Page 88 of Flare
“I’m not complaining.” Emily took a bite of her burger.“Oh, yum,” she exclaimed when she’d chewed and swallowed.
Ward beamed down at her.
“Oh, and our website just got another order fifteen minutes ago. Someone in Seattle wants one of your custom dining tables—Douglas fir, live edge, seats ten.”
Ward’s eyes lit up.“That’s the third order this week.”
Emily grinned at him, feeling a pleasant glow of pride.
Ward’s carpentry business had exploded since she’d built him a website showcasing his stunning handcrafted furniture, with online ordering integrated with his new business software.
These days, she handled all the marketing, scheduling, and client communications for Swanson Custom Woodworks while he focused on what he did best—creating beautiful, functional art from wood.
He’d promoted her to full partner back in July, and his sister Ellie had drawn up the official paperwork giving Emily a fifty percent share in the business.
She still worked at Cinnamon + Sugar part time, but with Maggie’s invoicing, ordering, and receipts now handled by the same software that Ward’s business used, the bakery really didn’t need a full-time office manager anymore.
“I still can’t believe how that black walnut wedding-gift table turned out,” Emily said.“Yasmin’s thank-you note made me cry.”
“We make a good team,” Ward said.“I’d never have finished my kitchen reno if it weren’t for you.”
Two weeks ago, Ward had finally completed the kitchen, transforming the outdated space into something both beautiful and practical.
Every morning now, she drank her coffee at the reclaimed wood breakfast bar he’d built especially for her.
There was only one cloud still hanging over her new life. Last month, she’d received an envelope embossed with the seal of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Andrew Brunborn had eventually recovered from his gunshot wounds and now awaited trial in Spokane, along with the rest of his family. The Brunborn criminal enterprise had crumbled once federal investigators got their hands on the files Emily had copied from Andrew’s PC.
She was scheduled to give her deposition in three weeks. The Brunborn trial loomed as the last hurdle before she could truly close that chapter of her life.One day at a time, she reminded herself. And Ward would be there at her side if she were called to testify at the trial itself.
Several happy hours later, Emily and Ward sat on Elle’s porch swing, watching the spectacular sunset paint the sky above the mountains with brilliant streaks of orange and gold. In the distance, the sounds of the Labor Day celebration continued—laughter, music, the clinking of bottles and silverware.
“Beautiful sunset,” she said.“Thanks for suggesting we watch it from here.”
Ward cleared his throat. She turned to him.
Something in his posture caught her attention—a slight stiffness in his shoulders, an unusual tension around his normallyrelaxed mouth. His fingers drummed lightly against the porch swing’s wooden armrest.
Is he… nervous?
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Ward’s hazel eyes met hers with an intensity that made her breath catch.“More than okay,” he said, taking her hands in his.“Just thinking about how much has changed for the better since you came back to Bearpaw Ridge.” He paused.“Emily, I need to tell you something.”
She waited, watching the play of emotions across his face—nervousness, determination, and something deeper that made her heart race.
“I love you,” he said, his voice low and certain.“More than I ever thought was possible to love someone. These past few months have made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Waking up beside you every morning, working together, building something that belongs to both of us—it’s everything I never knew I wanted until you walked back into my life.”
Emily felt breathless with emotion.“Ward, I—”
“Please,” he begged,“let me finish before I lose my nerve.”
She nodded and took his hand.
“When you first came to Bearpaw Ridge, you were running from something terrible. I wanted to protect you, to make you feel safe. But somewhere along the way, I realized you were doing the same for me. You protect my heart, Emily. You make me feel like the luckiest man alive, just by choosing to be with me each day.”
Emily’s vision blurred. Tears began running down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. She had somethingshe needed to say to him first.“When you look at me, you make me feel like I’m the most important thing in your world. Like Imatter, not for what I can do or who I can be for you, but just for being me. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found someone like you, so thoughtful and loving.”
