Page 84 of Fetch Me A Mate
"She will."
"You sound sure."
"I've seen how she looks at you. Like you hung the moon and stars just for her." Callum pulled out a legal pad and began making notes. "Sanctuary status takes six to eight weeks through proper channels. I can expedite it, but it'll cost extra."
"Whatever it takes."
"Done. I'll start the paperwork tomorrow."
That evening, Rowan built a fire in the lobby hearth and waited. The fall had turned cold and Diana was upstairs, checking on guest rooms that hadn't seen occupants in months but were now ready for visitors. The inn hummed around him, solid and welcoming and finally, completely theirs.
His pocket felt heavy with the weight of Miriam's ring. She'd pressed it into his hand that morning, her eyes bright with tears and satisfaction.
"Henry's grandmother's ring," she'd said. "Passed down through three generations of innkeepers' wives. Diana should have it, if she wants it."
"What if she says no?"
"She won't say no, Rowan. That girl loves you like breathing."
Diana's footsteps on the stairs drew his attention. She descended slowly, her hand trailing along the banister he'd reinforced that morning.
"Everything secure upstairs?" he asked.
"Perfect. The inn's ready for guests whenever we want to start booking again." She settled beside him on the hearth rug. "What about you? You ready?"
"For guests?"
"For whatever comes next."
Rowan reached into his pocket, fingers closing around the small velvet box. "Diana."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"I want to spend the rest of my life proving I'm worthy of that love. I want to wake up every morning in the attic space we're building together. I want to grow old fixing things around this inn and watching you make it the heart of Hollow Oak."
Diana's eyes widened as he pulled out the ring box and dropped to a knee.
"I want to marry you, if you'll have me. Be your partner in everything, your mate in the truest sense." He opened the box, revealing the simple gold band with its modest diamond. "Will you marry me, Diana Merrick?"
The fire crackled in the hearth. Outside, snow began to fall, dusting the square in white that caught the lamplight like scattered stars.
Diana looked at the ring, then at his face, then back at the ring.
"Yes," she said simply. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Rowan slipped the ring onto her finger with hands that only trembled slightly. It fit perfectly, like it had been waiting for her all along.
"When?" Diana asked, admiring the way the diamond caught the firelight.
"Whenever you want. Tomorrow, next month, next year. I'm not going anywhere."
"Spring," Diana said. "When everything's growing and new and full of possibility."
"Spring it is."
