“What’s that you’ve got there?” I pointed to the leather bound book in his small hand.
“Daddy told me to give it to you,” he smiled proudly, holding out the book for me.
My eyes raised, connecting with Trent’s as he approached. God, he was beautiful. He wore a pair of long tan colored pants, and a white t-shirt. He grinned as he caught me staring at him. I stared at him a lot. I had almost lost him that day in the hospital. I always had to remind myself that he was here and he was alive.
Trent reached us and sat down beside me. He draped an arm over my shoulder, kissing my cheek.
I took the book from Tristan’s outstretched hand.
Ivy reached for him, and the two took off running through the field, their laughter dancing through the air.
“Open it,” Trent murmured, his lips grazing my ear.
I shivered at his touch, my body humming.
I opened the book to the marked page, a breath escaping my lips.
The emerald green ribbon that had been used as a bookmark had a ring tied around it, and written on the page in Trenton’s scrawling handwriting was:
Will you marry me?
“Trent,” I gasped, my hand flying up to cover my lips. I was shocked, to say the least, but I should have seen this coming.
After Trenton was released from the hospital, we had talked through things, and pieced ourselves back together. It hadn’t taken long for us to become a family. Trent and I already loved each other—and after countless hours of talking, of me telling him everything I’d been through since I was a child, we’d been able to move past what I had done by keeping Tristan a secret. Things had settled into normalcy for us the past few months and it felt like we’d always been a family, not like this was anything new. Trent showered Tristan and Ivy with love and a father’s affection, even though Ivy wasn’t his. He was the greatest man there ever was, I was sure of that.
After he’d been shot, things had been touch and go for a few weeks, but he’d healed. He’d had to drop out of college since he wasn’t fit to go back. He said that he didn’t need his degree; he had enough schooling to open his own photography studio and go from there.
“Rowan,” his voice was hesitant. “Say something, please.”
“Yes,” I gasped, my cheeks flushed with happiness. “Yes, yes, yes!”
I let the book fall off my lap, and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. His tongue found the seam of my lips, slipping inside. I moaned in pleasure as my fingers grasped the soft strands of his hair.
“Ew!” Tristan exclaimed. “That’s disgusting! Bleh,” he made a face, “kissing is gross!”
With a laugh, Trent pulled away, swiping his thumb over his lips.
He reached down, untying the diamond engagement ring from the ribbon. I held my hand out for him and he slipped the ring on.
His eyes filled with satisfaction as he stared at the ring glimmering on my finger.
His fingers tangled into my hair, cupping the back of my neck as he pulled my lips to his, kissing me sweetly.
Breathing rapidly, he rested his forehead against mine as he stared straight into my eyes so that I was powerless to look away.
“You’re mine now, Rowan Sinclair,” his voice was husky and his eyes sparkled with mischief.
I brought my hand up against his where he cupped my cheek. “Always.”
THE END