The stars are already out by the time I pull into the driveway of our lake house. I expect to find Cami and Cal in the living room working on the new boat he bought, but the place is pitch black. I reach for the light switch near the sliding door, only to stop myself as something outside catches my eye.
The dock is lined with candlelit glass lanterns illuminating a path toward the end.
“Oh my God.” My hand shakes as I open the sliding door and step out onto the wraparound deck. I walk down the steps and across the massive lawn, straight toward the shadow standing at the end of the dock. Grass crunches underneath my feet, breaking the silence.
Cal looks over his shoulder. The moon shines above, illuminating his entire face. “Hey,” he calls out loud enough to be heard from a distance.
“What’s all this about?” I say with a loud voice. I think I have a good idea what is going on, but only because Cal picked a terrible spot to hide an engagement ring. I’ve been waiting weeks to see when he would pop the question. He even teased me twice, with him making a big deal out of tying his shoe on two separate occasions.
I swear he knows I know.
He turns to face me. Something long and wide is cradled against his chest, but I can’t make it out from here. The dock creaks beneath my sneakers as I close the gap between us. My heart pounds so hard that I’m afraid it might break a rib in its attempt to bust free from my chest.
“What’s that?” I stop in front of him and point to the piece of wood in his hands.
He flips the piece of wood.
My eyes widen. No way.
“Is that…” I reach out with a trembling hand and trace the L etched into the wood beside the C.
“You didn’t think I would really let the construction crew throw it out, did you?”
My tongue feels heavy. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I had big plans for it, and I didn’t want to risk you burning it or something.”
I look up at him with watery eyes. “What kind of plans?”
“The forever kind.” Cal holds the plank in one palm while he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out…his Swiss Army knife?!
“Cal…” I press my palm against my gaping mouth.
He kneels and props the plank on his thigh. The sharp blade glints as he presses the tip beneath the L column, right below my other strikes.
“I dare you to spend the rest of your life with me.” He drags the tip of the knife down, making a solid line. “I dare you to let me love and protect you and Cami and every other kid we have with my whole heart.” He adds a second strike. “I dare you to take a risk on me, knowing that things won’t always be the easiest and that I will struggle, although I have every intention of being the man you will always deserve.” A third slash is added. “I dare you to trust me to be your companion, your lover, and your best friend. To let me be your biggest cheerleader and the shoulder you cry on when things get hard, trusting that I will be the one to wipe your tears and fix whatever hurt you.” His fingers tighten around the knife as he draws the fourth slash.
“I dare you to marry me.”
Tears spill down my cheeks as he adds a diagonal line across the other four.
He places the plank on the dock before grabbing a ring from his pocket. It looks even better than I remember, the brilliant diamond sparkling more than the surface of the lake at noon. The jewel is a tasteful size—big enough to spot from a long distance but small enough to not risk getting robbed.
It’s absolutely perfect and everything I wanted for myself.
“What do you say, Lana?” He grins. “Are you crazy enough to accept the challenge?”
My chin trembles. “Like I ever stood a chance at saying no to you.” I hold out my hand.
Cal slides the ring up my finger before standing and pulling me into his arms. I cradle his head between my hands and kiss him with every ounce of love and adoration I feel. His fingers dig into my hair, fusing our mouths together and drawing a sigh from me.
He breaks away all too soon. “I love you.”
“I love you too—always have and always will, so long as I live.”
He steals another kiss before pulling back again. “She said yes!” he calls out to the dark.
My mouth drops open as people pop out from their hiding places. The whole town, plus Cal’s family and my friends, step on to the lawn and make their way toward us. Music pours from the speakers and a party gets started around our pool.
My eyes narrow at the man with a massive grin on his face. “You were that confident I would say yes, huh?”
He winks. “I caught you trying on the ring with the goofiest smile on your face while practicing your surprised face.”
Oh my God. My cheeks heat.
“Why didn’t you do anything sooner?” My eyes widen.
“I had fun seeing you get all worked up every time you thought I was about to propose.”
I slap his shoulder with a laugh.
He traps my hand within his and kisses my knuckle above the ring. “It was cute.”
“Cute? I probably looked crazy trying on that ring.”
“No. You looked like mine.”
My stomach dips at the hungry look in his eyes.
“Mommy!” Cami dashes down the dock, clutching her stuffed lamb to her chest. She launches herself at us, and Cal lifts her into his arms before wrapping his other one around me.
I smile up at them. Cal was right. There was no way I would ever say no to marriage because there’s nothing I want more in life than to spend the rest of it with them.
Our forever family.
THE END