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Chapter Thirty-Three

I was two blocks from Maddie’s house, two hours early for the party at Trenda’s. Maddie and I had agreed that we needed some time alone before facing all our friends and family for my big send-off.

I opened up the pink velvet box once again and ran my thumb over the most important thing I’d ever purchased. It made sense, because it went along with the most important and best decision I was ever going to make.

Sunlight streaked through the open window of the SUV, causing the two rectangle diamonds on either side of the large, light pink sapphire to quietly sparkle. But the diamonds didn’t overshadow the stone in the middle. The sapphire represented everything Maddie was. Honorable. Kind. And the woman with the biggest heart I’d ever known.

I took the ring out of the box and looked at the engraving. We Were Always Meant To Be . It might have taken me years to get there, but it was my truth now.

I put the ring back in the box, then shoved it into my jeans pocket, and drove the rest of the way to Maddie’s house. As soon as I pulled up, Maddie threw open the door. She looked beautiful, and I couldn’t get to her fast enough.

I got out of my rental and was soon in front of her, knocked out by that same yellow sundress with the red flowers that she’d worn once before. I don’t know what she’d done with her hair, but it flowed around her shoulders in a way that had me itching to run my fingers through it.

“Beau,” she whispered.

I looked into her big brown eyes. They were shadowed. She was in pain.

Oh God. No.

“Let me in, Baby.”

She took two steps backward, and I followed her, shutting the door behind me. I scooped her up into my arms. She was soon in my lap on the couch.

“I can’t do this. I thought I could play happy and say goodbye. But I can’t.” Her voice trembled.

I shifted her so that she was straddling my lap and we were nose-to-nose. Her eyes were glistening with tears.

“I’m not leaving you this time. I promise.”

She bit her lip. “Yes, you are, and I don’t blame you, Beau. I know you’re committed for five more years. I respect that.” One lone tear dripped down her cheek.

“No, Maddie. Leaving without you is impossible. It would be like ripping out my heart.” I wiggled as I shoved my hand into my jeans pocket. When I finally pulled out the pink velvet box, I drew her even closer. “You love me, right?”

“With everything I am.” She nodded.

I held the box up in front of her. “I love you with everything I am, too. These last weeks made me realize I haven’t been living a whole life. And I refuse to go another day without you permanently in my world.”

I wiped the tear off her cheek.

“Marry me, Maddie.” I flicked the lid open. “Make me whole.”

Her eyes went to the ring. She caressed it with one finger, then she looked up at me. I felt like my whole world hinged on her next words.

“Really?”

“Of course, really. You’re everything to me. I want to make a life for us in California. You can do that, can’t you?”

I saw her face transform from sorrow to bliss.

Then… then… She gave me a blinding smile, full of mischief.

“Of course, I’ll marry you and move to California. On one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You need to beat me at a game of pool.”

I threw back my head and laughed.

Her smile turned into a giggle.

I would never get enough of this woman and the joy she was going to bring to my life.

The words on her ring were true.

We were always meant to be.

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