Page 71 of In this Moment

Chapter Seventeen

The rest of the evening was a blur for Evie. But certain parts stuck out. Like when Declan slipped that ring on her finger. The ring. The antique ring she’d more or less drooled over from the moment it had arrived in her shop. She fantasized over her one true love putting that ring on her finger and declaring his everlasting devotion.

She’d never really thought it would happen.

Even when they were picking out her fake engagement ring, she couldn’t bear to have her dream ring on her finger. But Declan had noticed. Declan had remembered.

Of course hehad.

Declan was theone.

He’d always been theone.

She’d never forget that moment.

Just as she’d never forget when Jonah had grabbed each of them by the hand and pulled them into their very first family group hug. The knife Declan had given him clutched in his hand, he’d leaned over and whispered into Evie’s ear, “I’m glad you said yes, Mom.” She’d almost melted in that moment.

Of course she would say yes. From the moment she saw Declan standing in the campsite, her heart had been lost. She was his. She loved him more than she could put into words and the fact that he loved her just as much made her spirit soar. She wasn’t sure she’d ever comedown.

And then there was the moment when they were all sitting around the campfire, raising a plastic glass of champagne in a toast to the new couple. Evie knew there was confusion among most of them. Clearly, Declan hadn’t told the true story to all of them and they were confused as to how an engaged couple had broken up, only to get re-engaged less than twenty-four hours later.

It wasconfusing.

To everyone but her and Declan and that’s all that mattered. This time, it was real. When she looked at the ring on her finger, the diamond with the little rubies sparkling in the firelight, she knew without a doubt that the love it represented was very, veryreal.

Evie didn’t think she could be happier. But when Ian stood up from his seat across the fire and held his hand out to Gwen and said, “Well, I think it’s past time that we make our leave,” her heart smiled a little more. Because Evie realized for the first time that as much as she enjoyed the company of all her new extended family, she was more than ready for it to be justthem.

Jonah was asleep in Milena’s lap. She gestured to the sleeping boy. “I hate to wake him,” she whispered. Cal lifted him gently and cradled him close, which made Milena’s hand flutter to her heart. A move Evie definitely noticed, even if no one elsedid.

“I’ll put him in his tent?” Cal asked.

“Histent?”

“I got him his own tent,” Declan said. “He’s close to us, but not too close.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I already showed him his space and told him where we were in case he gets scared. He has his own headlamp, too.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“I’ve thought of the two of you. That iseverything.”

Evie’s heart squeezed again, this time in happiness. “That really is everything,” she said. “Thankyou.”

“You don’t have to thank me, darling. Having you next to me is the only thing I’ll everneed.”

Declan helped Cal tuck Jonah in, and when Evie crawled into his tent to give him a kiss, her son lazily wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her down. “I’m so happy, Mom.”

“Buddy, so am I.” Tears, unchecked, streamed down her cheek. “So amI.”

She waited with him until he fell back asleep. It only took a moment and then she returned to the campfire, but everyone was gone. Declan sat alone in a nest of blankets, waiting forher.

“Where did everyonego?”

“Back to town,” he said. “They told me to tell you they’d see you in the morning. I think our presence is not only desired but expected at Ian’s house in the morning. My mom may have mentioned something about how we had a lot of explaining to do.” He laughed. “I’m not worried. We’ll deal with that later. Right now, all I want to focus on is you andme.”

She crawled into the blankets next to him, heated by both the fire and the warmth from his body. In that moment, Evie couldn’t imagine how she could ever feel more content. The world was right. Declan McCormick loved her just as much as she loved him, and that’s all that would ever matter.

The fire burned low and for a second, Declan considered putting another log on to extend the most perfect evening he’d ever had in his life. And it was. He never wanted it to beover.

When Evie had said yes, it was everything. But the whole night after that, and the celebration that followed with his family and their loved ones, it was beyond perfect. He couldn’t ask for anythingmore.

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