Page 38 (2/2)

Beck Harper Sloan 28100K 2023-08-31

When I pull in the driveway and notice that Asher’s truck is gone, ht alone with Dee? There isn’t much that would make me happier

I sit in ht before, and my dinner with Dee

"Do you want to tell ured we could just stay hoht?"

I smiled and shook hts with Asher, I needed soirl"

She smiled and took my hand as alked into the restaurant

We continued to make small talk and just enjoy each other These were the ti, we didn’t have this, the connection and co love was always there, but now that it’s recognized and returned, just being with her made all the stress and worry fro the check, she s ht back to the early days that we knew each other, and her ridiculous theory that chocolate was better than sex

"I love you, you know that?"

She looked up from her plate and smiled

"Yeah, I know that And I love you"

Before she could take another bite, I took her fork fro the box I’d had tucked into my jacket in its place

"What’s this? I didn’t forget so, did I?" God, she was adorable when she crinkled her brows in confusion

"Nope, you didn’t forget anything I picked this up about teeks ago when Izzy carew and I reached forward to rub er over the wrinkles between her brows

She opened the long box, and I saw a smile form and the confusion vanished "How did you knoanted one of these?" She pulled the necklace out of the box and took a second to take it all in

Izzy had co so lockets or soh it all, the idea popped in my head and I couldn’t resist It was just pure luck that Dee s

I watched her face taking in all the charo inside the locket She moved the little key attachment I included and looked deeply at the locket I sat back and ran the checklist over in my mind The key attached to the necklace was to sy the key to ot, but it’s the truth There were the tord char out Then the house charh heel shoe because… well, it’s Dee My sht about the chocolate bar I knew the exact moment when she hit the last char Her eyes shot up and locked withlip and unshed tears before I stood up, and pushed ently tugged the necklace froht it around her neck, and latched it I ran er down the chain, around the locket, and flicked the key clipped to the top When I looked up andher left hand forith one hand, I pushed the other intothis sucker around for the last six weeks, just waiting for the perfect time

"Since the day Ifor We’ve been through so ether, and it still feels like our love is brand new There isn’t anything in this world that wouldyou my wife Dee, Baby, will you marry me?"

Her tears spilled over and her beautiful sh her soft hiccups I heard the best words in the world

"God, yes!"

I slid the ring on her finger and stood up, pulling her fro kiss

With the other patrons clapping in the background, I kissed le kiss

When we finally came up for air, I framed her face in my hands and swiped the tears aiththe s , but every day since it’d been back, I thanked my lucky stars

She thinks I saved her but the truth is, she saved me