CHAPTER11
EPILOGUE PENELOPE, TWO MONTHS LATER
I watchElijah in the mirror as he walks up behind me and plants a soft kiss on my neck. “I’m almost ready to go.” The man looks good in my cabin, it’s like he was always meant to be here. Which is a good thing since he hasn’t left since the day he arrived.
Having him here feels a lot like home. Elijah is my favorite person. But it’s more than just the protection I feel having him this close to me. Elijah brightens my days. He is the string to my balloon anchoring me to all the good things in this world. With him by my side I feel sexy and alive.
“No rush getting ready, we don’t have to get there too early,” he says. “Although, I can’t see what else you need to do. You’re already beautiful even if you just hopped in the car like that. No makeup needed.”
I turn to face him, shooting him a cheeky grin. “You always were the sweetest guy I knew.”
“Happy you still think so… But it makes sense because I’m the luckiest too.” He runs his hand down my arm leaving a trail of goosebumps rippling up in the wake of his touch. “So, how long is the ceremony supposed to be again?”
“Just a couple of hours, I think. I mean, presenting you with a plaque for bravery can’t take that long, and then there’s the full dinner and drinks in Bunker Lodge’s Beer Gardens. But yeah, can’t see it taking too long. Why?”
“Oh, I was just hoping it wouldn’t run too late. I want us to have time to come home and celebrate.”
I cock my head to the side. “You’re getting a celebration and plaque at the lodge, and then you want to come home and celebrate after as well? I don’t want to downplay all you did, babe, especially since you saved my life twice. But don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he says coyly, wandering off. “Maybe we’ll have more to celebrate.”
“Hey,” I call after him, following him to the living room. “You can’t say stuff like that and then just walk away. What are you talking about?”
I gasp as Elijah spins on one heel and gets down on his knee in front of me, pulling a black velvet box from the pocket of his dress pants. He smiles up at me, his eyes filled with a love I never could have imagined for myself.
“I don’t want to celebrate or accept the plaque as anything less than your fiance. I’ve waited all my life for this moment. I adore you. You’re stubborn and sweet. You’re sexy as hell. You’re the only person I know who would face a bear in order to prove how independent you are. You are my favorite person.” His eyes well with tears and butterflies flap wildly in my stomach. “Penelope, will you marry me?”
I cup my hands over my mouth as I fight back tears. “Yes! The easiest yes I’ve ever said in my life. I can’t wait to marry you, Elijah.”
He pulls out the diamond ring and slips it onto my finger. Then he gets to his feet, taking me with him. As he holds me, I imagine all that will come for us. Days in the forest, nights in the cabin, pets, babies… it’s a dream. There isn’t anyone else I want by my side through all life’s adventures.
Sometimes finding yourself means going back where you started. I know without a doubt that Elijah and I are just at the beginning of our happily ever after.