“It really is the perfect place,” he says, standing behind me. One of his arms wraps around my waist, the other around my chest, his chin resting on the top of my head.

“I love coming out here.” I put my hands on his arm at my chest. “This is the one place where you really are apart from all the stresses of normal life. I know, standing here, just how small I am in the giant scheme of things.”

“You may be small in terms of the whole world, but to me and my kids, you make up our world,” he says softly against my ear. My tummy flips over, and I can’t help the tears I feel filling my eyes. I feel his hand leave my waist, and he reaches into his pocket. I think he is going to pull out his cell phone so he can take a picture, so when his hand comes around in front of me, it takes a second to realize what he is holding.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, my nails digging into his arm. In between his fingers is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.

“I have been carrying this thing around for a while now, waiting for the right time to ask you to marry me.” My brain slowly registers the words. It starts screaming ‘yes, yes, yes!’ but I can’t make anything come out except, “What?”

My eyes are glued to the ring; it’s absolutely perfect. I feel myself being turned, but my eyes are locked on the design of the ring—three diamonds, and two smaller stones in-between. I don’t really notice the change in position until Cash is kneeling in front of me.

“Lil, I need you to look at me.” I shake my head before taking my eyes off the ring and meeting his. “I kept telling myself that when the time was right, I would know it, and this is the moment.” I watch him take a breath, his hand grabbing mine. “This is the moment I have been waiting for. This is the moment we start our forever. This is the moment you tell me you will marry me and make me the luckiest f**king man on this planet.”

“Yes.” I cover my mouth and drop to my knees in front of him, burying my face in his chest. I start to cry immediately. If someone would have told me a year ago that I would be with Cash at my favorite place in the world, with him on his knee asking me to marry him, I would have laughed in their face. I never would have believed that this was a possibility for me.

“Baby, you’re freaking me the f**k out right now.” His arms are wrapped tightly around me, his mouth close to my ear.

“I…I’m…s-so…h-happy,” I say on a sob, and laugh because I sound like an idiot.

“I would feel like you are telling me the truth if my shirt wasn’t soaked with your tears, baby.”

“Sorry.” I take a deep breath and pull my face back so I can look at him. His hands go to the hair at the side of my head, pulling it away from my face.

“What do you say we see how the ring fits?” His eyes search my face and I smile, looking at his hand. He leans forward and places a light kiss on my lips before taking his right hand away from my face, pulling the ring off his finger, and pulling my hand towards him. I feel the cool metal slide along my finger and over my knuckle. The fit is just right.

“It’s perfect.” I put my hand against his chest, looking at the ring there.

“I had it made to represent our family, and all of us coming together as one.”

“I love you,” I say, looking up from the ring on my hand and into his handsome face.

“You are my world, baby. I never thought I would be this happy again. Now, having you back, and having Ashlyn and Jax, I have surpassed happiness.” He smiles, showing off both dimples.

“I feel the same. I didn’t think I would ever feel like this again.” I wrap my arms around his waist, laying my head against his chest. We’re turned to the side so that we can both look out at the glacier. “Thank you for giving this to me.”

“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.” His arms give me a squeeze. “There is no way for you to know what you have given me,” he says softly, kissing the top of my head. I don’t say anything, just hold him a little tighter. I know what I have given him, because he has given me the same thing.

“We’re getting married,” I blurt after a few minutes. I feel Cash shaking with laughter. I know it’s dumb, but the realization that he just proposed to me and what that means hits me hard.

“Yeah, baby, that’s usually what happens when someone asks someone else to marry them.”

“Whatever.” I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me do it. We stand there watching as a large piece of ice falls off the glacier, crashing into the water below, the sound echoing around us sounding like thunder.

“Where is everyone?” he asks, looking around. The whole area is completely empty.

“There are guided trips out here a couple times a week, but for the most part, the only people who come out here are residents.” I shrug. “It’s a long drive, and not too many people want to make the trip.”

“I can see why you like it out here.” His hand reaches around his back, grabbing mine and bringing it between us. “I like this.” He smiles.

“I love it.”

“No, I like knowing that people will see this and know that you’re taken.”

“You’re an idiot.” I laugh. “Will you wear a ring?” I ask. I know a lot of men don’t; my dad doesn’t, and he is more in love with my mom than the day they met.

“Yes,” he says in a way that I know he really likes the idea.

“I wonder what the kids will say.”

“They’ll be happy. I thought about involving them in asking you, but I knew that the minute I told them, they wouldn’t be able to keep the secret.

“This has been the best day ever.”

“Even with the moose attack?” I laugh, shaking my head.

“Well, that was scary, but what happened afterwards made it well worth it.”

“True.” He smiles and kisses my forehead. “What do you say we go back to your parents and share the good news?”

“Yeah,” I agree, and we walk back to the truck. The whole way home, we talk about our future, and when we get to my parents’ house, we are greeted with two very excited kids, and my parents are beyond happy for us. It really is the best day ever. I am sad to be going back to Tennessee, but also excited to be starting a new chapter with Cash when we get there.

*~*~*

“It’s a sign,” Cash says, and I almost laugh, but I can tell he is being completely serious.

“It’s not a sign; it’s bad weather and a lack of available hotels,” I reply, looking out the window of our hotel room in Las Vegas. We were supposed to have a short layover in Vegas, but the weather changed, and tornados have been touching down all over the south. So they canceled all flights, leaving us to spend the day and night in Vegas.

“No, that is a sign,” he says, pointing down at The Little Chapel of Love that is across the street from where were we’re staying for the night.

“We’re not getting married here.” I laugh.

