded of the fact that they had an audience. But it didn’t matter, because in the next instant, Evie said, “Yes.” She nodded again, her smile radiating love. “Yes. A million times, yes. Declan McCormick, I love you, too. For real. And if you love me, too…”

“I do,” he agreed. “I love you, somuch.”

“Of course I’ll marryyou.”

The little crowd cheered, but Declan barely acknowledged it as he slid the perfect antique diamond ring with rubies crusted around it on the finger of the woman he loved. The only thing that mattered is that she’d said yes. She loved him and she wanted to marryhim.

Forreal.

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