Page 19 of The Blacksmith's Heart
Her laugh is light and warm, and it tugs at something deep in my chest. “Roped in? Please, you’re practically glued here. Admit it, you’re a sucker for the sunset.”
I grunt, but I don’t argue. She’s not wrong.
“Am I part of the deal?” She presses, her voice lilting. “Sometimes I feel like collateral damage.”
My smirk fades as I turn to face her fully. “Callie, you’re not damage. You’re the damn sunrise after the storm.”
Her cheeks flush, and she looks away, but I catch the flicker of emotion in her eyes. She’s always so quick to tease, to deflect, but I see through it now. The vulnerability she’s so careful to hide is one of the things I love most about her.
Love.
The word slides into my mind as easily as it slides into my chest. I’ve known it for a while now—maybe I’ve always known it—but tonight, I’m ready to do something about it.
I shift in my seat, reaching into my pocket. My fingers brush the cool iron band I’ve been carrying around for days, waiting for the right moment. It’s not a diamond or anything flashy—Callie’s not the flashy type. But it’s something I made myself, shaped and hammered with care, each blow of the hammer carrying the weight of what I feel for her.
“Do you remember that day in middle school?” I ask, my voice low.
She frowns, caught off guard. “Which one?”
“The day I passed you that note,” I say, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “The one about our marriage pact.”
Her eyes widen, and then she laughs, the sound pure and sweet. “I still can’t believe you wrote that.”
“Believe it,” I say, leaning back against the swing. “You were bossy even back then. Figured if I was going to be stuck with someone, it might as well be the girl who could hold her own.”
She swats at my arm, but there’s no heat in it. “Bossy? I was twelve, Liam. And you were the one who dared me to eat three slices of pizza in under a minute.”
“And you did,” I remind her. “It was impressive.”
Her laugh fades into a soft smile, and she shakes her head. “Why are you bringing this up?”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring, holding it out to her in the palm of my hand. Her breath catches, and her eyes lock onto mine.
“Because I think it’s time we made good on that pact,” I say, my voice steady. “You and me, Callie. For real.”
She stares at the ring, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Liam, I...”
“It’s not just about some childhood promise,” I cut in, my tone soft but firm. “It’s about now. About everything we’ve been through. You came into my life like a damn hurricane, and I haven’t been the same since. You’re my home, Callie. You and everything you bring into my world.”
Tears spill over her lashes, and she swipes at them with the back of her hand, laughing softly. “You really know how to make a girl cry, don’t you?”
I reach for her hand, my fingers brushing against hers. “Is that a yes?”
Her lips part, trembling slightly before they curve into the most radiant smile I’ve ever seen. “Yes, Liam. A thousand times yes.”
Relief and joy crash through me like a tidal wave. I slide the iron band onto her finger, the weight of it a symbol of everything we’ve built and everything we will build together.
She stares at the ring for a moment, then looks up at me, her eyes shining. “You made this, didn’t you?”
I nod. “Every bend, every strike. Just for you.”
Her breath hitches, and then she launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her lips to mine. The kiss is deep, unrestrained, and filled with everything we haven’t said until now. My hands find her waist, pulling her closer, grounding her to me.
When we finally break apart, she’s breathless, her forehead resting against mine. “You’re my home too, Liam. You always have been.”
The words settle into me like they belong, filling a space I didn’t know was empty. I kiss her again, slower this time, savoring every second. The rest of the world fades away, leaving just us, the creak of the porch swing, and the stars beginning to emerge above.
As the night deepens, I pull her into my lap, holding her close as we watch the horizon shift into twilight.
