Page 73 of Breaking the Rules of Love

I can still remember just how happy I was when my parents would bring me for the day. Now I’m here with Jake and feeling just as happy. A different kind of happiness, but still equal.

There are very few cars, and Jake parks out of the way so we can have some privacy when we get out. He takes my hand, and we walk down the beach, away from the pre-setup campsites and the people mingling with their families.

The weather is perfect. The sun hasn’t quite gone down yet, and the breeze coming off the water is cool but not cold. The sky is a mixture of blue and purple and orange, like a beautiful oil painting meeting the ocean.

“Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve been here,” I say with a deep sigh. “I’m feeling almost slightly overwhelmed, Jake.”

“You see why I wasn’t going to cancel my plans?” he asks with a smile. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. It may not be cold out, but I love the warmth of his body against mine.

“Yes.” I nod happily. We come upon a small stack of rocks and stop to look down at it. “I used to try and make these all the time when I was young, but I could never balance them right.”

Jake removes his arm from around my shoulders, and I look over at him, expecting to see him picking up another rock to add to the stack, but instead, I see something that takes my breath away.

Jake gets down on one knee in front of me.

“Oh my God–”

“Sadie Marie Reynolds.” Instantly my eyes begin to well up as I clasp my hands over my mouth. “What can I say? It’s been a rocky ride, but that’s half the fun, right?” A single laugh forces its way from my lips. “I knew the moment I met you that you were the one for me. When you told me I couldn’t have you, I knew I was going to have to fight for you. And that’s what I did. Because I knew you were worth it.”

The tears start flowing. I can’t believe this is happening.

I watch as Jake reaches behind him and into his back pocket and pulls out a tiny velvet blue box. He opens it, and I’m staring at the most beautiful diamond ring I’ve ever seen.

Oh my God…

“I’d like toproposea new rule, Sadie Reynolds,” Jake says with a smile. “And that rule is that from this moment on, you belong to no man in the world but me. What do you say to that, Sadie?” I start nodding furiously. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” I blurt out, louder than I intended. “Of course I will, Jake! Of course!”

Jake’s smile broadens, and he slips the ring on my finger. From far behind us down the beach, I hear people cheering and clapping and look back to see that we have an audience. I guess when Jake got down on one knee, people noticed.

He practically leaps to his feet and wraps me up in his enormous arms. I squeal with delight as he spins me around. My mind is spinning as he kisses me. I can’t believe this is even happening right now. I didnotsee this coming—especially after the day I’ve already had.

We spend the rest of the evening on the beach, walking and lying in each other’s arms until the sun goes down. Then we go back to Jake’s to make love and fall asleep in his bed. It’s the best night of my life and a new beginning. And I can’t wait to see where my new life will take me.

Epilogue

Sadie

Six years later…

I love my mom,but sometimes I wish I had the nerve to either give her a smack in the face or tell her she needs to go home after Sunday brunch.

“He’s going to grow up not knowing anything,” my mom says, giving me that I-know-best look as I take the dishes from the table to the sink while she sits with my son at the table, trying to go over basic multiplication with him. “Now come on, Jeremy. What is five times seven?”

“Mom. Enough?” I say, trying not to get snippy with her.

We’ve just finished a very nice brunch that she was nice enough to help me make, and I’d like not to get into a family argument over this. She looks over at me, and for a brief second, she looks like she’s ready to get into it with me, but then she sees I’m serious and drops it.

“Okay, fine.” She shrugs. Jeremy breathes a deep sigh of relief. I motion for him to go play, and he scampers off into the living room. “You know I’m just looking out for you, Sadie-bear.”

“I know, Mom,” I reply. “But he’s not even six yet. Let him relax on Sunday, okay? He’s not going to be bottom of his class if he’s not studying twenty-four-seven.”

Beside me, Jake chuckles softly as he scrubs a pan and brushes up against me with his hip. It’s his way of letting me know he sympathizes without saying anything. Sometimes I wonder if he and my mom get along better than she and I do.

“But you see? I proved you wrong,” I say to her as I go to work scrubbing the plates.

“And how’s that?” my mom asks.

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