“You sure have amazing timing,” he said, stroking my hair back over my forehead.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, I already had plans today before this all happened.”
“Oh?” I asked with a laugh. “I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you.”
“It’s okay. I can readjust my plans. I was hoping for a bit of a better situation, but this one will have to do,” he said. He reached into his pocket, and I gasped when he pulled out a ring box. “Desiree, will you marry me?”
I nodded while I gathered myself enough to speak. “Yes.”
He grinned and slipped the incredible ring on my finger, then leaned in for another kiss. He was just pulling away when the door to the room opened and Sammi rushed in.
“Is everything okay? Is the baby alright? Desiree? Are you alright?” she asked, the questions coming out in a rapid-fire stream.
I laughed. “Everything’s fine. He came a bit early, but there are no problems.”
“He?” Sammi asked, coming to the side of the bed. “It’s a boy?”
I nodded and glanced down at my newborn cradled in my arms. “A perfect, healthy boy.”
“Wow,” she said.
“Do you want to hold him?”
She nodded eagerly, and I lifted him up. Aiden helped the transfer, and soon Sammi had the baby curled up against her chest and a look of pure contentment on her face as she lowered herself down to sit in the chair beside the bed.
“Should we tell her?” Aiden asked.
I nodded, and Sammi looked up at me.
“Tell me what?”
Her eyes widened when I held my hand up to show her the ring. She squealed softly and bounced a little in the chair. It was the closest thing she could get to a full freak-out while securely holding a new baby. We accepted her congratulations and exchanged another kiss. A hint of sadness flickered through me.
“I just wish my father was still here,” I said.
Aiden stroked my hair and murmured a few comforting words.
“My dad would probably be honored to walk you down the aisle,” she said.
That made me tear up again, and I reached out one arm to hug her and the other to hug Aiden. I couldn’t believe this was how everything had worked out. My life was far better than I ever could have imagined, and I couldn’t wait to see what else life with my mountain man would bring.
The End