Page 171 of The Best of Us

I leaned into Constantine, taking it all in. From the flickering flames of a nearby fire pit creating dancing shadows, to the silhouette of the mountains beneath the starlit sky.

Constantine released my hand and turned to face me, his eyes full of emotion. He took in a deep breath and undid the first button of his shirt. “There is something else I asked your father when we spoke.” His voice was tinged with nervousness.

Before I could make sense of what he was suggesting, he dropped to one knee, producing a burgundy-colored ring box from his pocket.

My body trembled with anticipation as he looked up at me, his deep, soulful eyes locked on to mine.

“Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me . . .tonight?” he asked, tears at the corners of his eyes.

Overwhelmed, I reached for his hand, pulling him to stand so we could share whispered words away from our audience.

Once on his feet, he kept the ring box between us and leaned in. “Seventeen years,” he mouthed.

I was on the same blissed-out page of our history, wanting all of this, too. The word he was waiting to hear was still stuck in the haze of my shock, though.

“I promise I’m not asking for it to happen tonight just because if we don’t make love soon, I might die again.” His voice had a disarming playfulness that made me unsure if I wanted to cry or laugh at his remark.

“Will it be legal?”

He tilted his head, one eye closing thoughtfully. “Define legal.” At the light laugh following, I had my answer.

There was more than likely paperwork that had to be filed in advance, and I had no clue about marriage laws for non-citizens, either. But something told me Constantine had already done his homework.

“In the eyes of God, absolutely.” He gestured subtly to the side, drawing my attention to a minister stepping forward. “Colin mentioned you’re Methodist. I worked a littlemiracle, finding someone to marry us if you say yes.”

Oh, I’d be saying yes all right.

“What are ya waiting on, Mom?” Colin called out, cupping his hands at the sides of his mouth like he was sitting in the stands of a stadium instead of ten feet away.

I chuckled, eyes back on the future groom as he reassured me the details were all covered. As if worried he’d yet to sell me on the best idea I’d ever heard. “We’ll have a proper ceremony with the rest of our family back home at some point. We can also wait to have se?—”

“I’mnotwaiting until later,” I interjected, pulling him in for a fervent kiss. “Yes, a million times, yes, I am marrying you tonight.”

Cheers erupted around us, followed by Colin’s, “Finally!”

Constantine slid the diamond onto my ring finger, sealing our commitment with another passionate kiss.

“And when did you manage to get this, hmm?” I asked a few minutes later, after all the congratulatory hugs with everyone. “I know you wouldn’t let someone buy it for you.”

“Money really can buy a lot of things.” He gave me a quick shrug, a boyish grin cutting across his lips. “Like opening up in the middle of the night to go behind your back while you were asleep. I got it back in Dublin.”

“Of course you did.” I sighed, my heart so full I might explode. “Sized my finger in my sleep, too?” No way was it already a size 5.

“I’m stealthy.” He winked, then pulled me into his arms and into a beautifully passionate kiss in front of everyone.

“Get. A. Room.” Colin, with the lack of a filter, again.

Constantine’s response vibrated against my lips. “I plan on it later.” He waved Colin away, stealing another moment with me as if we were alone.

“Let me get this straight. You gave me a son for my twenty-first birthday, and nowthisis for my thirty-eighth?”

“So, what you’re saying is I have my work cut out for me for your next one?” he teased, the music shifting to an upbeat Highland tune. He twirled me gracefully before pulling me close, whispering, “Challenge accepted.”

Laughter bubbled up from within me as I grasped the skirt of my dress, ready to dance to the lively rhythm. Izzy’s choice of attire now made perfect sense—a fellow schemer in all of this—and I loved her all the more for that.

Colin took Lennon and joined us on the makeshift dance floor. Hudson and Izzy swayed together with the skills of Johnny and Baby fromDirty Dancing,and my brother even spun Gwen around out there.

Constantine moved behind me, drawing my back to his chest. His hands found my hips, and I playfully rotated against him, eliciting a husky murmur. “Naughty girl.”

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