EPILOGUE

Ryder - SIX WEEKS LATER

Lexie and I flew to Croatia on December 26. I told her we could go anywhere for a week, so I was surprised when she said she wanted to go there.

"Not the Aspen house?" I asked.

She put her hand on her stomach and gave a shrug.

"Maybe the year after. Even if I could ski right now, I wouldn't be able to."

"Then how about someplace warm?" I put my hands over hers and wrapped my arms around her from behind. Even though her stomach looked as flat as ever, I thought I could feel the start of a bump.

"There's a pool that's warm. That's all I can take." She leaned back so far that her head rested on my chest. Her golden hair smelled like the rosewater shampoo I was using every day since it nowww became a fixture in my bathroom.

Our bathroom.

"What's so special about Croatia?" I asked to find out what was going on. At this time of year, it was cold and rainy. I thought it was interesting to see the snow-covered castles and Plitvie Lakes National Park, but I was surprised that it was her first choice.

"Because that's where everything began."

She spread her fingers out under my hand. I put mine on top of them. I was so excited to feel my baby grow inside her.

"Where did it all begin?" I said again. I didn't understand what she said. LA is where our family began. Most likely on the sofa or the bed. Maybe in the kitchen or the elevator.

Lexie turned her head back so that she could look up at me.

"I was there when Samantha told me she had called you to tell you about my internship with The Williams Agency in Los Angeles. She had a soft laugh. "I was so angry at her because you scared me so much."

When we got to the house on the evening of the 26th, the house manager had turned up the heat, stocked the fridge, and put fresh firewood by the fireplaces in the living room, kitchen, and main bedroom. I lit a fire in the fireplace while Lexie put away her things.

She said, "You're good at that," as I got the small flame to light. As the fire moved from log to log, the stones started to light up.

I stood up straight. "I can do a lot of things well."

Her eyes got hot, which made her smile softer. She said, "That's funny," as I crossed the room to get to her. "If you had told me six months ago that I'd be back here with you and that we'd be—" she hesitated "—together, I wouldn't have believed you. I can't think of anything else now."

I knew why she was taking her time. It was because, despite everything, our relationship still felt strangely vague. She gave birth to my kid. It seemed silly to call her my girlfriend, and I was too old to have a girlfriend. I knew what to do, thank goodness.

"I also can't think of anything else." I moved a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her. It was a long, slow kiss, but I pulled away before she could wrap her hands around the back of my neck. I really wanted to push her down onto the bed, but I had to do something important first.

Lexie tilted her head and looked up at me with an interested look. The heat was still in her eyes, and the soft part in her lips was still there. It was hard not to give her what she wanted, but I wanted something else first. I wanted this to be a done deal. I wanted everyone to know that she would always be mine, and I didn't want anyone to be confused about what we were to each other. I didn't need a girlfriend; I wanted Lexie to be my wife.

The day after we got back from Ohio, I went to Rahaminov Diamonds to buy the princess-cut diamond ring. The diamond had to be found and set quickly, but the third-generation jewelers were able to do it. Now, it was in my back pocket in a small velvet box. I now went for it.

When Lexie saw the jewelry box, she told Ryder, "That's mine!" "You can't give me a present. We just had Christmas."

I clarified, "I'll give you a present whenever I want. However, this is not a gift. It is a promise."

Lexie's eyes got bigger when she heard what I said and saw how big the box was. Before I opened my arms and got down on one knee, her eyes were already shining in the light of the fire.

"Ryder," she said, putting one hand to her mouth. "I'm at a loss for words."

"There are usually one of two choices," I said quietly, "but I'll only take one of them. Will you marry me, Lexie?"

She laughed and wiped her eyes with her hand. "I'm sorry I'm crying. I've never been happier than I am right now. I never cry from joy. The hormones must be to blame."

"Was that a yes?"

She put her fingers on the diamond and lightly touched it. "Yes," she said in a breath, but then she asked, "Are you sure? Samantha—”

"Samantha will be delighted for us in the end," I said as I stood up. "Until then, you make me the happiest person on the planet. Keep that in mind." I took the ring off and put it on her left hand's fourth finger with care. It was a perfect fit.

Lexie put her hand over her mouth again and looked at the stone with wide eyes. Behind her hand, I saw her smile spread across her face as tears ran down her cheeks and met the corners of her curving lips.

She whispered, "I love you," and looked past the ring to meet my eyes. "And the beauty of this ring has nothing to do with it, even though it is beautiful. If you asked me to marry you with the pull tab of a tin can, I'd say yes."

"That's good to hear, but I don't think that will ever be needed." I took her in my arms again.

"Even though I plan to leave the company for a while. I feel like I didn't know enough about Samantha's life. "I won't make the same mistake twice."

She melted into me and said, "I think we'll figure it out." "Besides, don't you remember that I'm going to be a lawyer?"

"Yes, you are." I kissed her, and when she put her arms around my neck again, I let her pull me down onto the bed this time. The fire in the grate got bigger. The dark Adriatic water lapped at the rocky shore. We had come a long way to get here, even farther than the distance between here and Los Angeles. But now that we were here, I wouldn't let her go.