Page 39 of The Love Leap (Timeless Love Chronicles #1)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The band launches into a spirited number and the crowd springs to life, bodies swaying with unrestrained delight. Fi’s grin is infectious as she drags me into the sea of dancers.

“Let’s show them how it’s done, Mills!” She shouts over the music, spinning me around so fast my feet barely touch the ground.

We’re a flurry of motion, her skirt and my hair flying in sync with our laughter. The air in the tavern pulses with energy and unfiltered joy.

As Fergus shifts gears to a slower, sweeter tune, Fi winks at me before twirling off to find another dance partner. A tap on my shoulder halts me in my tracks, and I spin around to find Cal standing there, his eyes twinkling like stars.

“May I have this dance, my lady?” He asks, offering a mock bow that makes me laugh.

“You may indeed, good sir,” I reply, playing along.

His hand finds its place at my waist while he gently takes mine in his other one. As we begin to sway together to the rhythm of the music, an electric current passes between us. His nearness is intoxicating; I can feel the warmth radiating from him.

“Mills,” he murmurs lowly next to my ear, making the small hairs rise on my skin. “There’s something I need to tell ye.”

My pulse quickens as I look up at him. “What is it?”

“I love you,” he says firmly enough that it leaves no room for doubt. “I’m madly, deeply... ridiculously in love with ye.”

I freeze at his declaration, thoughts whirling like tornadoes in my head.

Love. The very thing I’d given up on—the thing that caused me nothing but pain until I met Cal. I’m in love with him, too. But am I ready to admit it? Am I ready to risk this heart again?

As I look into Cal’s eyes, so full of hope and adoration, I make the easiest decision of my life.

“I love you too,” I say, my voice steady and sure.

The tavern falls eerily silent, as if everyone is holding their breaths. Cal glances around and chuckles at the unexpected audience we’ve gathered.

“Well, since we have an audience...”

Before I can comprehend what he means by that, he lets go of me and drops down on one knee, making the crowd gasp collectively. My hands fly up to my mouth.

“Amelia Grace Sutherland,” Cal begins, his voice thick with emotion.

“From the moment your motorboat practically high-fived my sailboat, I haven’t been able to imagine my life without ye.

Ye’re the keeper of my temper, the sharer of my scones, the woman I want beside me on every adventure.

I love yer courage, yer compassion, even the way ye steal all the covers. ”

Surprised gasps and gentle laughs fill the tavern. Cal’s hand finds mine, his touch an anchor in the sea of emotions threatening to sweep me away. Suddenly, he’s reaching into his sporran, pulling out a silver ring that sparkles against the worn leather.

“The village blacksmith has been crafting this for over a week,” Cal confesses.

As I catch sight of the intricate Celtic knot design, warmth unfurls in my chest. His thoughtful gesture is overwhelming.

“I didn’t have the coins for a traditional Luckenbooth brooch,” he admits, his voice tinged with vulnerability. “But I hope this ring speaks to yer heart, at least for now.”

As his words sink in, tears prick at the corners of my eyes—happy tears that threaten to spill over and expose how deeply I’ve fallen for him. He’s asking me something now, a question that promises to change everything:

“Please, do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife? I’ll give ye foot rubs every night and all the toffee pudding ye can eat. Ye’ll want for nothing, except perhaps a white noise machine to block out my snoring.”

Tears are streaming down my cheeks, but I’m giggling at the same time. I probably look like I’ve lost it, but who cares?

I’m staring into the hopeful blue eyes of this amazing, adventurous man. The one who somehow brought my belief in forever-love back from the dead.

I used to think dating apps, lukewarm Pad Thai, my ridiculous Shoe Theory and Situationships with 2 a.m. booty texts were all I had to look forward to.

But Cal’s given me so much more. I’m pretty sure the only 2 a.m. text I’ll get from him is to make sure that I’m safe.

My heart’s doing a wild dance in my chest. If I get any happier, I might start levitating.

I think back to our walk around the graveyard, him sharing stories about the Highlands with such passion and authenticity. That’s when it hit me—this guy is for real. Cal is solid to the core.

Sure, this move might seem fast to my friends and family, but when you’ve literally jumped into a time vortex with someone, time gets a whole new meaning.

I’d leap anywhere with this guy. Timbuktu, the moon—even the 15th century, if he asked. I gaze at him, seeing pure adoration shining back at me, and it hits me: I don’t need to ask anyone else for advice this time—not Lila, not my parents, and definitely not Margot. I already know what I want.

“Yes,” I manage to choke out through all the emotion clogging my throat.

“Yes, Cal. A thousand times yes—I’ll marry you—or get handfasted,” I whisper to him with a grin. “Whatever they do here, let’s do it!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Alistair, Fergus, and Fi exchanging baffled looks—probably wondering why we’re making such a big deal out of something that was supposed to have already happened.

But everyone else in the tavern is far too sloshed to care.

