27. Declan

Chapter 27

Declan

I t’d taken me nine months to get the courage to walk through the doors of my brother’s Otsego Lake cabin, but I was here now, and I regretted not coming sooner. The weather was a lot cooler here in New York than it was in Alabama; I welcomed the reprieve from the heat. What made it even more amazing was that it felt as if Elijah was here with me, standing by my side and telling me everything was all right.

“I love this place,” my mother murmured. She came up beside me and stared out the window at my father and Ayla fishing off the dock. He was showing her how to cast and reel, and judging by the smile on his face, he was enjoying every minute of it. Deep down, I knew he and my mother always wanted a daughter. It just so happened that they were about to get one . . . that is, if she planned on saying yes.

“I do, too,” I agreed, glancing over at her. Like always, her long white hair was braided to the side.

There were tears in her light brown eyes and her lips trembled as she drank her coffee. It was the first weekend I’d seen her and my father since Elijah’s funeral.

“What flavor did you fix this morning?” I asked her.

Her lips pulled back into a smile when she looked at me and held up her cup. “Chocolate peanut butter cup. Want some?”

Laughing, I shook my head. “I’ll fix me some Hawaiian coconut in a few.”

“Ah yes, that one is your favorite, isn’t it?”

I nodded toward the window at Ayla. “Hers, too. Ayla’s going to go crazy when she finds out you’re concocting a Butterfinger-flavored coffee.”

She giggled. “Yes, she is. I can’t wait to see her face when she tries it. I’ll have it ready by Christmas.”

I draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close. “You’ll love Magnolia Grove. Ayla tells me they go all out on the Christmas decorations in town. It’ll be like you’re in a Hallmark movie. ”

Excitement filled her eyes. “I know I’m going to love it. Now, if only there was snow in Alabama.”

That made me laugh. “Unfortunately, you won’t see a white Christmas down there like you could up here. Maybe next Christmas, Ayla and I can come visit you and Dad?”

She nodded. “Your father and I would love that.” Then, she bumped me with her elbow, her gaze filled with pride. “Just so you know, I’m very proud of you, Declan. Getting a job at the police department and settling down. You had me worried for a long time.”

I shrugged. “Settling down wasn’t something I was interested in. At least, not until I met her .” Ayla reeled in a fish and the delight on her face made me smile. She jumped up and down while my father took it off the line and snapped a picture on his phone of her holding it.

“Is Ayla happy about your new job?” my mother questioned.

“I would think so,” I said, chuckling. “It’s a lot safer than my last one. Nothing ever happens in Magnolia Grove.”

Well, except for Deluca trying to find and kill me. It’d been two months since all of that happened, and still, only Ayla and Linda were the only townsfolk who knew. Linda seemed to be handling it well that she killed a man. She wasn’t your typical woman, that was for sure. If she was younger, she’d make a great addition to the Circle of Justice. Without her help, Ian and I wouldn’t have found Ayla as fast as we did.

My mother rested her head against me. “I’ve missed you so much, Declan. It’s been an amazing weekend. I hate that your dad and I have to leave in a few minutes, but I know you need to get ready for your special evening.” She smiled down at Ayla and my father. “Looks like we’re going to have to make a point to visit more often, especially when she becomes your wife.”

I never thought I’d be nervous about asking Ayla to be my wife, but I was a little terrified.

“That’s if she says yes,” I said.

She snorted. “Oh, she’ll say yes. That woman is crazy about you.” She slid out from under my arm and looked at me, her eyes hopeful. “Are you still proposing to her tonight?”

I nodded. “That’s the plan.” I peered at Ayla again, and she was trying her luck at another fish. “It’s not too soon, is it? All I know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.” I didn’t know if it was too soon or not; we’d only been together three months. Ayla loved me and I loved her. There was no doubt in my mind that she was supposed to be mine.

My mother placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. “Then it’s not too soon if that’s how you feel. I’ve only been around her the past couple of days, but even I can see you two are meant to be together.” She clutched her chest and tried to hold back her tears. “And to think of the grandbabies. I’m dying to become a grandmother.”

Laughing, I hugged her one more time. “Don’t get too crazy now. I know Ayla wants kids but I’m not going to rush it.”

She let me go and fanned her face to dry up her tears. “I know. I’ll try my best to be patient.” The alarm on her smartwatch went off and she sighed. “All right, it looks like my time is up. I should probably grab your dad so we can head home.” She picked her purse up off the couch and grinned excitedly. “Good luck tonight, son. I know what you have planned will be beautiful.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

She winked and walked out the door while I turned back to the window to look at Ayla. I never thought it possible to love someone so much. The warmth that flowed inside of me when she was near was such an amazing feeling; it was addictive .

All I wanted was for her to say yes.

The time had come.

While Ayla was inside the cabin cleaning up the dishes from dinner, I hurried to the dock and set up for my proposal. Was it risky proposing by the water? Most definitely.

The blanket was set out with candles all around, giving it the perfect lighting. As far as the weather, it couldn’t have been more perfect. It was a crisp October night, and the stars were in abundance with the bright moon directly overhead.

Once everything was set up, I pulled out my cell phone and sent Ayla a text.

Me: I need you to do something for me.

Her reply came just a few seconds later.

Ayla: Where are you? I’ve been looking for you.

Grinning, I typed out another text.

Me: Come outside and you’ll find me .

Even though it was dark outside, I could still see her smiling face as she stepped out the back door. Her gasp echoed in the night air and she slapped a hand over her mouth.

“Oh, my God, this is amazing,” she called out. “So pretty with all the candles.”

She came down the stairs to the deck and her eyes lit up even more when she saw what was waiting for her. I had blankets set out and right in the middle of it all was a Butterfinger cheesecake that Linda had made for us. She wanted to be a part of this special night. Not only did she help me save Ayla, but she could also take most of the credit for getting me and Ayla together, especially for tricking us into coming over that first night for dinner. It was what started it all.

“Did Linda make that?” Ayla asked, her mouth dropping in awe. “How did it get here? You didn’t have that on the plane.”

I chuckled. “No, but it did get shipped here overnight.”

Taking her hand, I helped her down to the blankets and we both ate huge pieces of cheesecake while watching the stars.

Ayla gasped and pointed at the sky. “Did you see that? It was a shooting star. ”

It just so happened, I did see it. There was only wish I could think of that I wanted to come true.

She looked over at me, her smile brighter than the moon. “Did you make a wish?”

“Actually,” I said, taking her hand to help her up. She stood while I stayed on my knee.

Her mouth gaped and she sucked in a breath. “Declan.”

I pulled out the little black box that was hidden underneath the blankets and opened it for her. Inside was an emerald-cut diamond ring. She gasped again and slapped a hand over her mouth.

I looked up into her beautiful green eyes that were now filled with tears. “Ayla, I love you with every fiber of my being. I’m so glad we found each other when we did. You saved me from losing myself. I would only be a shell of a man if you hadn’t come into my life.” I held up the ring and took her hand. “There is nothing I want more in this world than to call you my wife. I know we haven’t been together long, but I know this is right. Please say you’ll be mine today, tomorrow, and every day after that.”

Ayla fell to her knees before me and threw her arms around my neck. “Yes! I would’ve said yes if you’d proposed to me months ago.” She let me go and held out her shaking hand. I slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her, her lips warm and soft.

“Thank you,” I murmured against her lips.

She shook her head and cried. “No, thank you . I wish you could feel how happy I am right now.”

I smiled. “Oh, I have a feeling.”

Tears fell down her cheeks as she gazed down at the ring. “You know, things will never be the same from now on.”

I lifted her chin and kissed her again. “No. They’re going to be even better.”