Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I cleared my throat but my voice cracked when I spoke. I cleared it once more and tried again. “Sweetheart, I knew when I was ten years old that I would love you for eternity. I know I’m the man I am today because of you. It doesn’t matter that we spent so much time apart, because you never left my heart. You’ve always been here.”
I pressed my hand to my heart, and she placed hers over it.
“Gannon,” she whispered softy.
“Addie, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re the one, and you’ve always been the one. My only goal from this point on is to make you the happiest woman alive. Will you do me the honor of letting me stand by your side as we navigate this life together? Have a family together and grow old with each other? Adelaide Saoirse Bradley…will you please take me as your husband?”
Adelaide cupped my face with her hands and leaned in. “Yes! Yes, to all of it!” Then she pressed her mouth against mine, and I stood, pulled her into my arms, and held onto her.
The sound of clapping filled the air. Adelaide pulled back and started to laugh as both of our families spilled out from everywhere.
“Oh my gosh, you knew!” she said to Palmer when her younger sister engulfed her in her arms.
Palmer had tears streaming down her face as she nodded and hugged Adelaide. “Braxton pulled up right after you and Gannon drove off. I had to get ready at the speed of light.”
Adelaide looked back at me. “Is that why you took the long way here?”
I nodded. “I needed to give everyone time to arrive.”
Adelaide laughed, then hugged her family and mine while everyone patiently waited for their turn to congratulate us. When Keegan got to me, he pulled me in for a hug and slapped me on the back.
“I always knew you’d be the one she would marry. I couldn’t be prouder to have you as my son.”
It was my turn to wipe tears away. I could hardly speak but somehow managed to ask, “Is that what you said to me in Gaelic last week?”
He pulled his head back and frowned. “No. I was detailing exactly how I’d kill you if you ever hurt her.”
My smile quickly faded.
Braxton slipped past his dad and pulled me in for a hug.
“About fucking time!” he said, slapping me on the back.
Once all the hugs and tears were finished, we all sat down to enjoy dinner. Pete also joined us, as well as Harlee and Ruby.
As I watched our two families blend together as one, I felt my chest tighten with so much love that I thought it might burst open. I took Adelaide’s hand and mouthed I loved you. She smiled and leaned over to kiss me.
“I love you more.”
I shook my head ever so slightly and whispered, “Impossible.”
Adelaide
The ring on my finger was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. But…I’d seen it one other time. Ten years ago. When I’d sat in Gannon’s bedroom as he got down on one knee, asking me to be his wife.
We were so young, and although I’d wanted to say yes, I knew—just like Gannon did—that it wouldn’t work. Sure, we would be happy at first. Then Gannon would leave for the Navy, I would be in Boston, and we would hardly ever see one another. I didn’t say no at the time because I’d doubted our love; I’d said no because I’d believed that if we were meant to be, fate would bring us back together when we were both truly ready. And she had.
I closed my eyes briefly and thought back to that day.
My tears fell as I looked down at the beautiful diamond ring that once belonged to Gannon’s grandmother. It had an emerald at the center, in an emerald-cut. Smaller diamonds flanked the stone, all set on a white-gold band. It was stunning, and I wanted more than anything to say yes. But I knew I couldn’t.
Looking up from the ring, I drew in a breath and said, “Ask me again when we’re both ready for this.”
Gannon’s brows drew in, and he slowly shook his head in confusion. “What?”
I dropped down onto my knees and cupped his face in my hands. “I love you so much, Gannon. I want nothing more than to be your wife…but we can’t do this simply because we’re afraid of where life might take us. We both need to go and live our lives. And if fate brings us back together, and you still want to ask me, then I’ll say yes.”
He sat back on his heels. “What if we meet other people?”
Smiling, I took his hand in mine. “My heart will forever be yours, but you know as well as I do that we’ll most likely meet other people. Date, maybe even fall in love with someone else. But it won’t last. We’re meant to be.”