Page 25

Chapter twenty-five

T he email came in while I was brushing my hair, trying to make myself look at least slightly put together before dinner. I wasn’t expecting it. I thought decisions were being made next week.

Congratulations. You've been accepted to the Ol Pejeta Elephant Sanctuary program.

My brush froze mid-air.

I stared at the screen, then reread the line three more times, just to make sure it was real. A nervous flutter rose in my chest—part excitement, part disbelief.

The doorbell chime made me jump.

Colton stepped in, casually dressed and freshly showered. “Are you ready? Our reservation is at seven.”

I turned to face him, my phone still in my hand.

“I got in.”

He blinked. “Got in where?”

“The sanctuary program. The one with the elephants. Three weeks. Kenya.”

His face lit up. “Riley, that’s amazing.”

He ran a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower. “You know I’m in the off-season.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So?”

He smirked. “Think you can get a plus one?”

I laughed, a mix of nerves and delight bubbling up. “You’d want to come?”

He pushed off the frame and crossed the room in two steps. “Are you kidding? Elephants, Kenya, you—what’s not to love?”

“I’ll check if they allow guests. It’s a working program, not a safari—but they might make exceptions. I mean, what if someone has kids?”

Colton nodded. “Fair. But if they do—I'm in. Can you get that much time off work?”

My grin stretched wide. “I already cleared it with work when I applied. They will be thrilled. Apparently getting accepted is a big deal. They said it would be a feather in their cap too.”

Colton reached for my hand. “Then I guess we’re going to Kenya.”

I nodded, still half in shock. “We’re going to Kenya.”

***

A few days into the program, we’d already found a rhythm. The air was warm and dry, with bursts of birdsong and the occasional trumpet from deeper in the sanctuary. I was in boots and dusty khakis, clipboard in hand, trying not to let a baby elephant chew on the corner of my notes.

Colton grunted as he hefted a crate of produce past me, sweat clinging to his neck. “I was not told fruit hauling was part of the boyfriend experience.”

I smiled. “You volunteered. That makes you fair game.”

He rolled his eyes but kept moving, pausing only when one of the younger elephants veered toward me and curled its trunk into my ponytail.

“Hey!” I laughed, trying to twist away gently. “Not for eating.”

Colton set the crate down and leaned on it, watching the scene with amused eyes. “That one’s got a crush.”

The sun was beginning to dip, casting the whole sanctuary in gold. I looked around, my heart full in a way I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just the elephants, or the newness of the place—it was the feeling of having brought something once-imagined into real life.

A familiar handler approached the fence, leading one of the older elephants. She lumbered toward us with calm determination.

The handler gave me a small wave. “She’s got something for you.”

I frowned as the elephant extended her trunk. Draped over it was a brightly patterned scarf, knotted around a small wooden box.

I glanced at Colton. He shrugged, doing a terrible job of looking innocent.

I untied the scarf, fingers trembling slightly. The box is small, hand-carved, with dark walnut edges and tiny brass hinges that caught the light. It's the kind of thing you’d keep a secret in.

I ran my thumb over the grain, then opened the lid.

Empty.

“Seriously?” I looked at him, laughing. “An empty box?”

Colton stood, brushing dust off his shorts as he walked over. “You think I’d trust a three-ton trickster with the real thing?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

Then he dropped to one knee.

“You’ve followed your heart here,” he said, voice steady, eyes never leaving mine. “Now let me follow mine. Every rink, every city, every dog treat text. I am all in. Riley, will you marry me?”

My breath caught.

I didn't even hear what came after my name. My chest felt tight and wide open all at once. My hands were shaking. It didn’t even feel like a question.

Riley James, don’t faint, I whispered to myself.

“Yes,” I breathed, then louder. “Yes!”

I covered my mouth with both hands, fingertips pressing just beneath my nose. I could feel the heat of tears welling up.

Colton reached for my hand, fingers steady as he slid the ring into place. I watched it catch the light—simple, perfect, completely us.

The elephant trumpeted behind us, loud and joyful, as if she’d been waiting for her cue.

Colton laughed, pulling me into a kiss as the scarf fluttered to the ground.

Somewhere behind us, someone clapped. Another elephant joined the chorus.

I didn’t care. The only thing I could see—could feel—was him.

And the ring on my finger, glinting in the fading light.

Later, we sat on a low bench near the edge of the sanctuary, watching the elephants graze in the distance. The light had that magic-hour glow—like even nature wanted to show off for the occasion.

Colton nudged my shoulder. “So… you’re really going to marry a guy who once got ejected for arguing about a faceoff?”

I leaned into him, smiling. “Apparently.”

He laced his fingers through mine. “You sure you don’t want to wait for someone with a little less baggage?”

I turned my head, kissed his shoulder. “Not a chance.”

We sat there for a while longer.

And I realized something simple and enormous all at once.

This was the start of the life I’d almost talked myself out of.

And I’m so glad I didn’t—because now I get to marry the guy who followed me halfway across the world just to cheer me on.