She turned to Jamie. “You did all this? When did you have time?”

Jamie set the basket on the ground and pulled her into his arms. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Jamie.” She smiled up at him, then looked around her again, taking it in. “These are peonies and white roses—my favorite flowers. I can’t believe you went to so much trouble.”

“I’d do anything for you, sweetheart. Don’t you know that by now?”

“I do. I mean, I guess I do. But this . . .”

He stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. His face was soft, sober suddenly. “I mean it. I’d do anything for you. Anything. I want you to give me that chance.”

“What do you mean, Jamie? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Neither am I. And to show you I mean it . . .”

When he dropped to one knee, her breath stuttered.

“Ohhh.”

He held her hand, looking up at her, his eyes shining with the light of the moon and the stars. “I love you. I love you in a way I never knew I could. You are and always have been the only one for me, and I want to spend the rest of my life making you believe that, over and over, every single day.”

“Jamie.” She could barely breathe, emotion welling in her chest.

“Summer Grace. My sweetheart, my one and only girl. I want to fall asleep every night of my life seeing your lovely face before I close my eyes. And I want to wake up with you every morning. I want to be with the one woman who truly understands me. Who knows how broken I’ve been, and who’s the only one I can mend my broken self with. I want my future to be with you, no matter what else it brings. I know we can get through it together.

“Summer Grace Rae, will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife? Will you wear my ring, and wear my collar? Will you be mine in every way possible? And will you take me as yours? Will you marry me?”

Tears filled her eyes, fell onto her cheeks. “Oh, Jamie!”

One corner of his mouth quirked. “Baby, don’t start crying before you give me your answer.”

She brought his hand to her lips, opened it and kissed his palm. “Yes, Jamie. Yes, of course. Always and forever. I’ll never belong to anyone but you.”

He pulled a ring from his pocket, a gleaming princess-cut diamond in a vintage setting that felt enormous on her small hand as he slipped it onto her finger.

“Oh my God. It’s so beautiful.”

He stood and she went into his arms. He kissed her hair, her cheeks, her temples, and finally, her mouth. He tasted like Jamie, her Jamie. Her love. Hers. Forever. When they pulled apart, she was half laughing, half crying.

“Time to get down on your knees, my beautiful girl.”

“Oh.”

It was all she could say as the awe of the moment suffused her body, filled her, dizzied her as she sank to the ground. Jamie reached into the picnic basket and came back with a collar in his hand, and goosebumps rose all over her skin when she saw it. It was shining silver chrome, studded with pink crystals—perfect for her.

He stroked a few fingers under her chin, forcing her gaze to his.

“You understand how this is different from the ring, sweetheart? How much deeper this goes?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be on my knees if I didn’t know, Jamie.”

“And do you understand how important it is to me that I do both these things—ask for your hand and deepen that commitment—here in this place where we celebrate your brother’s life every year? How it feels like I’m doing this in front of him here?”

“I thought about that, too. It feels like . . . like Brandon is here, giving us his blessing.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

He looked down at her, studying her face, and she felt such love for him and from him. Her heart was bursting. Full and fulfilled.

“Summer Grace Rae, my beautiful girl,” he said slowly. “My only love, will you be with me, belong to me, as mine? Will you take me as yours?”

“Yes, Jamie. You are everything to me. Everything. I want to be yours. Completely.”

He smiled, ran his hand over her cheek, and she turned to kiss his fingertips before turning back to face him. He bent and she lifted her hair as he fastened the collar around her neck. Happy tears ran down her cheeks, but only a few—she was far too happy, too full of bliss, to cry for long. And when he took her in his arms, pulling her to her feet and kissing her long and hard, all she knew was the bliss.

“Love you, Jamie. And Jamie . . . I know I have a ways to go still, but thank you. Thank you for helping me to heal. For being willing to go the rest of the way with me.”

“I should be the one to thank you. And I will spend the rest of my life doing exactly that, and thanking the universe every single day for putting you in my life. I love you.” He kissed her, then kissed her again. “I love you. I can’t tell you enough how much I love you. And that’s the thing, you know what I mean, sugar? Love is the thing.”

She stood on her toes to press her lips to his, aware of the heavy band of leather and chrome around her neck, the heavier diamond on her finger. And as wonderful as these things were, Jamie was right. The thing—the only thing—was love. No matter how broken either of them might be, it was love that would put them back together again, hold them together, to each other. And it was love that made her feel healed already.

Love was the thing.

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