Page 115 of This Feeling

After returning downstairs, we walked through the breakfast area attached to the kitchen and out to the back porch. It was huge, anddefinitelymade up for the lack of a front porch. Harper slowly walked to the rail and stared out at the gardens.

“Jesus,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen such beautiful gardens at a home before. This is something I would expect to see at an English estate. Declan…I’m not going to want to leave!”

“Should we go down and look at them up close?”

She jumped with excitement and started down the steps, then we walked the brick path that led to the gardens. In the middle was a beautiful water fountain. Two short benches sat on the north and south sides of the garden, with two long benches on the east and west sides.

“I’ve never seen anything so lovely,” Harper whispered, gazing beyond the gardens to the lake. “It’s beautiful. I wish this were mine!”

Standing behind her, I pulled out the ring box and lowered to my left knee. I opened it and drew in a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

“If you want it…it’s yours.”

She laughed and turned. Her eyes widened and hands flew up to her mouth as she stared at me, then down at the ring box.

“I know it hasn’t been much time since we’ve gotten together, Harp, but I think I’vealwaysknown you were the one. If you’d do me the honor, I would love to officially make you mine…and give you this house as a wedding present.”

Her eyes filled with tears as her hands dropped to her sides. When the tears spilled over, she dropped to her knees and threw her arms around me. “Yes! Oh my gosh, yes! Yes! Yes!”

I hugged her back and we stayed that way for a few moments before she drew back and asked, “Wait. Did you say you’ll give me thishouseas a wedding present?”

Winking, I replied, “Or a prewedding present, depending on when you want the wedding to be.”

She looked around. “Is the house for sale?”

I nodded. “Yes. Kian told me about it. He knows the family that owns it, and they want to sell fast. There is a divorce involved and they want out from under the house. He asked them to hold off on listing it because he might know a buyer. Once he saw these gardens, he immediately thought of you.”

Harper’s eyes went wide. “We could actually own this house? Could we afford it?”

“If you want it, yes.”

She threw herself back into my arms and nearly knocked me over. Laughing, I held on to her and stood, taking her with me.

“Yes! Yes, I want it! The entire time we were walking through the house, I kept daydreaming about it being ours. And that one room with the windows would make a beautiful nursery and playroom!”

My heart tripped over itself in my chest. “I was thinking about how amazing it would be to raise a family here, as well.”

“One thing—we buy it together, but I honestly don’t have much saved up. Everything goes back into the floral shop.”

“How about we strike a deal? You let me buy the house, and you use your money to decorate or furnish how you see fit.”

Frowning, she asked, “Declan, I know you couldn’t have saved up that much money being in the Marines.”

“You’re right, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have enough for a house like this. But my grandmother left me and Sean trust funds. We each have access to it when we turn thirty-five. With my father’s help, the funds in the trust have increased with smart investing.”

“So, even with it being a lowered price, you can still purchase it without being house poor?”

I laughed. “Exactly. So what do you say? I’ll buy the house, you decorate and furnish it to your heart’s desire.”

Her eyes widened. “I love that idea.”

“Harp?”

Her fingers ran through the hair at the base of my neck as she smiled and said, “Yeah?”

“Would you like to see the ring now?”

Gasping, she stepped back. “Oh my gosh! Yes!”

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