Page 48 of An Alaskan Wedding (Alaskan Grooms 1)

“Your face is a little green.”

He placed his hand over his stomach. “I’m a little queasy. Declan hit a few rough patches on the flight here. He flew straight through without changing his flight path to avoid turbulence. We knew we didn’t have a moment to spare.”

“I—I don’t understand, Boone. What are you talking about?”

She watched as he inhaled a deep breath. “I manned up and faced my fears. Because of you.”

“Me?” Grace furrowed her brow.

“Completely, absolutely, one-hundred percent because of you. I’ve been so wary of being betrayed again...after what happened in the past. I had one foot in our relationship and one foot out. Truthfully, I think I was waiting for the whole thing to blow up in my face.”

“Because of the past?”

“Yes. And because the thought of losing you was overwhelming to me,” Boone admitted.

“I thought you hated me.” She felt her limbs trembling. “You said that you never wanted to see me again.”

Boone reached out and grazed his thumb across her cheek. His eyes were filled with a tenderness and conviction she couldn’t ignore.

“I was angry. Even though I’ve been walking toward my future ever since you came to Love, I took a giant step backward when I found out the reason you came to Alaska. It felt like a betrayal of everything we’d been building together. I had to question whether you were using me for a story. I allowed myself to get swallowed up by old hurts.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “I’m ashamed of the things I said to you.” He shuddered. “It makes me sick to my stomach just remembering how hard I was on you.”

“You didn’t say anything I didn’t deserve to hear. I wasn’t honest with you, Boone. I know how much you value the truth,” she protested. “I should have been straight with you about everything right from the beginning.”

He ran his fingers across her lips, gently tracing the outline of them. “You are the truth, Gracie. My truth. My love. I don’t want you to go back to New York. Ever since you stepped off that seaplane and straight into my arms, Love has felt like a different place. Everywhere you go, you bring light and joy and an abundance of laughter. And even though you’ve struggled with your faith, you’re working toward rebuilding your relationship with God. Brick by brick you’re laying the foundation. We need you. I need you.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Gracie. When I close my eyes and imagine my future, you’re standing right there next to me. As my partner. My friend. My once-in-a-lifetime love. I love you, sweetheart.”

Grace bowed her head. Tears sprung to her eyes and she blinked them away. This was the moment she’d prayed about for years. She’d asked God to bring her a faithful man who would love her until they both took their last breaths. She thought she’d lost Boone, but here he was with his heart in his hands, offering her the moon, sun and the stars. He loved her.

She inhaled a shaky breath. “I came to Alaska in search of a story, but I found so much more than I ever imagined. I found the love of my life in you, Boone. Above all else, I need you to know that.”

Boone lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on her lips that was filled with emotion. “Hearing you say that you love me humbles me. That’s all I’ll ever need to know, Gracie. With love, all things are possible.”

“And I don’t blame you for being upset with me. I was here under false pretenses, and I feel terrible about hurting you and Jasper and Hazel. And everyone else who believed in me. From the beginning, ev

eryone in Love welcomed me with open arms.” She shut her eyes tight as a feeling of shame washed over her. When she opened them her lashes were awash in tears. “For the first time in my life, I felt like I was part of a community. It changed me, Boone. It made me a better person than the one who walked off that seaplane in pursuit of a story.”

Boone took her in his arms and pressed a kissed on her forehead. “Part of loving someone includes forgiveness. What you brought to Love and to me—kindness, generosity, charm, goodness—those things are priceless. Not to mention your idea about making a business out of Hazel’s boots. You’ve given us hope. A shot of adrenaline.”

She grinned, feeling euphoric that Boone had said those three monumental words to her. And she’d finally been able to confess her love to him, as well. A few weeks ago she hadn’t believed in the power behind those words. But now they meant the world to her because she knew Boone wouldn’t throw them out casually.

The sheriff of Love was in love with her! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

“I love you so much, Boone.” She reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, drawing him down toward her so she could place a lingering kiss on his lips.

Boone let out a huff of air and placed his hand over his heart. “Hallelujah! If you didn’t love me back, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Maybe head back to Love with my tail between my legs or move to New York City and try to win your love.”

“Maybe I should have held out a bit longer, just so I could see you roaming around New York,” Grace teased.

She turned her head in the direction of a loud coughing sound. Declan was standing off to the side, wildly trying to get Boone’s attention. He made an exaggerated motion with his hands and pointed toward the floor. Grace giggled at the sight of him. By the time she’d turned back toward Boone, he was down on bended knee.

She immediately stopped laughing. Boone was looking up at her with such a look of devotion it made her weak in the knees. A crowd had gathered nearby. People were looking and pointing. For this moment, all she wanted to do was focus on the man she loved. Grace wanted to remember this act of love for the rest of her years. She wanted to imprint every last detail on her soul so she could someday relay it to their children.

“Gracie, we met in the most unlikely of circumstances. You came to Alaska looking for a story. I told myself I wasn’t looking for love, but deep down inside I yearned for it. I never expected to be bowled over by a city girl in four-inch heels. I am so deeply in love with you I can barely think straight. I can’t for the life of me imagine my life without you in it.”

Grace couldn’t hold back the tears now. She was sniffling and choking back the sobs. Tears were coursing down her cheeks. She swiped them away with the back of her hand.

“So, Gracie, if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, I vow to never let you regret it for a single, solitary moment.”

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