Page 82 of Worth the Wait

Tears spill freely down her cheeks now, her hands pressed against her mouth as she stares at the ring, at me, at the field of memories surrounding us.

"I love you, Tarryn. I've loved you since we were sixteen, through every minute of the eight years we were apart, and every second since we found each other again. Will you marry me?"

She drops to her knees in front of me, hands cradling my face. "Yes," she whispers, the single syllable carrying the weight of our entire history. "God, yes, Jackson. Of course I'll marry you."

Her lips find mine in a gentle, tearstained kiss. I pull back only to slide the ring onto her trembling finger, watching as sunlight catches the diamond, scattering prisms across her skin.

"It's beautiful," she breathes, staring at the daisy design. "Your grandmother's?"

"The center stone was hers," I confirm, brushing away a tear from her cheek. "I had it reset for you."

She looks around the field, then back at me, curiosity dawning through her tears. "What is your family planning to do with this land? It seems a shame to just let it sit empty."

I help her to her feet, keeping her hands in mine. "Nothing. My dad told me years ago that this plot was mine whenever I wanted it. He and my grandfather set it aside, separate from the rest of the farm."

"Really?" She glances around, seeing it with new eyes.

"I always imagined…" I hesitate, suddenly nervous about revealing the full extent of my dreams. "I always thought that someday, after our adventures in New York or wherever else life takes us, we might come back here—to our small town, to this field where our love began—and build a home."

Her eyes fill with fresh tears. "A home?"

"Nothing extravagant. Just somewhere that's ours, with wide windows to see the daisies, room for a family if we decide that's what we want." I brush my thumb across her knuckles, across the ring that now marks her as mine. "A place to come back to, after seeing the world."

She turns in a slow circle. "Our home," she says softly, testing the words.

"What do you think?"

She faces me again, her smile shining through her tears. "I think it's perfect. After New York, after our careers are established, after we've had all the adventures we want—coming home to this would be the perfect final chapter."

"Not final," I correct gently, pulling her against me. "Just the beginning of something new."

Her arms wind around my neck as she presses herself against me. "I like that plan."

I kiss her again, deeper this time, pouring eight years of longing and three months of certainty into the connection between us. Around us, daisies sway in the morning breeze, silent witnesses to promises we thought were once gone forever.

Hand in hand, we walk back toward town.

"So, New York for the next few years," Tarryn says, her practical nature reasserting itself even as she can't stop admiring the ring. "Then maybe we reassess?"

"Exactly." I squeeze her hand. “We build our careers, enjoy the city, travel when we can. And someday, when we're ready, we come back here."

"We can design the house together," she says, excitement threading through her voice. "Something modern but warm, with lots of natural light."

"A big kitchen," I add, thinking of weekend mornings making pancakes together.

"A home office—no, two offices." She laughs. "I've seen how you organize your case files. I need my own space."

"Fair enough." I pull her closer, slipping my arm around her waist. "What about children? Someday?"

Her steps slow as she considers this, her expression thoughtful rather than alarmed, which gives me hope. "I think… yes. Not right away. But yes, I'd like to have a family with you."

The simple admission fills me with a joy so intense it's almost painful. "Two? Three?"

"Let's start with one and see how we feel." She laughs, nudging me with her hip. "We have time to figure it all out.”

“Of course we do,” I say, grabbing her hand and twirling her around before pulling her against me for more kisses.

“Did you know," she murmurs between kisses, "that daisies symbolize new beginnings?"

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