“Oh yes, we are. It’s meant to be.”

“You just asked me to marry you the day before yesterday. I haven’t even gotten used to the idea that I’m your fiancée.”

“Good, then it won’t be difficult for you to get used to the idea of being my wife.”

“You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m a genius.”

“Cash.”

“Lil, I love you. You love me. Our kids are here. It’s perfect.”

“I don’t even have anything to wear,” I tell him. I have no idea why I’m even considering this; I must be just as crazy as he is.

“You and Ashlyn go dress shopping while Jax and I go get our tuxes, and we will meet you across the street at five,” he says, and the hive of honeybees that is always in my stomach when he’s around starts to move even more rapidly.

“This is crazy,” I whisper, looking at the small white chapel.

“This is perfect.” His arms around my waist give me a squeeze. “What does it matter if we do it now or in a few months?”

“Um…my parents. Your parents,” I remind him.

“They will be fine, and we can plan a party.”

“You’re really serious about this aren’t you?”

“One-hundred percent serious.”

“Okay, well then, let’s do this.” I smile, my belly flipping over.

“I thought I was going to have to try harder to convince you.” I feel his body relax behind me, but his arms squeeze me a little more tightly.

“You’re going to be the one to break the news to my parents,” I tell him, not looking forward to that conversation.

“Works for me. Your dad loves me; he’ll be cool,” he says, sounding so sure that I can’t help but to laugh.

“How did you win him over?” I ask. My dad really does love Cash. I know that if my dad had his way, we would be moving to Alaska, and Cash would be working with my dad on his boat and guiding people when they weren’t out fishing. I was even surprised that Austin gave Cash his seal of approval. They had gotten close after Dad had taken Cash and Austin out on a hunting trip. I guess they all bonded while killing poor defenseless creatures.

“I didn’t have to win him over.” He runs his nose along my ear before kissing me underneath it. “I love his daughter; that’s all he needed,” he says, his warm breath causing goose bumps to break out over my skin.

“That may have helped, but you did win him over,” I tell him softly. I don’t know how someone who is so strong can have doubt himself so often. “You’re a good man and an amazing father. A great friend, a goo—”

“Shut up.”

“What?” I turn my head to look at him.

“Stop talking, Lil,” he says, and I can see so many emotions on his face that it makes it hard to breath.

“It’s all true, Cash,” I say lightly. His mouth goes into a flat line, and his eyes close.

“It is, and all of those are the reasons why I’m going to take Ashlyn, go and pick out dresses for us, meet you across the street in a few hours, and tie myself to you in a way that makes it hard for you to get rid of me.” I run my fingers down his cheek.

“I want that.” He shakes his head. “No, I need that.” His eyes open, and all I can see is love. I can see so much love that I can feel it all the way to my soul. “I need you tied to me.”

“Good, I need and want the same thing,” I tell him. We stand for a few more minutes, his arms around me while we look out the window at the little chapel across the street.

“All right, babe, go get Ashlyn and go find a dress. Meet me across the street so I can make you mine.”

“Okay.” I smile and go get Ashlyn, who is sitting in the small sitting room watching cartoons. “Hey, love bug, I need your help,” I tell her, then explain exactly what we’re going to do, and all the while her smile gets bigger and bigger. My daughter is a girly-girl, and anything that involves dressing up and looking pretty she is always down for. The boys come in and tell us goodbye, and we leave shortly after them to head out in search of a dress boutique. I find a small shop in a huge casino and happen across the perfect ivory strapless gown. It hugs all my curves and fits me perfectly, and for Ashlyn, I let her pick out a very poufy pink dress and matching shoes. We head to a salon next, spending over an hour getting our hair done, along with manicures and pedicures before heading to the chapel. When we arrive, I don’t know what to expect, but I never would have thought the place would be so beautiful inside. There are no crazy impersonators, or gaudy decorations; it was just a simple room with a large alter, and six pews along the sides with beautiful cream and white flowers running between them.

“It’s so pretty,” Ashlyn says. Her eyes are lit up, and then she sees her dad at the same exact moment as I do. She takes off in a run while I’m stuck in place. He looks so hot in his tux that it’s going to take everything in me not to jump him. His eyes leave my face and travel down my body, then back up again. By the time his eyes meet mine, they are so dark and so hungry that I squeeze my thighs together, trying to release some of the ache which has settled there. “Daddy, me and Mommy had the best time eber! Look, I got a new dress,” Ashlyn says excitedly, twirling around. His eyes leave me and he smiles, looking down at our daughter.

“You look like a princess,” he tells her.

“I know!” she squeals, jumping up and down. I look to Cash’s side to see Jax standing there, looking very handsome in his tux that matches his dad’s. His hand is at his throat, trying to loosen his tie. His eyes are on his sister when he rolls them in annoyance. I smile because as much as she gets on his nerves, he really does love her. I take a step forward and squat in front of Jax. I want to make sure he is okay with us going through with this.

“You want my help?” I ask, moving my hands to his tie, where I loosen it up and undo his top button. “Are you okay with me and your dad getting married?” I ask him quietly. I know he and Ashlyn were both excited when we told them that we were engaged, but this is something different, and I need to know that he is okay with it.

“Will you be my mom?” he asks, and my eyes fly up to meet his. I take a breath; I don’t even know how to answer that.

“Well I—”

“Ashlyn is my sister already.”

“She is,” I agree.

“So if you marry my dad, that will make you my mom, right?”

“Um...I will be your stepmom,” I tell him gently. I don’t want him to think I’m trying to take his mom’s place. He seems to consider this for a few seconds before replying, “So, can I call you Mom?”