Page 111 of This Heart
“Aurora, I know this is probably all way too fast, and that first night you said you wanted to take things slow.”
A sob mixed with laughter slipped free. “I think we threw slow out the window within five minutes, if I remember correctly!”
Liam grinned, and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.
“I knew that night when I watched you sleeping next to Winnie that I was going to marry you. You’ve been my best friend and the one person I want to run to when I’ve got good news and bad news. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love seeing you with Winnie, and the love that you have for her steals my breath away every time. If I’ve learned anything in the last few years, it’s that life can turn our worlds upside down. Good things happen, as well as bad. I don’t want to waste one more minute on this Earth without you by my side. I want to wake up with you in my arms and fall asleep every night with you next to me. I want you to be a mother for Winnie.”
Winnie wrapped her arms around my legs, and I reached down, picking her up and holding her close to me.
“I would be honored if you would agree to becoming my wife and my best friend for life.”
Winnie reached up and wiped the tears from my cheeks with her tiny hands that were covered in mittens. “Will you be my mommy?”
Her sweet question made me cry harder.
Liam stood. “Will you marry me, Aurora?”
I nodded. “Yes! Yes, of course I will marry you!”
Winnie let out a squeal of delight, and it was only then that I heard other people cheering. I looked around to see our friends and family all standing there. There was a photographer as well who had been capturing the moment, and I hadn’t even noticed. I was so focused on Liam and Winnie and the idea of us becoming the family I had always dreamed of.
Liam took my left hand and slipped a beautiful platinum princess-cut diamond ring over my finger. Melee diamonds covered the ring on either side of the central diamond.
I drew in a breath and stared at it. “Liam, it’s beautiful!”
He reached up and cupped my face with his hands, leaned down, and kissed me as more cheers erupted. When we drew back, he rested his forehead to mine.
“You just made me the happiest man in the world, Aurora Banks.”
“Me too!” Winnie said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Liam took a step back, brought my left hand up to his mouth, and kissed the back of it.
My entire body felt warm and alive, and I had never experienced such joy before. “I know I just said up in the library that it had been the happiest moment of my life.”
Liam chuckled. “And now?”
“Nothing could ever make me feel this much love and happiness. I love you both. I love you both so very much and always will.”
With a sparkle in his eyes, Liam grinned. “You may change your mind about feeling this much happiness when you see one of the books up in that library.”
My brows shot up. “Really?”
Laughing, Liam took Winnie from me and set her down before pulling me into his arms and bending me back.
“My little bookworm. God, how I love you!”
He kissed me thoroughly to the sounds of cheers around us. When he stood us up, I laughed and looked around at all of our friends and family. Before I could even say a word, my sister Lou threw herself into my arms and hugged me. Followed by Brystol, Harper, and Cadie. After rounds of hugs and kisses and then photos, I finally got a moment alone with Liam.
“Do you know what would make me so happy right now?” I whispered in his ear.
His eyes lit up with desire, and he pulled me closer to him. “If we snuck off and found a quiet corner?”
I shook my head. “If we could go back up to that library this instant!”
Liam’s head tossed back with a bark of laughter before he focused back on me. “Who am I to deny you such happiness?”
Aurora
