Page 118 of Falling For You

Was this it?

Was this the last clue?

I glanced around, looking for any sign of Owen, but the hill was quiet. The snow-covered landscape stretched out in all directions, peaceful and still.

I wasn’t sure what to do next, but something in the note made me think I needed to return to where this all started—back to the lodge. The treasure would be known, it said. And where else would Owen reveal the treasure he had in store?

And bold? Was that about my cooking?

I headed back down the hill, my steps quickening as I neared the lodge. By the time I reached the front door again, I was practically buzzing with anticipation. As I stepped inside, the familiar warmth of the lodge washed over me, and I stopped in my tracks.

In the center of the room stood my family and his. All of my closest friends stood quietly, grinning.

The room was filled with candles, their soft glow casting a magical light across the space. And at the center of it all was Owen.

My breath hitched as I took in the scene. He stood there, waiting for me, looking as handsome as ever in his dark sweater and jeans.

Owen’s eyes locked on mine. I could feel the love radiating from him. My heart felt like it might burst from my chest when he stepped forward.

“Owen?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

He smiled softly and walked toward me, taking my hand in his. “Vi,” he said, his voice steady, but I could hear the emotion in it. “You’ve been my adventure from the start. Every momentwith you has been a treasure, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as he spoke.

His words sank into my heart. I had known for a while now that he was the one, but hearing him say these things out loud was overwhelming in the best possible way.

“And so,” he continued, his thumb gently brushing over my gloves, “I wanted to make sure you knew just how much you mean to me. Today, I want to ask you something I’ve wanted to ask for a while.”

With that, Owen dropped to one knee.

A collective gasp from the room erupted, and my stomach knotted in anticipation.

My hand flew to my mouth as I watched him pull a small velvet box from his pocket.

“Violet,” he said, his voice filled with so much love it nearly brought me to tears, “you are my heart, my home, and my future. Without you, I would be a salty curmudgeon. You saved me from a fate worse than…” He chuckled. “You get the point.”

I laughed and nodded. “I do, indeed.”

“Vi, thank you for trusting me and believing in me. You are my person. Will you marry me?”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. Everything around me faded away.

The room, the people, the candles… none of it mattered. I only focused on Owen, the man I loved, kneeling in front of me with a ring in his hand.

I thought my heart might leap out of my chest at any second as I started nodding frantically.

“Yes,” I finally managed to whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. “Yes, Owen. I’ll marry you.”

He wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground as the room erupted in cheers and applause. I could hear Liam whooping in the background, Fifi squealing, and Beck clapping, but I could only focus on Owen.

Owen set me back down and chuckled, cupping my cheeks in his.

“Most women want to see the ring.”

“The ring!” I chuckled. “I forgot about the ring.”

Everyone chuckled as he tugged my gloves off my hands and opened up the box again.

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