Need You Now (Love in Unknown)

Epilogue



Mel stopped to check for the third time to see if she had something stuck to her back. The occupants of the car that had just passed her had swiveled around to watch her. Again. In the month and a half since the incident at the clinic, the gossips had finally lost interest in her. By now they were used to her dating Caine, seeing them kissing around town. Then suddenly, early this week, the gossipy looks had started again. Micah and Gage told her she was imagining things, but she knew something was up.

She tried to shrug it off as she walked back to the clinic. She'd met her mother for lunch at the bakery, a ritual they'd started up after she moved in with Caine. It'd never been a formal move. The day Caine was released from the hospital, she’d gone home with him and hadn't ever left. One day all of her things had magically appeared in the big house, an obviously high-handed and thoroughly sweet move on the part of the men in her life. Smart bastards knew she was too happy to argue.

The streets were remarkably empty for a mid-summer afternoon in Unknown. There should have been kids playing in the yards, riding bikes. Adults bustling in and out of the businesses, but there wasn’t. What the heck was going on?

She went into the clinic, expecting to see a few patients in the waiting room and Sandra behind the desk, but there was no one. Going behind the desk, she opened up the appointment screen to see that the afternoon was completely blank. Huh. A little unusual. She started to head upstairs to work in her office when she got a text. COME OUTSIDE. It was from Caine.

The door opened before she had a chance to touch it and Caine stood on the other side, grinning at her. God, he looked handsome in his bright white shirt, those dark jeans of his that fit him perfectly. The wind tousled his hair, which had been cut since she’d seen him this morning when he'd left her in bed. Blue eyes gleamed with laughter and that warm, gooey, tender look that he reserved just for her. "Hey, sunshine. I've got something to show you."

Stepping aside, he took her out onto the old wooden porch. A sea of sunflowers covered the yard and spilled out into the streets. Sunflowers held by people. From the looks of it, nearly the entire town had to be there. A few of the sunflower holders stood on the steps of the porch. They peeked out from behind the bright yellow petals enough for her to tell that her mom, Micah, Gage, Doc Booth, and Jax were there.

She didn’t know what to say. This was a pretty giant grand gesture, even for Caine. Trust him not to do things in half measures. A bit sooner than she expected, but everything with them seemed to move at its own pace.

“Oh. Wow. Caine, what is this?”

He took her hands in his. "Well, I couldn't bottle up sunshine to match what you've brought into my life, so I had to settle for sunflowers. Melody Carr, I adore you. You're my best friend. Since we were kids you've been one of the truly bright spots in my life. We've put each other through hell over the years. We've shared the good times and the bad. You’re my sunshine, you bring so much light into my life and I love you so much."

“I love you too." She bit her lip, trying not to beam at him. If this wasn't want she thought it was, she might have to murder him.

“I've wanted to do this since you were eighteen, but I'm glad I waited." He got on one knee, sending her already racing heart into overdrive. Releasing one hand, he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled something out. "Please, sunshine. Marry me. Make me the happiest man in town and be my wife."

He opened his hand and held it out to her. In the center of that strong, comforting hand of his lay a beautiful ring. It wasn't platinum and diamond encrusted. Nothing that anyone would expect a Maddox to purchase for his future bride. A pearl sat on the silver band, flanked by two small sapphires. Simple and perfect.

They hadn't talked about marriage or the future, but Mel didn't need to talk. She didn't need to gather her facts or look at the pros and cons. She knew her answer.

“Yes.”

The roar of approval from the crowd as he slipped the ring on her hand was deafening. Unable to contain himself, Caine whooped and lifted her off her feet for a kiss. Laughing, the man she loved whirled Mel around for the whole town to see. She had everything she could ever need right here with her. Her town. Her family. But most of all, Caine.