Page 25 of Wildly Yours (Owl Creek #3)

M eredith stands a few feet back, ready to snap the picture for the town blog. I'm with Cody, who is holding the scissors to cut the ribbon in front of the new section of park that was purchased from the Miller family.

He looks so proud, flanked by Mr. and Mrs. Miller, who are going to stay in Port Stratton as she continues her treatments, with plans to move back into their home that was grandfathered into the sale when she is in recovery.

Cody's family is with us, as well as a few of the locals for this ceremony, including some of the faithful volunteers at the park.

Even though I'm here in my capacity as mayor, I'm also one of those volunteers.

I lead one of the trail maintenance crews that keeps this place ready for visitors from all over the world.

Cody managed to keep those visitors happy while the mining company moved their noise and lights off site. He heard through the grapevine that none of the crew members had ever found any minerals of interest, but were being directed to just keep digging to satisfy the CEO of the firm.

After the ribbon cutting, we all walk down to the visitor's center to have a piece of cake. Cody grabs my hand while we're on the trail, and holds me back to let everyone else pass.

"There's something I want to show you. It's okay if we're a couple minutes late."

We walk up to his cabin and he opens the door into the cool, dark space to usher me in. He follows me inside and walks me over to the kitchen counter where there is a plain cardboard box.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

I lift the lid off the box and it reveals some papers.

"What are these?"

"Building plans."

"For what?"

"The house I want to build on the other side of my parent's house from where Cole's place is. But only if you agree."

"Agree to what? You building a house?"

Cody holds my hands in his, eyes full of reverence.

"Serena Davis, I've loved you since before I knew what love really was. You have always been it for me, and I'm sorry I took so long to realize that there is no life, nothing, without you in it. Open up the building plans."

I unfold the papers to find a small bundle of wild flowers. Attached to the flowers by raffia is a ring. A delicate diamond ring.

He grasps the flowers in one hand, reaches for my left hand in the other, and as I fight back the tears brimming my eyes, I see him drop to one knee.

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

My 'yes' explodes from my body. He unties the flowers to release the ring and pushes it onto my finger before handing me the bouquet.

"Now I'm ready to celebrate."

I don't want to go down to the visitor center just yet, but I know that this is a big day for him. He saved the park. He saved our town's tourism economy. And together, we saved our future.