Page 45 of Hooked on Emerson (Hooked #2)
His smile then was like sunrise, transforming his face, reaching his eyes in a way that made her heart melt.
With careful hands, he removed the ring from its box and slipped it onto her finger.
It fit perfectly, the metal warm against her skin.
Of course he would have known her size, just as he knew everything about how to build for her.
When he rose to his feet, Ava stepped into his embrace without hesitation, her arms winding around his neck as his encircled her waist. Their lips met in a kiss that felt like both a beginning and a continuation, a promise and its fulfillment.
Nattie's camera clicked again, capturing the moment for eternity.
"I love you," Emerson murmured against her mouth, the words still new enough to send a thrill through her each time she heard them.
"I love you too," she whispered back, the ring catching the light as her hand cupped his face.
They stood together beneath the mural they had created, in the shop they had transformed, holding the future they would build.
Beyond the windows, Millfield continued its quiet afternoon, unaware of the moment of grace unfolding within these walls.
But inside Bloom & Vine, something precious had taken root and blossomed, as natural and necessary as flowers turning toward the sun.
Two days later, Nattie delivered the photographs.
They were everything Ava had hoped for—capturing the shop's transformation, the beauty of their shared work, and most importantly, the moment Emerson had proposed.
The images were rich with color and emotion, telling the story of their journey together.
"These are perfect," Ava said, spreading them across the counter to admire each one. The late afternoon light slanted through the windows, warming the wooden surface and highlighting the subtle tones in the photographs.
Emerson stood beside her, his arm around her waist in what had become his habitual position.
The ring on her finger caught the light as she pointed to her favorites.
The two of them working side by side behind the counter, heads bent in concentration over a shared task.
Their profiles silhouetted against the shop windows.
The moment he knelt before her, hope filling his eyes.
"The proposal ones are beautiful," Nattie said, pride evident in her voice. "But this is still my favorite."
She handed them a final photograph, slightly larger than the others.
It was from their first session—the strangers portrait where they'd been asked to look at each other as if falling in love.
Seeing it now, with the knowledge of all that had come after, Ava was struck by how real it appeared.
The connection between them was visible even then, two strangers recognizing something in each other that they couldn't yet name.
"I'd like to frame these," Ava said, looking up at Emerson. "Side by side. The beginning and the... not ending. The continuation."
He nodded, understanding immediately. "By the entrance. So we see them every day."
"And so do our customers," she added. "A reminder that sometimes the best things grow from unexpected beginnings."
The next morning, Emerson arrived early, carrying a frame he'd made himself.
The wood was the same warm honey tone as the display tables, with subtle detailing around the edges that echoed the lavender theme throughout the shop.
It was designed to hold two photographs side by side, their past and their present, connected but distinct.
Together, they hung it beside the door where light would catch it throughout the day.
The contrast between the images was striking.
The first showing two strangers pretending at connection, their eyes holding questions and bodies unsure.
The second revealing the moment Emerson proposed, all doubts resolved, the future opening before them like a flower finally ready to bloom.
"Perfect," Ava said, stepping back to admire their work. The frame hung straight and true, another example of Emerson's careful craftsmanship.
He stood beside her, his hand finding hers with the ease of long practice.
The ring on her finger pressed gently against his palm, a new sensation they were both still becoming accustomed to.
Outside, February continued its slow progression toward spring, the light lingering a little longer each day.
"I keep thinking about that first session," Ava said softly, looking at the photographs. "How nervous I was. How I had no idea what was coming."
Emerson's thumb traced circles on her palm, a gesture that had become his way of expressing what words couldn't always capture. "Would you have believed it? If someone had told you then?"
She considered this, remembering the woman she had been that day—grief-stricken, uncertain, afraid of being trapped in a life she hadn't chosen. "No," she admitted. "I couldn't have imagined this. Us. Everything we've built."
"And now?" he asked.
Ava turned to face him, taking in the man who had become her partner in every sense. "Now I can't imagine anything else," she said simply.
The bell above the door chimed, announcing the day's first customer. Ava gave Emerson's hand a final squeeze before moving to welcome whoever had entered. As she turned, her ring caught on the fabric of his shirt—just for a moment, a small tug of connection before she moved away.
"I'll be in the back," Emerson said, his voice for her alone. "Working on the design for that new display you wanted."
She nodded, watching as he disappeared into the workroom, his shoulders strong beneath his shirt, his movements purposeful as always. Through the doorway, she could see him pause at the workbench, his hands spreading out a sheet of paper, already planning their next creation.
A young man approached the counter, nervous and clearly shopping for Valentine's Day. "I need something special," he said. "For someone who means everything."
Ava smiled, understanding completely. Her fingers touched the ring on her left hand. "I know exactly what you mean," she said. "Let me show you what we can create together."