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“She’ll say yes,” Bennett mutters beside me, quieter now.

I blink, caught off guard. “You think so?”

He shrugs again, but there’s a glint in his eye that wasn’t there before. “I’ve never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you. It’s kind of disgusting.”

My chest tightens.

“You love her?”

I nod.

“Then it’s a done deal. Just don’t fuck up the words. Or cry. Shep’s gonna cry.” Bennett jerks his chin toward where our buddy is now drawing a heart in the sand with a stick. Inside it, he’s written our initials.

I stare at it for a beat too long.

Yeah. I love her.

And it’s about damn time she knew it, flares and all.

I sense her walking toward me before I see her.

“She’s here,” I whisper like a man about to jump out of a plane with a half-inflated parachute.

Shep dives into the dune. “Operation Lovebird is a go!”

Bennett stays where he is, arms crossed, unimpressed. “If he does that ‘Woooooo!’ thing, I’m pushing him into the lake.”

I wave them both off, pacing like a lunatic until I finally spot her stepping out of Virgil’s truck. Virgil gives her a dramatic bow as he helps her down, looking smug as hell. I’m not sure why I trusted Virgil Mumford with the most important delivery of my life, but after all the stuff with the sign, it seemed appropriate.

Joely glances around.

Hair in soft waves down her back, cheeks flushed from the wind, wearing a yellow sundress with tiny daisies all over it. My girl. She’s scanning the beach with a confused little smile, and I can see the second she spots me.

Her whole face lights up.

It hits me right in the chest.

I walk toward her, trying not to sprint like a golden retriever seeing his owner come home from deployment. I want this to becool. I want to besmooth. But this is Joely, and cool has never been part of the equation.

“Hey, sunshine,” I say, voice rougher than I want it to be.

She smiles like it’s all she’s been waiting for. “Hey, Brogan.”

“Hey, JoJo.”

I hold out a hand, help her make her way across the sand. I made sure it was clear enough since she’s still a tiny bit unstable on that ankle, but for now, she’s trusting me.

There’s a blanket spread out with snacks—her favorite gummy bears, sparkling cider, those little bear claws she loves. But she doesn’t even look at it. She’s looking at me.

“Okay,” she says, eyes twinkling. “What’s all this?”

“Just… something I’ve been meaning to say. For a long time.”

Her lips part, her breath catching just slightly.

I take a deep breath, drop to one knee, and pull out the box.

Her hand flies to her mouth.