Chapter 21

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

Courtney

It's Labor Day weekend, and we're camping. When I say we, I mean the entire Kincaid family. There are a lot of us. It's loud and chaotic and I love every minute of it. I've never been camping, so I didn't know what to expect, but I love this so much.

This year they chose a campground that rents out small cabins, and each family has their own. We're all in a row, but we gather together under the canopies for every meal, and to just chill. We've roasted marshmallows over the fire and cooked our meals that way too.

It's been an experience. One I can't wait to repeat year after year.

There's a nice breeze blowing, and I'm sitting outside with the rest of the ladies, Merrick's mom, and all the kiddos. The guys all decided to try their luck at the lake with fishing. They offered for us to go with them, but we all declined. Blakely wanted to go, but Declan convinced her to stay with the other girls. She pouted, but as soon as they were gone, she came out of it.

I don't think it's that he didn't want his daughter with him. Something was up. All the guys seemed a little jazzed to be fishing. It's hard to tell what they're up to, but whatever it is, they didn't think it was wise to take Blakely with them.

"Blakely, how are you liking school? Are you learning anything new?" Alyssa asks her niece.

Blakely sighs dramatically. "Apparently not, since I have to go back."

Quickly, I turn my head and cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Blakely!" Kennedy scolds. "You love school."

"I like camping more."

"We know you do, sweetheart," Carol coos. "But it's important to go to school to learn all the things you'll need when you get older."

"I already know about the arm porn," Blakely tells her. "I'm really smart."

I watch as Merrick's mom bites her cheek and takes a minute to compose herself. "Yes, you are, but there is still so much to learn."

"Fine," Blakely grumbles and we all chuckle.

"How about we go for a walk?" Palmer suggests.

"Yes. It will do us some good to stretch our legs," Crosby agrees.

"Can we pick some flowers?" Blakely asks.

"Of course you can, but you have to stay with us," Kennedy tells her daughter.

We spend the next ten minutes strapping babies and toddlers into strollers and wagons and packing water and bottles, and we're off.

There is no method to our madness. We all help out, pushing strollers, carrying cranky babies who want to be held and not pushed, and reminding Blakely to not get too far ahead of us.

We come to a sign that says Hidden Drive, which is a road that circles back to the campground. It's the path we're taking to get back to the cabins.

"I think the sign people need to go back to school," Blakely announces.

"Why's that?" Crosby asks.

She points to the sign. "It says Hidden Drive, but it's not very hidden because they told us. They definitely need to go back to school."

"Blakely, the driveway is hidden, and when you're driving a car, you might not see it. That's what the sign means," Scarlett explains.

"I still think they need to go back to school," she grumbles. "This is the longest walk ever," she whines.

I look down at my watch and see that we've been gone for over an hour. It's getting dark, so that should have been a clue as to how long we've been walking. All the kids have fallen asleep except for Blakely, and something tells me if she had a stroller or wagon to ride in, she'd be conked out as well.

When we reach the row of cabins, I notice the back of one of them all lit up with fairy lights. As we get closer, I see that it's the cabin in the middle. The one I'm staying in with Merrick. My heart starts to race as we get closer.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" Jordyn asks. She's a terrible liar.

"The lights?"

"Oh, those are pretty," Carol says.

"Very," Stella and Alyssa agree at the same time.

Just as we reach the edge of the backyard of the lit-up cabin, Merrick steps out of the shadows from around the side of the building.

"Merrick?"

"Hey, gorgeous," he says. He holds his hand out for me, and with hesitant steps, I make my way toward him, taking his offered hand.

"What's going on?"

"I love you."

I soften at his words. I can feel my face heat at his open declaration in front of his family, but I don't back down from it either. "I love you too." My voice is a little softer than his, but I know his family heard me.

"When we started... dating—" he winks "—we thought we were just hanging out. We didn't put boundaries or expectations on spending time together."

We kind of did, but I'm keeping my thoughts to myself. There is clearly something he's trying to say, so I'm going to keep my mouth shut and let him say it.

"With each day that passed, I fell for you. I can't name the exact moment, but I know that I craved your smile. I savored your laughter, and I wanted all of your time. I found myself seeking you out if I had a bad day, and if I had a good one. I didn't make plans for the weekend. Instead, I thought about what plans we could make together."

"Mer—" I can't even say his name without the tears forming in my throat.

"I knew I loved you long before I told you. I was taking my time, because I wanted the moment to be perfect. I wanted it to be a piece of our past that molded our future that we would always remember."

"I love you."

His eyes soften. "I love you too, baby." He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. "You made our house a home. You've brought our place to life. Brought me to life, and I want that forever."

I open my mouth to tell him I want the same thing, but I freeze with my mouth hanging open when he drops to one knee. In his hands is a sparkling diamond ring. I can't make it out through the tears, but I know it's beautiful. It has to be because of the man offering it to me.

"I want forever, Court. I want you beside me for the good days and the bad. I want to have babies with you and grow old with you. You're my best friend and the love of my life. Will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"

I'm nodding, but my tears are falling so hard I can't speak.

He takes my hand and slips the ring onto my finger. The weight feels as if it was always supposed to be there.

"I need your words, baby."

"Okay," I croak, and he tosses his head back in laughter.

His laugh pulls me back into the moment, and I clear my throat.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

He stands and lifts me into the air, spinning me around. I hear laughter and hollering with cheers of congratulations behind us. When we stop spinning, he places me on my feet and kisses me tenderly.

"I love you, future Mrs. Kincaid."

I'm grinning like a fool, and I don't have a single care. "I love you too."

He turns us to face his family, only it's not just his family we're facing. "Mom? Dad? Chloe? Rodney?" I turn back to Merrick. "How?"

"Baby, it wouldn't have been fair to propose to you in front of my entire family and not yours." He shrugs.

"You're amazing. Thank you." I launch myself at him, and he catches me easily as I hug him tightly.

"Go hug your family," he tells me.

It's not lost on me that my family and his are gathered together. I hug my parents, then his, and I lose track of who's next. All I know is that these people, they're mine. An amazing man brought them into my life, and I will love them as I do him for all of my days.

After hugs are passed out, we gather around to eat. The Kincaid men and my family were busy while we were on our walk. The perfect distraction to get me away from the cabins so they could get set up. We all eat and laugh, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate our engagement.

Once the kids are fed and tucked into bed, there's soft music playing as we all take a spot under the twinkle lights and turn it into a dance floor. Merrick is holding me as we sway to the beat of the music.

"Mer?" I lift my head from his chest.

"What's up, gorgeous?"

"I'm really glad we decided to stay real."

He chuckles. "Me too, baby. Me too."