Page 28 of Claiming His Labor Day

EPILOGUE

Naomi

New Year’s Eve

THE NEXT FEW months couldn’t have been more perfect. I was at Devlin’s place more than I was at mine and everything we did just clicked. He took me to work at the school on the back of his bike every morning and picked me up afterward. We spent our evenings riding to different venues for dinner and entertainment and spent our nights in his oversized bed between the sheets. Any doubt I had about him leaving was diminished, and I was falling even more in love with him.

As my belly grew, his attention did for me as well. He took my hand on New Year’s Eve before we settled into his bed and led me to the balcony.

I smiled and followed him out the glass doors into the cool night air. We’d been invited to a number of parties that night, but as I was entering my third trimester I was feeling a little tired and wanted a quiet night after a hectic Christmas with visits to my mom and Devlin’s mom in Alaska. Mia and Camilla had been over and were delighted that their “little bit of bad” had resulted in a lot of good. Camilla had started dating Jamie from the Labor Day party and Mia was seeing a woman who she’d met recently, while Bones was now dating Lindsey.

“I have something for you,” he smiled.

Devlin cupped my face and kissed me. He then sat me in a lounge chair and disappeared into the house. It wasn’t long before he reappeared holding a large white box in his hands. It was wrapped with a dark blue bow.

“What is this?” I took it with both hands and set it on my lap.

“Just a little something for you. I’ve wanted to give it to you for some time now, but I didn’t want to rush things.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. Open it.”

I pulled the bow, and it unraveled from around the sides of the box. I pulled the top off and pushed the tissue paper out of the way. I gasped, putting my fingers inside the small straps of the white garment and lifting it out of the box. A long elegant white satin dress revealed itself to me as I raised my hands into the air. Small crystals lined the plunging neckline and twinkled with the light from the balcony lights above.

I looked at him, not knowing what to say. It was too fancy to be lingerie or a casual dress.

“Devlin? Is this—?”

“There’s more,” he said kneeling at my side.

I moved the rest of the material from the box and saw a smaller box in the middle of the tissue paper. I picked it up, and my mouth dropped open. My stomach tingled. “What’s this?”

He took the small box and opened it facing me. Inside was a blue diamond set on a platinum ring so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring at it.

I covered my mouth with a shaky hand as I forced my next breath.

“Marry me, Naomi. Be my wife,” Devlin said. “I love you, and I want to start this family the right way. I know you’ve had doubts on whether I would stay or just take off like I am known to do. I want to prove to you that I’m dedicated to you. You’ve changed my life. I have no reason to run anymore. Be my wife. Make me the happiest man in the world.”

My tears hit my cheeks and traveled down as I looked back at the ring. I nodded slowly, a smile spreading across my face. “Yes,” I whispered. “I’m so in love with you.”

Devlin pulled me up off the chair and picked me up, twirling me around. He yelled into the night air. “She said yes!”

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