Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I was floored, but Dashiell didn’t seem too surprised. It made me wonder if he knew more than he let on. She admitted that she didn’t leave him sooner because she didn’t want to disrupt our lives. My mom made a lot of unseen sacrifices over the years, and though I wish she had put herself first, it makes me see her in a different light. It’s comforting to know that she cared all along. She’s living back at home, trying to figure out who she is without my dad. And of course, my dad stayed in California. We’ve talked a few times, but except for the occasional birthday call or text asking me if I’d like to come visit him, we don’t really speak. He did apologize for the effect his decision had on Ash, but stands firm that he made the right choice as a father. I understand it, but I don’t agree with it.
“Or, you could just come live here. You’d love it in the wintertime, Nat. It’s like a magnet for hot guys. Foreign hot guys. With accents.”
Asher was right; this place really does look like a snow globe in the winter. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not used to seeing snow, having lived in Arizona my whole life, but everything just feels magical here. People come to River’s Edge from all over the world. In the winter, we have snowboarding and skiing. In the summer, everyone comes for the lake.
“I’ll come visit soon. I promise.”
“Good. Hey, I have to go. I’m about to lose service,” I say as I approach the narrow road that leads to our little cabin in paradise. When you live as deep into the woods as we do, you can forget finding a signal.
“Okay. I love you, B. And I’m really happy for you.”
“I love you, too,” I say, laughing at her random display of emotion.
I pout when I pull into the driveway to see that Ash isn’t home from work yet. With Dare focusing most of his attention on the new shop, Bad Intentions, Ash has been working six, sometimes seven, days a week during peak season. Between that and the fact that I have to make the forty-five-minute journey to nursing school five times a week, we haven’t seen each other as much as we’d like in the past month or so.
I grab my purse before I make my way to our modest, but beautiful little cabin. The entire front is made up of tall windows, with a deck that wraps around on one side. It’s beyond perfect.
I’m looking down at my phone as I twist the knob and walk inside. My head snaps up, taking in the dozens of twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling, and I see Asher, standing in front of me with a bouquet of flowers.
“What is all this?” I laugh. “Where’s your truck?”
“Happy birthday, baby girl,” he says, handing me the flowers. Only, they aren’t just flowers. It’s a succulent bouquet, and it’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.
“Thank you,” I say, throwing one arm around his neck, the flowers sandwiched between us.
His hands rub up and down my back before gripping my hips.
“They’re beautiful.” I press my mouth to his and suck on his bottom lip, which earns me a groan.
“Are you happy?” Asher asks, and I realize for the first time since walking in that he looks nervous or unsure.
“Are you kidding me? I have everything I’ve ever wanted. With you.”
“I sure as fuck am glad you feel that way,” he says, before dropping to one knee.
Oh my God.
My purse and flowers fall to the floor, and I bring my hands to cover my shocked expression.
“Briar,” he starts, looking up at me with a mix of love and hopefulness and fear. “I don’t know how to do this shit,” he admits. “All I know is that my best side is your worst creation. Everything good in me is because of you. I’ll never deserve the kind of love and loyalty that you’ve given me since you were just a kid, but I promise to spend every fucking day trying, if you’ll let me. Will you marry me?”
Tears are streaming down my face, and swallowing past the lump in my throat, I say, “I will marry the shit out of you.”
He laughs, flashing that perfect smile of his, before producing a ring from his pocket and sliding it onto my finger. It’s a gorgeous, pear-shaped diamond. It’s nothing too ostentatious. It’s perfect. I’m about to tell him how much I love it, when cheers and screams and applause coming from my right have me spinning around, my hand flying to my heart. My mouth drops open in shock to find my brother, Nat, Adrian, my mom, and Dare. They’re all here, in my living room. I look back at Ash, and he simply shrugs in response.