“Shane!?” I stared in disbelief. He was literally standing in my living room.
“Hello, Heather.” His face stretched to a grin beneath his beard.
“Daddy? Shane?” I looked between them. “What is going on here?”
“Do you think we didn’t know where you were spending all of your time?” My father asked. “You have been a ghost for the last couple of years and it took me some time to put it together, but I’m no fool.”
“You told them?” I asked Shane.
“I wasn’t going to lie to your parents.” Shane shrugged. “They deserve to know I love their daughter.”
“Daddy... I...” I stumbled over my words.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Heather.” My father’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a grown woman. Shane and I had a long talk today. I’d be proud to call him my son-in-law.”
“Son-in-law?” I looked over at Shane. He approached and knelt.
“Heather Westbrook.” His hand reached into his pocket.
Is this happening? Is this for real?
“Oh my God!” I practically jumped out of my shoes as he took my hand.
“Will you marry me?” He pulled out a wooden box and opened it—a gorgeous diamond sparkled on top of a gold band.
“Of course, I will!” I nodded furiously as he removed the ring and slipped it on my finger.
“Yay!” I heard my mother’s voice. She ran into the room and hugged me.
I burst into tears as I hugged my mother and my father, but I cried even harder when Shane took me into his arms. He had made everything right without me even asking. I no longer had to figure out how to tell them. They knew everything and they had given their blessing.
I looked at my father over
Shane’s shoulder and he was beaming with pride. Knowing they approved made it even better. I was ready to spend my life with Shane and all the guilt I expected to feel over abandoning what I thought was my future to live in the mountains with him was instantly evaporated.
I was going to be his wife. I was going to be his wife! The words tumbled around in my head several times before I finally managed to settle down. He took me by the hand led me out to the screened in porch. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. Once we were out of view of my parents, he planted much a longer, much more passionate kiss on my lips and I melted in his arms.
I had so many questions, but they could wait for a moment. The kiss lasted for so long my head spun and when it ended, I had to sit down from the rush of emotions flowing through me.
“How did this happen?” I finally regained my computer enough to speak.
“I wanted to make you my wife and I’m an old-fashioned guy. I needed your father’s blessing.” He sat down beside me.
“Well that had to be quite a shock for him...” I muttered.
“He knew. He knew why I was here the moment he opened the door. Like he said, he’s no fool. He knew where you were going.” Shane put an arm around me.
“This is perfect.” I leaned against him and felt a wave of emotions sweep through me.
W E DECIDED TO GET MARRIED in Wolf Creek after I graduated from college. It wasn’t a huge ceremony, but the entire town showed up to see us say our vows. Several major media outlets came to cover the ceremony so they could show the nation that the couple they drooled over actually did end up together in the end. It was a heartwarming story, even if they got most of the details wrong since neither of us were willing to give an interview. It was the conclusion of the story for them, but it was just the beginning for the two of us.
I finally got to meet Shane’s family and they welcomed me with open arms. His mother called me the daughter she never had and his father insisted on grandchildren the first time he gave me a hug—someone had to carry on the legacy and Shane was their only son. It made me blush, but I couldn’t deny that I had had already thought about it.
The reception went well into the night with lots of dancing and music. When the crowd finally started to disperse, I was exhausted. We said goodbye to our families, promised to call everyone, and then climbed into his truck. I slid close to him and held his hand as we drove up the mountain towards our future. There was no reason for a honeymoon—the cabin was the only place either of us wanted to be.
It felt amazing to know I didn’t have to leave, to know that it was more than a vacation for once. He picked me up when we arrived and walked me across the threshold, just like he did the first time I saw the new cabin. I was tired, but the energy between us was still simmering and we went straight to the bedroom without a moment of hesitation.
“Today was perfect...” I said as I slipped out of the clothes I had changed into after the wedding.