26. Ayla

Chapter 26

Ayla

THREE WEEKS LATER

I t was our last night in Aruba. Mine and Declan’s home for the past week was an amazing bungalow on the water. We even had a slide from the top deck down into the ocean. Every night, we got to enjoy watching the flamingos play in the water, and we even had a giant hermit crab take residence on our deck. We’d named him Oscar.

The sky was a perfect shade of orange and pink from the setting sun, and the crystal blue water was as smooth as glass. That was how the water was on the calm side of the island. On the other side, there were waves and sharks. However, something told me there were sharks on the calm side, as well. My dad always told me that if you stuck your finger in the water and tasted salt, then there were sharks close by. The same thing went for Alabama, except it was swamps and alligators.

Kat and Jonah’s wedding was gorgeous, just like you’d imagine a fairytale wedding to be. It was a small ceremony with just Kat’s parents, Jonah’s parents, and their closest friends. There were only about twelve people in attendance, including me and Declan.

The whole trip had been a whirlwind adventure. Declan and I grew closer every day and I could honestly see myself having a future with him. He got a job at the police department, even though he was well overqualified with his FBI skills. His first day on the job was in two days. I could see him being the chief of police one day, but I had a feeling he’d be up against Jack for that position. It was going to be interesting when that time came; our current chief of police wasn’t far from retiring.

“It’s back to work in two days,” I said, handing Declan a strawberry margarita. “Are you excited? ”

I sat down beside him, letting my feet dangle over the edge. When I glanced over my shoulder, I watched as Oscar made his way over to us like he did every night. Our nightly routine was drinking margaritas as we watched the sun dip below the horizon.

Declan took a sip of his margarita and chuckled. “Yeah, I’m excited. It’ll be good to get back into a routine. Plus, I like hanging out with the other deputies. I’ve missed belonging to something.”

“Do you still keep in touch with your FBI friends?”

He looked at me and nodded. “All the time. Ian wants us to visit Wyoming soon. He and his wife want to take us hiking in the Grand Teton National Park.”

I’d always wanted to go there.

“Whenever you want to go, we’ll go,” I said excitedly. “But I feel bad asking my dad to keep filling in for me.”

Declan bumped me with his shoulder. “Something tells me he enjoys it. I don’t think he really wanted to retire.”

I laughed. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t. Honestly, I don’t see myself retiring until I’m seriously old and gray. I love teeth. ”

Declan shook his head. “Never in my life would I have thought I’d hear anyone say that.”

We finished our margaritas and I set our glasses out of the way. “You don’t think you’ll get bored with your new job, do you?”

His expression grew serious. “Not at all. I want different things in life now.”

Different things in life? I was curious to know what all that entailed.

“Oh yeah? Like what?” I asked.

Declan leaned in close and kissed me, his lips warm and firm. “You,” he replied. “ You are what I want in life. I never thought I’d find someone like you. Now that I have, I find myself wanting to do anything and everything I can to make you happy.”

My eyes started to burn. “You do make me happy. And I hope with all my heart that it lasts forever.”

He smirked. “Are you saying you want to be with me forever?”

I bit my lip. “Maybe. Do you think one day you’ll ask me?”

Declan draped an arm over my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

The sky had started to turn purple, and Oscar was resting beside Declan. Everything was perfect.

Now that Kat was married, I couldn’t deny that I had a little bit of wedding fever. But I was a patient woman . . . at times. I looked forward to the day Declan asked me to be his wife.

I already knew what my answer would be.