Chapter 42: Mine to Take: Epilogue

Two years later…

“Ms. Thompson? I have a question.”

I turn away from the SMART Board where I’m writing out the math problems we’ll be tackling for our lesson this afternoon.

“Yes, Alice?”

“Are we having a guest today?”

My brows draw together, wondering where the question came from. One of the first things we do in the morning is go over our schedule for the day. If there’s a change to the itinerary, that’s when we talk about it. Our second-grade class runs smoother when everyone understands what to expect and there aren’t any surprises.

“Nope. Today’s a normal day. No speakers or assemblies.” I tilt my head. “Why do you ask?”

When the little girl points toward the classroom door, I follow the movement. A burst of happiness explodes inside me when my gaze collides with mahogany-colored eyes.

Maverick.

That’s all it takes for a smile to break out across my face as he lifts his hand in a wave.

Some of the kids who play hockey jump to their feet.

“That’s Maverick McKinnon,” Devon Richfield yells, body vibrating with excitement.

“He’s so cool!” Brett Samson adds.

Alice swivels toward the boys and chirps, “My mom says that Ms. Thompson is a very lucky lady.”

My brows shoot up before my gaze slices back to Maverick.

His shoulders shake with humor, because he knows exactly what that little girl’s mom is implying.

And, yeah, it’s true.

I am very lucky.

It’s so tempting to close the distance between us and throw myself into his arms. Even though it’s only been five days since I saw him, it feels like forever. I want to soak up every little detail and commit it to memory.

It’s only when he steps farther inside the classroom that I realize he’s not alone. My parents and River are crowded behind him.

I blink, surprised to see them.

The only time they’ve been here is when I was first hired as a second-grade teacher. The three of them stopped to check out my classroom, and I gave them a tour of the building. Mom cried the entire time. Not because she was worried about me getting sick but because she was so proud.

“Hi.” My gaze touches upon each of them. “What are you all doing here?”

It’s tempting to tack on during the middle of a school day.

The four of them step farther inside the classroom.

“I thought it was important that your family be here,” Maverick says.

My brows draw together. “For what?”

When he’s standing directly in front of me, he drops to one knee.

It takes a moment to process what’s happening. My eyes widen as my hands fly to my mouth. When I’m finally able to force out my voice, it sounds like it’s being choked from my body. “Maverick?”

“Yeah, sunshine?”

“What are you doing?”

“Asking the love of my life to marry me. After being away from you for five days, it only reinforced that you’re it for me. The beginning and end of my world. I want us to take that next step together. The one that leads to the rest of our lives. What do you say, Willow? Will you make me the happiest man in the world and become my wife?”

Tears flood my eyes as I nod. “Of course I will. I love you, Maverick. More than anything.”

River clears his throat. “Ummm… Weren’t you supposed to ask that question with a nice piece of bling? You know, something to sweeten the deal for having to look at your ugly mug for the next fifty years?”

“Well, hell. He’s right.” Maverick winces. “I was so nervous, I forgot to show you the ring.”

All the kids make ohhhing sounds.

“That’s a bad word, Mr. McKinnon.”

“Yeah, Ms. Thompson doesn’t allow us to say that.”

Another girl pipes up, “Ethan said it in the library last week and Ms. Thompson told him that she’d send him to the principal’s office if it happened again.”

Ethan uses his fingers to make a zipping motion across his lips.

“It sounds like your teacher is a real stickler,” Maverick says with a smirk.

Heat floods my cheeks when the kids all nod in agreement.

“However, Ms. Thompson is right about that. And she can deal with my punishment once we get home.”

He gives me a little wink before slipping his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and pulling out a light-blue box. My heart spasms when he pops open the lid.

That’s all it takes for another gasp to slip free as I catch my first glimpse of the ring nestled on the cushy pillow inside.

The piece of jewelry is so stunning, it robs the air from my lungs.

The band is platinum with a sparkling diamond set between two equally dazzling sapphires that are polished to a high shine.

A heavy silence falls over the classroom.

Even the children hold their conversation as the scene plays out in front of them.

Maverick has no idea the miracle he’s been able to accomplish.

But I can’t focus on that right now.

The only thing that fills my vision is Maverick staring up at me from his bent knee.

When I say nothing, his brows pinch together and uncertainty flickers in his dark eyes. “Sunshine?”

It takes effort to blink away the haze that has settled over me.

My tongue darts out to moisten my lips. “Yes.”

His eyes widen. “Yes?”

I nod as a grin breaks out across my face. “Of course I’ll marry you!”

In one swift motion, he leaps to his feet and wraps his arms around my body before lifting me up and swinging me around in a tight circle. Excited voices explode around us as the children cheer and my family claps.

“You need to kiss her,” one of the boys shouts.

“Yeah, Mr. Maverick, you need to kiss Ms. Thompson!”

“Well, if you all think I should kiss my fiancée, then I probably should do it.” Maverick grins. “Are you good with that, Ms. Thompson?”

I glance at the kids before flicking my gaze back to the man of my dreams. “Maybe just one.”

“I’ll try to keep it PG.”

“That would probably be for the best.”

His lips sweep over mine. The chasteness of the peck only makes me hungry for more. The glint filling his eyes tells me he knows it.

“I promise I’ll show you exactly how much I missed you when we don’t have an audience,” he murmurs.

“I love you so much and can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”

He rests his forehead against mine so our gazes can cling. “I love you too, sunshine. More than I’ll ever be able to put into words. But if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing my best to show you.”

When another cheer goes up around us, we break apart with a smile.

My mind tumbles back to the very beginning—the moment our eyes connected while he was out on the ice—and then everything we went through to get to this point.

What I realize is that there’s not a damn thing I’d change about how our story unfolded.

Because in the end, it’s ours.

The one we’ll share with our own children someday.

And maybe even grandchildren.

What could be more amazing than that?

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