Page 111 of Welcome to Forever
She couldn’t help it. One tear slipped down her cheek, and then another. Then she melted as Micah drew her into his arms, lifting her off her feet just slightly. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you so much, Kat.”
After a long moment, he released her, glancing between her and Ben. He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a large brown rock, handing it to Ben. “Being the scientist you are, I thought you’d like this. It’s straight from the desert, buddy. I crossed the world to bring it home to you. We can put it in our garden.”
Ben’s face lit up. “I love it!” he cheered, hugging it to his body with his right arm.
Then Micah turned to Kat. Her breath stopped. So did her heart. “Remember my last letter?” His voice dropped and his lips curled as he looked up at her.
She swallowed, suddenly terrified in the best way. “Yes. I believe you said you had a question you needed to ask me.”
He nodded. “I do. And I’m really hoping your answer is yes, Kat.”
“Yes,” she said, laughing. She was willing to say yes to anything he asked her right about now.
His brow pinched softly. “I haven’t asked you anything yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. I will always say yes to you, Sergeant Peterson.”
He grinned. “Oh, it matters. I want to do this right. But first I need to check in with my little man here. This affects him, too.”
Ben looked at Micah as he crouched down and pretended to whisper. Kat could hear his every word, though. “What do you think about me asking Principal Chandler to be part of our family?”
Her breath hitched.
Ben’s eyes widened. “That’s even better than a rock from the desert. Will she live with us?” he asked.
“Only if she says yes.” His gaze slid toward Kat’s.
Her eyes were burning with a million tears, but she resisted saying anything. He’d told her to wait.
“And I really hope she says yes to me,” Micah continued, talking to Ben, but his every word was meant for her. He was giving her time to gather her thoughts, which she appreciated. She didn’t need time to think, though. She’d had enough time away from him to last a lifetime.
“You should ask her,” Ben said.
Micah nodded. “I had a feeling you’d agree.” Then he shifted from his crouched position in front of Ben to one knee in front of her. Even though she knew this was coming, her hands flew to her mouth. “Now don’t say anything until I’ve had a chance to ask you properly,” he teased.
She nodded.
Growing serious again, he held her gaze. “Kat, you have changed my life, just by being in it. You make each day brighter, easier. I used to wake up and just plow through the day. I grew flowers, but I never stopped to smell them, to really look at them. Now I do. I see and do everything differently because of you. The last six months away from you made me realize that I never want to be away from you again. Not for a minute. I love you too much.” He arched a brow. “I have a rock for you, too, Kat.”
This made her laugh even as tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, yeah?” She sniffed.
“Not as big as Ben’s, but I don’t think you’ll mind.” He stared up at her. “All you have to do is agree to be my wife.”
“Oh, is that all?” she asked as her entire body shook uncontrollably.
“That and promise to love me and my son for the rest of our lives.”
She dropped to her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I can handle that.”
“Yeah?” Micah’s eyes were flooded with tears now, too. Who said a big alpha male couldn’t cry? Then he glanced over his shoulder. “Hear that, son? Sounds like a yes to me.”
“Yes!” Ben cheered. “Yes, yes, yes!”
The crowd that had gathered around to watch the building scene cheered also. Kat held on to Micah tighter, unwilling to ever let go again. “Yes,” she whispered in his ear. “My answer is yes.”
He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a box. Where he’d gotten it while on deployment, she didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Lifting the lid, he revealed a simple solitaire—the most beautiful rock she’d ever seen. She held out a shaky hand, allowing him to slip the ring on her finger, sealing the promise between them. A promise that wouldn’t be broken.
After a long embrace, they stood.
