Ask Me Why(87)

I laugh. “You could’ve told me. I would have gladly brought you out here.”

“We figured this would work out better.” Brance lifts a lazy shoulder.

Ollie nudges his leg. “Daddy?”

He shakes his head at him. “Not yet.”

Ollie’s hands are hidden out of sight behind his back. “But when?”

Brance puts a finger to his lips. “Really soon.”

I watch their exchange. “What’s going on?”

“So, this area is really beautiful.” Brance’s deflection is clear as the blue sky, but I let it slide.

I still quirk a skeptical brow at him. “It sure is.”

“How’d you discover this spot?”

I stare off toward the ledge. “Three years ago, after the accident, I wasn’t in a great place. I’d been wandering around, searching for something of meaning. Anything at all. I came across this park with these amazing cliffs. It clicked for me.” I motion around us. “This is the original thicket. Did you know that?”

Brance nods. “That makes sense. “A place to get lost for a while.”

“Find purpose. Center yourself.”

“Find true happiness,” he murmurs.

“Exactly,” I whisper.

“C’mere, babe.” He tugs me closer by my belt loop.

I fold into his chest without effort. “This is nice.”

Brance kisses my forehead. His heart is racing a thousand miles a second. I’m about to question his rapid pulse when he takes a step back. Brance reaches for my hand, the touch gentle and delicate. A quiver trembles my muscles. There’s a subtle shift weaving within the air.

“Brae, I love you.”

That alone has tears pricking my eyes. The combination of everything plows into me. Being at this sacred space with my favorite people hits me deep in the feels. Brance smirks and wipes the streaks off my face.

“Keep it together, babe. I have an entire speech planned.”

“Don’t forget me. I have stuff to say,” Ollie chimes in.

His father winks at him. “Yeah, buddy. Hold on for one more minute.”

Brance lowers to one knee. With a shaking palm, I cover my gasp. I lose the fight against my tears. The rivulets are rolling down my cheeks in earnest. He tugs me closer by the arm, still holding my left hand in his. A gentle kiss is placed on my ring finger.

He clears his throat. For the first time, this man looks nervous. I’m too spellbound to focus on his shaking grip or bobbing throat. All I see is the love shining in his baby blues.

“I have a limited vocabulary when it comes to sweet stuff. I’ll apologize in advance.”

I laugh, but the sound is broken. I jerk my chin up and down instead of bothering with garbled words.

Brance takes a small velvet box out of his pocket. He snaps open the lid and my knees threaten to buckle. The ring has a center diamond haloed by blue and green alternating stones. It’s stunning, but I can barely take my gaze off the man proposing. My vision is crazy blurry, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve never witnessed anything clearer than this moment.

“I wanna marry you. See you wear white while walking down the aisle toward me. You’ll be glowing. Taking my last name. Being mine, ours.” He nods at Ollie, and I sob harder. “Say you’ll marry me, Braelyn Miller. Agree to be with us forever. Will you be ours, babe?”

I’m accepting before he finishes the first sentence. I repeat the word silently after each point he makes. When he’s done, I leap at him. Brance is a solid wall and catches me easily.

“Y-yes. A million yeses,” I whimper in his ear.

He stands, lifting me with zero effort. Brance slips the ring on my finger. The platinum band is a perfect fit. He pulls me near, and I collapse into his waiting embrace. I’m a weeping mess and have never been happier.

Brance’s strong arm cinches around my back, his fingers clutching my hip. His other arm hauls Ollie into our sides. Two little arms weaves around our legs. I reach over and draw Ollie closer. Brance and I link our fingers together against Ollie’s back. The three of us are a complicated twist of limbs. Where one ends, another begins.

We fit, all swaddled together in a love huddle that can’t be broken. This is the greatest moment of my life. I’m crying openly at this point. I don’t bother trying to stop the outpouring of emotion. A tug at my shirt draws my attention down.

“Miss Braelyn?”

I give him a watery smile. The need to correct him feels more important now. “Sweet Ollie, you can drop the Miss. Just call me Braelyn.”

He picks something up from the ground, cradling it in his little palm. “What about Mom?”

Fresh tears pool in my stinging eyes. “W-what?”

He opens his hand, revealing a silver bracelet. He lifts the piece up within reach. “Can I call you that?”

A large heart charm stands out against the chain. Engraved in the center is one word. Beyond meaningful. Extremely special. Irreplaceable. And granted to me as the greatest gift.

Mommy.

My gaze shifts between Brance and Ollie. I’m checking for confirmation or reassurance or something that hasn’t quite sunk in. They’re both smiling wide. My heart hiccups.

“R-really? Are you sure?” Again, I’m not sure who to address. My insides are a jumble of too many feelings.