I pulled onto the highway heading back to Wolf Gap. “They’d love that.”
I ran through what I knew my parents had put in the fridge and asked what sounded good to Addie as we drove.
“I’m craving a chocolate milkshake, honestly,” she said.
“I’ll make you one tonight.”
I turned off onto a dirt road.
“Where are we going?” Addie looked around.
“This is where our house is being built.” The foundation was being laid, but I wanted them to hold off on any other progress until I could get Addie’s input on the plans.
“Our house,” she said softly.
I glanced over at her. “You change your mind about moving in with me?”
She shook her head. “Never. It’s just nice to hear that word. Ours.”
“I’ve got the plans at home. I want your take on them. We can change whatever you want.”
Addie reached over and took my hand. “I don’t care what the house looks like. I’ll love it because it’s the place we’ll build o
ur life.”
A burn lit the back of my throat and I pulled off onto an overlook. “That’s exactly what I want. To build a life with you.”
Addie leaned forward, taking in where they’d broken ground below. The house would have an incredible view of the fields, forests, and mountains surrounding us. “Beckett, this is going to be amazing.”
I slid a small box out of my pocket and shifted in my seat to face her. “I think so, too, Addie.”
She turned to me, her gaze landing on the box as I flipped open the lid. Her eyes went wide at the diamond inside—an oval stone surrounded by smaller diamonds, set in rose gold. I’d managed to convince a jeweler to come to the hospital with an assortment of rings, and this one was all Addie. Delicate yet bold. Soft, yet so incredibly strong.
“Addie. I don’t want to waste a second of the time we have together. I want to marry you, start our life together, make a family. Will you do me the greatest honor of my life and marry me?”
Tears spilled down Addie’s cheeks. “Yes.”
It was the sweetest word I’d ever heard. As I slid the ring onto her finger, Addie’s lips met mine. The kiss said everything we didn’t have words for, and the sense of peace that swept over me nearly brought me to my knees.
As I pulled back, Addie blinked a few times and then beamed. “Think we could get married tomorrow?”
I barked out a laugh. “Let’s give you a little time to heal.”
Her lips pursed. “A month?”
“A month sounds perfect.” I gave her another quick kiss. “Can I take you home now?”
Addie laughed, and for the first time in a while, she didn’t wince with the action. “Take me home, future husband.”
“I like the sound of that, wife.”
As we drove, Addie stared at the ring, then me, and then the ring again. “We’re getting married.”
“We are.” I pulled to a stop in the driveway. As I did, people poured out of the house. In seconds, they were all holding up a sign that read: Welcome Home in letters clearly decorated by Sage and Birdie. Everyone lifted it high into the air. My mom and dad. Hayes and Everly. Hadley and Calder. Birdie and Sage. Laiken. Shy.
A fresh wave of tears crested Addie’s eyes as she took them all in. She turned to me. “They’re my family.”
I slid a hand under her hair, leaning in closer. “They’re your family.”