Page 176 of Beauty
Noah sidles up next to me and nods. “I cheated. I would have done anything to find you, sweet cheeks.”
I chuckle at the old nickname.
“But yes. That’s the only one signed by Hannah, so I know it’s the original.”
My heart takes flight. This man. He tried so hard, sending dozens upon dozens of books, maybe more, out into the world. Yet that single dollar bill and the original book are what brought us back together.
But this? His dedication? It brings tears to my eyes.
I open the book to the first page and smile at the sight of his name and number.
The message gives me pause. It’s not the same as the original.
It’s been two years, and still I think of you. Come back to me, butterfly.
“Noah,” I breathe. “Did you write a message in them all?” I pick up the next one without waiting for a response.
“My son took his first steps today,” I read, “and a butterfly landed on his shoulder. Definitely not a happy coincidence. It’s fate, sweet cheeks.”
My vision blurs as I turn to the love of my life. When I find him down on one knee, my heart stops and my breath catches.
“For years,” he says, “I missed you. I ordered dozens of books and sent them around Boston and Paris in hopes that one day you’d find at least one of them. I added little notes about my life in some. In others, I told you how deeply I wished to find you again. How much I missed you.”
The setting sun casts the room in a pink hue and turns his irises crystalline.
“You are the love of my life. I knew it then and I know it now. The universe has given me everything I could have asked for. And I’ll consider myself the luckiest man alive if you’ll agree to be my wife.” He opens his hand, and a turquoise and diamond ring glistens in the light. “Marry me, butterfly.”
With a hand to my mouth and tears in my eyes, I nod over and over. “Yes. You’re all I could ask for too. You and Ollie and—” I suck in a breath. This time I’m the one with the surprise. Licking my lips, I angle closer. “Just you and Ollie and our baby.”
He lets out a soft sob, his eyes welling with tears too.
“If I have nothing else, that will be enough.”
He scrambles to his feet, his cheeks damp and his eyes wide. “Did you say baby?”
I grin at him through my tears. “I took the test this morning. I wanted to wait until after your party to tell you.”
With a whoop, he picks me up and spins. “We’re having a baby!”
I laugh. “Yes. We’re having a baby.”
He comes to a stop, but he doesn’t put me down. “And you’re going to marry me?”
I drop a kiss to his lips and angle back. “Of course I’m going to marry you.”
Carefully, he eases me to the floor. He slips the ring onto my finger and kisses my knuckles. Then he flips my hand over and presses his mouth to my wrist, tracing the butterfly tattoo with his lips.
“I love you,” he says, lips still on my wrist.
“I love you too.” I cup his cheeks and swipe his tears away with my thumbs. “Wait.” I drop my hands. “What is this place?”
He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I had a whole thing planned, but you threw me for a loop with your news.” With a hand splayed over my stomach, he rests his forehead against mine. “We’re having a baby.”
Fresh waves of tears crest my lashes.
“Picture this,” he says, pulling me against him. “Racks filled with your designs in that corner.” He points to the left, then to the window, where the sky has turned purple. “Maybe a mannequin or two in the window, showcasing your favorites.” With his hands on my hips, he turns so we’re facing the opposite direction. “A couch and a chair in that corner, where you can meet with clients. A dressing room back there.”
I turn in his arms, my head tipped back. “This is my boutique?”
