But as I wandered through the cottage, my heart sank a little. Even though this would be wonderful for my dad—he’d be so happy here—Cox was just making good on our agreement. That was why he wanted to see me. The music box had been a nice gesture, but I had a feeling this was it. Once he bought my dad a house, our arrangement would be over.
We’d be over.
More tears stung my eyes as I gazed out at the view of the lake through the kitchen window.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I wiped my cheeks, wishing he hadn’t seen. “It’s amazing.”
“You like it?”
“I don’t even think I’ll have to talk him into moving here.”
He let out a breath. “Good.”
“Thank you. This is so much more than I could have hoped for.” I sniffed again, because of course I did. I was incapable of being cute when I cried. Like usual, I was a mess. “Who lives in the big house?”
“No one right now. But…”
“But, what?”
“It’s all one piece of property.”
“But my dad doesn’t need that big house. There must be a million stairs in that thing.”
He nodded. “There are.”
“Then why did you…” I trailed off. He couldn’t mean… Except what if… Was this… “Cox, if you tell me you bought that house for me so I wouldn’t have to move back into my crappy apartment, I’m warning you, I’m going to collapse on the floor and sob and it won’t be pretty. I can’t live in a big house like that all by myself. I’ll have to get five more cats and maybe that bearded dragon Nora talked me out of and probably a dog or three and I don’t have time to take care of all those animals.”
By the time I finished babbling, I was already sobbing.
“Oh, sugar,” he said, his brow furrowing with concern. He stepped closer and fingered one of my curls. “No, I was hoping we could live there.”
“We?”
“Yes. You and me. A man should live with his wife, shouldn’t he?”
“Your wife?” I asked through the tears.
Looking deep into my eyes, he touched my face. “Sophie, I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sorry I believed Althea when I should have trusted you. That moment of doubt might have cost me everything. I won’t blame you if you tell me to fuck off and get out of your life. But before you do, I need you to know something. I love you.”
My lower lip trembled and a few more tears trailed down my cheeks.
“I had no idea I could love someone as much as I love you.” He lowered himself down on one knee and took my hands in his. “Sophie Abbott, marrying you wasn’t a mistake. In fact, it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t quite remember if I got down on one knee when we were in Vegas.”
I sniffed. “I don’t think you did.”
“Well, I am now. And I’m asking you to be my wife. Sophie, will you stay married to me?”
“Really?” I asked, my voice shaky. “You want to keep me?”
“Sugar, I want to keep you forever. I want to be your husband and live in that house with you. And we’ll fill it with tiny little Sophies who trip over their own feet and run over here to go fishing with their grandpa on sunny afternoons.”
“They should probably have life jackets in case they fall off the dock,” I said, still blubbering through my tears.
He smiled. “Goddamn, I love you. What do you say, sugar? Can we stay married?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding and laughing and crying all at once. “I really, really want to stay married.”
Still smiling, he pulled a box out of his pocket.
Oh my god, a ring. A real wedding ring.
He opened the box and my legs almost buckled. It wasn’t just a wedding ring.
It was my mother’s ring.
Sobbing and overwhelmed, I covered my face. I was so glad Cox hadn’t thought to hire a photographer to capture this moment. It had to be the messiest, sobbiest, teariest proposal ever.
I peeked out from between my fingers. Cox beamed at me, like I was the type of girl who could cry and still look pretty. Not one who had snot on her face.
He stood and pulled a tissue out of a pocket.
“Thank you.”
After a long moment, and more than a few shaky breaths, I pulled myself together. I wiped my face—and my nose—and held out my left hand.
He slid my mother’s ring onto my finger. It was small and simple. My parents had never had much, and this ring had been what they could afford. But to me, it was the most beautiful ring in the world. And if Cox had it, it meant he’d gone to my dad. Which made me start crying all over again.
He wrapped me in his arms and held me close, letting me cry against his chest.
“I’m sorry I’m so messy,” I said.
“I love you messy.” He kissed the top of my head. “I love everything about you. I’m so glad you’re mine.”
“I love you, too. I love you so much.” I looked up at him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, sugar. What is it?”
“I know we’re already married. But—”
“Oh, we’re having a wedding,” he said. “I want to see you walk down the aisle on your daddy’s arm, wearing a big white dress.”
“Really?”
“Are you going to start crying again? I have more tissues.”
“Maybe.”
He let go of me long enough to pull out another tissue. “Sugar, we’re going to have the best wedding you can imagine. You dream it, I’ll give it to you.”
“Mostly, I just want you.”
“I’m yours.” He leaned down to press his lips against mine. “And I always will be.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and popped up on my tiptoes to kiss him again.
Cox was right. Getting married in Vegas hadn’t been a mistake—even though it had been after too much whiskey and to the man who’d pulled my pigtails as a child. Of course, it figured that things would start out as a big mess. This was me we were talking about.
But I’d always believed in silver linings. And my wild night in Vegas had the biggest silver lining imaginable.
My husband.
He might have seemed like Mr. Wrong, but I’d never regretted marrying him. Not really. And I never would. Because somehow, this hot mess had found her Prince Charming. And we really were going to live happily ever after.
Epilogue: Sophie
The bride’s room at Salishan Cellars winery was kind of a mess. There was tissue paper from the box that held my veil, empty champagne flutes, and metallic chocolate wrappers laying around. The counter had an array of hairstyling supplies and makeup strewn across it, and trays with remnants of our pre-wedding snacks were on the table in the middle of the room.
“Uh-oh,” I said. “We’ve been making a mess.”
“Don’t worry about that for a second.” Nora pinned one of my curls back. “All you need to be concerned about right now is getting married.”
“Again,” I said with a laugh.
“The first one barely counted,” she said. “Although we’re sure glad it happened.”