They break into cheers as Cal jumps up on his feet and sweeps me off mine.

He twirls me around in his arms, and I laugh as I cling to him for dear life. He still smells like pine trees, smoke, and sweat from the battlefield, but underneath it all is that scent that’s uniquely Cal—the smell of leather mixed with salty sea air and spices.

When he sets me back on my feet again, I reach up to cup his face in my hands—my thumbs tracing over the rough stubble on his jawline.

“I love you Cal.” My voice comes out in a whisper but doesn’t lose intensity. “I don’t know how or why the universe decided to throw us together, but I’m so damn grateful it did. ”

“Aye, lass,” he murmurs, his forehead resting gently against mine. “I thank my lucky thistle every day for steering ye into my path, even if ye did insist on playing the heroine to a seasoned sailing instructor out on the Firth.”

I let out a snort of laughter, lightly thumping his chest in playful indignation. “You looked like you’d capsized that boat, you big lummox. But I suppose I’ll tolerate your daily presence. After all, someone must shield me from insurgent chickens and disgruntled cows.”

Cal throws his head back and laughs, and the sound rings out through the tavern. “I’ll wrangle a thousand cows for ye, my wee fierce lass. Now come and kiss me again ’afore I expire from wanting ye.”

As his lips capture mine once more, I melt into him, secure in the knowledge that whatever challenges we might face: angry clansmen, magical time portals, my frequent head bumps—we will face them together.

Always.

Brimming with kinetic enthusiasm, Fiona bounds our way, a vibrant whoop escaping her as she wraps us in a bear hug that nearly knocks the wind out of me.

“I thought ye were already handfasted!” she exclaims, shaking her head with a grin .

“Just a moon ago, ye were sniping at each other over how to brew tea.” She winks at us conspiratorially, her smile softening.

“But even then, I felt there was so much love, beneath the bickering.”

Her words send a rush of warmth flooding me, with memories of our first days in this era and the intimacy of sharing one bed making my cheeks blaze.

Keeping my feelings for Cal under wraps has been like trying to hold back the tide, especially when we've been so close together in that small space.

But tonight feels different. There's a sense of anticipation for our first naked night together humming beneath my skin.

A light sheen of sweat forms on my palms, not just from the wild dancing but from the promise of what comes next.

The way Cal's fingers linger on mine, the heat in his eyes... it’s an unspoken promise of fireworks later.

Alistair wanders over, his usual stern expression replaced by an uncharacteristic grin that transforms his rugged face. He claps Cal on the back before turning to me with raised brows.

“Well done,” he rumbles, adding with a chuckle, “First, travelers from the future, lost in our era, and now not yet wed? Our minister is going to have quite the story for Sunday sermon.”

Cal laughs, but his gaze never leaves mine as he addresses Alistair. “Sorry for not being completely upfront about it. We’ve had to think on our feet and adapt quickly.” He pauses for a breath before softly adding, “And figure out our own feelings while we were at it.”

Alistair’s grin widens into an almost smug smirk as he winks at us both. “Can’t say I’m too upset about it. You two have managed to save our little town, after all.”

“And you’ve saved our future home!” I add, my voice thick with gratitude and awe. Will he ever truly understand the enormity of what he’s done? Alistair waves away my thanks with a casual flick of his wrist, but there’s something in his eyes that looks suspiciously like pride.

“Don’t be daft,” he chides gently. “I’m just glad to see my battle-hardened brother settling down with a fiery lass who’ll keep him on his toes.” He trails off, blinking rapidly as if fighting back tears. “It warms this old heart of mine…”

“But remember,” he adds, his finger wagging in the air with all the drama of a stage actor. He’s trying to keep a straight face, but a twinkle in his eye gives him away. “‘Tis considered quite scandalous indeed to share a bed before marriage... unless time has altered such norms in yer future?”

Fi’s laughter bursts through the room, her infectious energy lighting up every corner of the inn and tavern like a sudden break in stormy clouds. “Aye! Maybe they’ve come up with some fancy term for it in their time: ‘It’s complicated,’ or some such nonsense! ”

I catch Cal’s eye, and we dissolve into barely suppressed giggles ourselves. The irony is too delicious—if only Fi knew how close to home she was hitting!

Sex and love in our time isn’t just complicated; it’s taken up a corner of the bookstore and become as complex as a mystery novel.

I might never fully understand how to make love last..

. but I’m willing to camp out in that corner of the bookstore for as long as it takes if it can help my love and I go the distance.

As the rest of the townspeople crowd around us, offering their well wishes and congratulations, I lean into Cal’s side, basking in the warmth of his presence and the love that surrounds us. For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere, not just to a place, but to a person.

As our friends return to their seats and drinks, Cal’s low, intimate voice rumbles in my ear.

“What do ye say we make this official, Mills? I dinnae want to be causing a scandal, but above all else, I can’t wait another moment to call you my wife.”