Gemma steps forward. “Yes, I’ll get Katie, hand her the letter, then bring her to Tyler. Then it goes Tyler, Everleigh, so on and so on. I’ve got this, bro. Have faith in me. I did just plan a pretty incredible grand opening and deliver a baby. I’m a pro at this point,” she tells me with a lifted brow and a smirk.
“You’re right.” I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Just a little nervous. That’s it.”
Loretta speaks up. “She’s gonna say yes. This is your destiny.”
“She better!” Owen pipes up, and it makes Anthony giggle.
Everleigh snorts and squeezes his shoulder. “She will. There’s no doubt about it.”
I suck in a deep breath, trying to calm down, then feel inside my jacket pocket for the box. It’s almost time, and I know Katie’s probably growing impatient that I haven’t returned with her snacks yet. The thought has me chuckling to myself.
Katie’s parents give me hugs, and I can tell how overjoyed they are. I asked them a month ago after I asked Owen’s permission. They were more than thrilled that I wanted to make things official with their daughter. They’ve always treated me like a son and respected me even after everything that happened.
“Excited to have you officially be a part of the family,” Katie’s mama tells me.
“I promise to always protect her and love her,” I say.
“We believe you,” her dad tells me.
“It’s almost time, y’all. I need you to start lining up,” Gemma instructs. She’s a sassy little thing, and I’m glad I put her in charge of the people part. Takes a sliver of the stress away.
My sister was such a big help with planning this. When I was reminiscing about our past, all the letters we used to write to each other in high school came to mind. At that moment, I knew exactly how and where I wanted to propose.
I stand at the end of the pumpkin patch and know Katie has a long way to walk. She’ll be reading each of the notes I wrote to her about our past and our future. It will take her some time, and I’m okay with that, but I know my heart will be racing until I see her, and she says yes.
I expect tears of happiness because she’s been so emotional lately, but by the end of it, I hope she agrees to be my wife.
Chapter Twenty-One
KATIE
As I’m sitting on a bale of hay with my feet propped up to stop the swelling, I wonder what’s taking Noah so long. Maybe that number one turned into something more serious. The thought has me snickering to myself, then I go back to admiring the pumpkins.
I’ve always looked forward to this little festival. Well, ever since Noah brought me here when I was fifteen. I knew I had feelings for him then, but I was also too young to really understand. I guess it’s true, though—when the heart knows, it truly knows. It might’ve taken us some time to get to where we are now, but I don’t have any complaints, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve thought about if I could go back in time, whether I’d erase some of the heartache, but I realized maybe things wouldn’t be the same between us. My heart flutters thinking about it.
“What’re you grinning about?” Gemma asks.
My mouth falls open when I see her, and I immediately stand to give her a hug. She’s pushing Scarlett in a stroller, and I bend down to catch a peek of her sweet cheeks.
“Come on,” she tells me with a wink. “Let’s look at the pumpkins.”
“I’m waiting for Noah,” I explain, not wanting him to get worried or have to search for me.
“We’re just going into the patch. Text him and let him know,” Gemma says.
I snicker. “Oh yeah. Text. Forgot about that one. Baby brain.”
I send a quick message to Noah, telling him that I ran into Gemma and we’re gonna walk around.
He sends me a kissy face emoji back.
Katie: Hope you didn’t fall in!
Noah: Haha! I’m almost done. See you soon.
I tuck my phone back into my crossbody and follow Gemma. She pulls Scarlett out of the stroller and asks me to take a picture. I snap at least ten, and when we’re done, she hands me a letter.
“What’s this?” I ask, confused as fuck as to why she’s acting so weird.
She snorts. “Open it and read it.”
I’m lost, but I do what she says. When I see the handwriting, I immediately know it’s Noah’s. I can recognize his scribbles from a mile away.
The words nearly fly off the page as I read them.
Katie Bug,
I wanted to take you on a stroll down memory lane and confess some things in the process. The last time we were here a little over fifteen years ago, I nearly told you how much you meant to me. I almost asked you to be my girlfriend but was too chickenshit to do it. I told myself I’d never make that mistake again, and here we are. I love you more than the number of pumpkins in this patch. And you and I both know that’s a fuckton.
Tears sit on the brim of my eyes as I look up at Gemma. “What’s this about?”
She shrugs, and that’s when I see a grinning Tyler, holding another envelope.
“You guys! I swear!” I say as he hands it to me. While I open this one, we continue our slow stroll.
Katie Angel,
We’ve experienced a lot together. Some bad, but way more good. Knowing that you never gave up on me after everything that happened has kept me moving forward in life. I’ll never be able to repay you for saving me, for giving me a chance, and for loving me. I’ll forever be indebted to you, my love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now, I’m crying. Tyler chuckles as Gemma places her hand on the small of my back, and then I see Everleigh. She’s wearing a wide smile and looks at me with raised brows.
“This one’s a doozy,” she says, handing me the envelope.
Katie Baby,
I’ve tried to think back to the moment I fell in love with you, and it’s nearly impossible. Loving you has always just been a part of who I am. It’s like I was created for the sole purpose of loving you, caring for you, helping you, protecting you, and I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life doing those things. I’m not perfect, but you don’t seem to see my imperfections. I don’t know what I did in a past life to deserve you, but I’m thankful for that and you.
I stop and wipe my face, then suck in a deep breath. People passing by look at me like I’ve lost my mind, but they have no idea how large my heart has swelled in the past ten minutes. The emotions I feel are almost too much. Loretta and Elliot meet us, and Elliot hands me another letter, then they fall in line with everyone else.
Katie Sweetheart,
I hate that I’ve caused you heartache and tragedy. I hate that things happened the way they did, and I’ve asked myself over and over if I could go back in time, would I change them? At first, my answer was yes, but then I realized that changing the past may not bring me back to you, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. You, sweetheart. You’re my everything. Your sunshine on dark days, warmth when it’s cold, and calm in a storm. I will always be there for you no matter and be an anchor when you need it the most because you’re my North when I’ve lost my way.