302 Forbidden Ave. (A Cherry Falls Romance)

“Where are all the people?” She looked to the left and right, then behind her shoulder before turning her focus back to me.

God, why was it so hot in here? I pulled at the collar of my shirt, feeling dizzy.

“Are you okay?” The sudden concern in her voice had me straightening and manning the fuck up.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Do this. Let the woman I love know I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

I stood, walked over to her, and as her brows furrowed once more, with Amelia clearly confused what the hell I was doing, I told myself not to lose my fucking nerve.

I dropped to one knee, Amelia’s brow smoothing before rising to her forehead as her shock set in… as she realized what I was doing.

I grabbed the ring box out of my pocket, opened the top with shaky hands, and presented the diamond to her. “Amelia Helena Richardson.” My voice was thick and tense… sounding afraid at what I was about to do. “You are my life. The very best parts of me. My strength. The reason I have purpose.” I took the ring out and set the box down, lifting my hand to show her the diamond that would never compare to her beauty, and held her hand in mine. “I can’t even imagine a world with you not in it, with you not by my side as my wife, the mother of my children.” My throat was tight and dry, my tongue too thick right now.

She was breathing so hard I thought she’d hyperventilate, but she wasn’t stopping me, so I slipped the ring on her finger, unsure if I was even doing this right but not about to stop. Because it felt right. “Amelia… will you marry me?”

She covered her mouth with the hand not wearing the ring, her eyes watering before tears started falling. But I knew she cried because she was happy. I knew she loved me and wanted this.

I knew she was mine just like I was hers.

I stayed on my knee, looking up at her, letting her take her time. I have my entire life to hear your answer.

“Oh, Braxton. Yes,” she finally said, tears in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.

God, she was beautiful when she cried because she was happy.

I stood and pulled her into my arms, the sound of her breath catching as she clutched me causing my eyes to close on their own. I felt so many things right now that I swayed with her. I pulled back and slid my hands to her face, cupping her cheeks. I stared into her eyes and knew this woman owned my very soul. Without her, I was… nothing.

“I love you,” she whispered, cupping my beard-covered cheek.

My eyes closed again, her touch powerful enough to bring me to my knees. “God, I love you too.”

Now. Always. Forever.

Epilogue Two

Amelia

Four years later

I was swollen, my body ached in places I didn't even know it could, and I didn’t think I’d slept for more than an hour in the last twenty-four.

But I’d never been happier.

I swung my legs over the side of the hospital bed, my feet not touching the cold, unforgiving tile floor. The blue booties the nurses had put on my feet were itchy, the little rubber-like stripes on the bottom supposed to keep me from slipping, but I didn’t think that would matter, since I doubted I’d be able to stand, let alone walk, for how uncomfortable I was.

I stared at where Braxton slept on the couch across from my bed, our three-year-old daughter, Rainie, tucked close to him after finally falling asleep a few hours ago. She’d been dropped off by Keely earlier today, my best friend watching our daughter while I was taken to the hospital for the birth of our second child, a little boy we named Theo.

I turned my attention away from where my husband and our daughter slept and looked at the bassinet placed right beside my hospital bed. I smiled as little Theo slept peacefully, but I knew that wouldn’t last forever. He had an appetite and a set of lungs to go along with it, letting me know when he was hungry.

“How are you feeling, baby?”

The soft sound of Braxton’s voice had me looking up from Theo and at my husband. I gave him what was probably a sleepy smile, and I watched him slowly, stealthily, get up from the couch. Braxton somehow managed to not wake Rainie, and I was holding in my laughter at how quiet he was trying to be.

He walked up to the bassinet, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “He looks like you.” Braxton looked up at me, and the pure joy on his face had the breath leaving me in the most contented way imaginable.