“Let’s head over that way,” Ian said, pointing toward an area that wasn’t quite as crowded.
He hadn’t let Kate help him with any of the preparations. He’d filled the cooler, gathered up the rest of the things they’d need, and loaded everything in the car. Now, after they shook out the blanket and set their low beach chairs down side by side, he reached into the cooler.
“Wow, champagne,” Kate said when he held up the bottle. “Fancy.”
He popped the cork and filled two flutes. “Nothing but the best for you.”
“What else do you have in that bag of tricks?”
“Chocolate-dipped strawberries, of course.”
“Of course,” she said, opening her mouth so he could feed her one.
They ignored the beach chairs in favor of stretching out on the blanket. Around them, children built sand castles and chased each other holding sparklers. The sun began to dip lower on the horizon, its fiery reddish-gold color fading as the light slowly disappeared from the sky. A strong breeze was blowing in off the ocean, and Kate shivered. Ian reached for his faded MIT sweatshirt and pulled it down over her head, freeing her hair while she put her arms through the sleeves.
“Ah, much better,” she said.
When it was fully dark, he sat down in one of the beach chairs and tucked Kate in front of him, nestling her between his legs. “While we’re waiting for the fireworks, I thought I’d tell you a story.”
“A story? I’m intrigued.”
“Once upon a time there was a hacker. He saw a woman on TV and he thought she was beautiful and selfless and kind. And even though he’d hacked her, she agreed to go out with him. He tried to play it cool, but he was really happy about that. He didn’t even mind when she whipped out her pepper spray and made him take off all his clothes.”
“You wanted me to see your naked body, which I will concede I now enjoy having unlimited access to. God, you were so cocky that night. I can’t believe I agreed to go out with a man who’d hacked my computer and wouldn’t tell me his last name. What was I thinking?”
“I have no idea. Frankly I thought you’d run.” He reached around with the champagne bottle to top off her flute. “So when this hacker was younger, he never thought much about settling down or having a wife.”
Kate took a sip of her champagne and smiled.
“But one day he started thinking about it. He was deeply in love with the girl he’d seen on TV and wanted a future with her. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and he was scared that he’d lost her forever. But one of the things he’d always admired was her tolerance. Though he’d really pushed it, she found it in her heart to forgive him for what he’d done. And after several tense hours of negotiation, her dad reluctantly agreed to give the marriage his blessing.”
At this point, Ian turned Kate around so that she was facing him.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Katherine Watts, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”
Tears rolled down Kate’s face despite her resolution that there would be no more crying. “Nothing would make me happier than marrying you, Ian. I would be honored to become your wife.”
He embraced her, and she pressed her face to his chest. She had never felt more sure about a decision in her life. Feeling movement between their bodies, she pulled back slightly and wiped her eyes. “Are you trying to put your hand down my shorts?”
“I’m trying to dig your ring out of my pocket.”
“There’s a ring?”