I’d wanted to find a way to press charges against Zane for the role he’d played in her accident, but she’d encouraged me to let the anger go. We’d lost a lot of time over my drowning in anger over the years, and Ivy didn’t want to go down that road again. She felt like Zane had received the worst consequence possible, because I’d fired him, and his reputation would make it difficult to find work in the industry.
It was enough.
Even though I wanted everyone who’d hurt her to pay. I was moving forward and focusing on all the good things that were happening. I pulled down the dirt road and Ivy jolted forward and gaped when she saw a group of people standing down by the water. “What the hell is going on? This is our spot. Why are all these people here?”
“I have no idea.” I tried my best to act appalled.
We stepped out of the car and the lights I’d had hung on every tree surrounding the area lit up the path leading down to the water. Peonies and hydrangeas in glass jars lined the walkway and Ivy came to a stop.
“Ty,” she whispered. “What is this?”
I reached for her hand and led her down the path. “It’s a surprise, baby.”
Her shoulders quaked and I chuckled. When we turned toward the water, there stood all of our friends and family. Her mother and father were there, Coco, Roman and Tino, Maura and Crew, Addy and Jett, Gigi and Gray, my sister Talia and Jake were waving at us and Sebastian was standing with them, my mother and Craig had flown in so they could be here, hell my father and Shayla were there because when I’d invited Sebastian my father had asked if they could come and I guess this was all part of working on our relationship. Jo and Rayne were there, Zack, Smith, Justice and baby Lulu, Mae and Wren, Lenny from The Chocolate Fountain had invited himself when I’d asked him to provide the food and drinks, and Violet was there with her hands over her mouth and tears streaming down her face.
Everyone loved my girl.
But no one loved her as much as I did.
I dropped down on one knee and looked up at Ivy as the lights twinkled all around her. Tears streaming down her face and auburn waves falling all around her shoulders.
Everyone watching grew completely silent. “I’ve loved you my entire life, Ivy Baron. Every song I’ve ever written has been written for you. My heart is yours, always has been, always will be.”
“Ty,” she croaked. “I love you so much.”
I chuckled when she dropped to her knees and her gaze locked with mine.
“Baby, what are you doing down here? I’m not done,” I said, and everyone laughed.
“Hold up.” She turned to our friends who were standing a few feet away. “Girls, are you recording this, because we’ll need to print these words out and put them in the book.”
“Oh, for god’s sake, you crazy ass, we’re recording it. Go back to your proposal now,” Coco shouted, and more laughter rang out around us.
“Okay, go ahead,” she said, swiping at her tears and smiling at me.
I barked out a laugh. “Damn, woman. You make me so fucking happy.”
“Ty,” my mother shouted, and everyone laughed again.
“You make me happy too. Ridiculously happy.” She bit down on her bottom lip, tears streaming down her gorgeous face and looking like the most beautiful girl in the world.
“Will you marry me, Ive?”
“Hells to the yes!” she shouted, and I pulled her to her feet and kissed her hard.
Everyone cheered and whistled around us, and Zack started playing music through the speaker that he’d brought. “Country Girl,” the song I’d written for Ivy, filled the air around us as I pulled her close and we danced.
Never thought we’d get here, but here we were.
My country girl and me. We were getting our own happily ever after.
I tipped her head back and kissed her hard.
Just like I planned to do every day for the rest of our lives.
Epilogue
Ivy
Five years later
“Find yourself a man who drops to his knees in front of all of your family and friends and pledges his love to you, and then marry him!” Ivy, the night Ty proposed
“Don’t overdo it, baby,” Ty said, as he shifted the hair off my neck and kissed me there.
“I feel great. Where are the little monsters?” I asked as he turned me around, my back to the kitchen counter as he placed one hand on each side of me, caging me in.
“They’re in the playroom with Sebastian, building a fortress with blocks.”
Sebastian spent more time at our home than he did his own, and we loved it. Ty and I spent most of our time in Willow Springs now, aside from when he was on tour, and the boys and I always went with him, and we took Sebastian with us whenever he wasn’t in school. We’d sold my home and bought a big old farmhouse on the lake that we’d renovated, and we’d transformed the barn into a recording studio. Jo and Rayne were living here full time, and Zack and Smith bought homes here as well and split their time between Willow Springs and Nashville.
Ty’s hand found my round belly that was protruding between us. Yes, I was preggers again with baby number three. Another little boy. My husband, who had thought for a long time that he wouldn’t want children, had fallen madly in love with the twins from the minute we found out I was pregnant.
Hudson and Dylan were our life, and we couldn’t wait to meet baby Jaxon.
“I’m going to put a little girl in there next,” he purred against my ear, and I laughed.
“Ummm, you can’t put a new one in there when there’s one currently setting up residence.”
“You just make such perfect little babies, Ivy Greene.” He tangled his fingers in my hair and kissed me hard.
My breaths were labored just like they always were around this man. I pulled back. “They’re holy terrors. And we’ve got a party to get ready for.”
He loved when I acted like the boys made me crazy, when we both knew I was ridiculously happy. I was doing what I was born to do. I had everything I ever dreamed of in my little growing family, and I was definitely enjoying every damn minute. Aside from the sleepless nights and the sore nipples from breastfeeding the little devils.
“Big day today,” Ty said as I pushed him back and turned around to finish piling the cupcakes on the platter.
“Yeah. I’m so happy for them.”
“You know, we could have done this at a restaurant. You are nine months pregnant after all,” he said, reaching for a cupcake and taking a bite.