**Mild spoiler alert for those who have not read Fleeting & Forever.**

"I'll be back in town at end of the month, just for a few days though because I have to fly out to Paris right away," I told Jamie on the phone as I dusted some cinnamon into two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, one of which was topped with a small mountain of mini marshmallows. "But I should be able to squeeze in a meeting with the bank and get all the paperwork signed."

"Meet with the engineers right after closing?" he asked. "Should start inspections after Thanksgiving. Submit permits before Christmas—"

"I'd rather wait until after the New Year actually," I interrupted gently. "That Stannard Road townhouse we're starting in November is pretty much going to have to be bulldozed. It will keep the crew busy till early spring. That will give us something to do but also allow everyone some time to relax a little around the holidays. Spend time with family. Travel."

Maybe get married.

But I didn't say that last part out loud.

I didn't want to jinx it.

Maybe Stellan won't be ready and that's fine.

I hadn't been ready for a long time myself.

I'd wait if I had to. Just like he did.

"You and Sid should go for that Prague Christmas trip he's been going on and on about," I said, unable to resist sharing my own excitement. "Maybe ask him that question you've been thinking about for a while now."

"What question?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't pretend you haven't been paying attention to every society wedding news Sid regales us with every chance he gets. Your ears perk up and you get this look on your face as if you're taking notes mentally."

"I'm always taking notes," Jamie mumbled.

"If you are, then you should be able to figure out by now that Sidney wants to get married."

"I know."

"And?" I pressed because even though I know I would totally groan over anyone pestering me about something as important as marriage, I couldn't help it because I loved Jamie and Sidney fiercely and I wanted them to live happily-ever-after.

"And I want to give him everything he wants," Jamie answered with about the same excitement as he would tell me about a discount on lumber. "I'm booking off second half of December, 'kay?"

I grinned and started jumping up and down. "Aaaaahh!!! Jamie, I'm so thrilled for the both of you! Sid's going to be over the moon!"

It didn't take much for my head to make contact with the ceiling even in an RV as roomy as this one so I opted for a happy dance instead.

"He hasn't said yes yet so keep it down, will you?" Jamie grumbled even though I could totally imagine his reluctant smile.

"I will. Your secret's safe with me," I promised him. "I'll help you plan it all out if you want, once I'm back from Paris. We have to book the most charming little hotel and do up an itinerary and—"

"Nothing crazy," Jamie reminded me. "If you're this excited, maybe you should plan your own."

I grinned and hoped that Jamie could tell by my voice. "Maybe I already have. Who knows?"

"Really?" Jamie sounded genuinely surprised. "What are you—"

"Wha-hello? Sorry... you're cutting out..." I said, drawing the phone away from me, trying not to laugh and give myself away. "Can't hear you... I'll call you back tomorrow... Bye! Love you to bits!"

I pressed the End Call button and tucked the phone back into the pocket of my oversized army green parka. Then I picked up a mug with each hand.

Stepping out out of the RV, I caught sight of Stellan laughing as he tossed a branch several yards away, landing it right along the lakeshore. Bee, an odd name for one of the two German Shepherds that Blake from my crew took with him to this trip, happily bounded over to fetch it.

It was the first day of fall and even though the temperatures have cooled down here in the mountains, there was still only the barest hint of gold edging onto the leaves. Still, it was enough to give a new dimension to the majestic backdrop of snow-capped mountain ranges, lush evergreen forests and glass-like lake waters. In the waning sunlight, everything looked luminous and golden.

It's like a postcard of your most perfect dream, with a laughing, bright-eyed Stellan in the heart of it.

A little over two months ago, I wasn't a hundred percent sure what my Darby-cabin-reno was going to look like logistically. I had some pretty optimistic ideas but I did worry slightly that the distance and constant traveling would prove problematic to mine and Stellan's fresh new start. I thought I would have more time to plan it out but when the call came about the cabin fire, I pretty much had to fly out to Montana and figure things out as I went along.

Someone in the family farm down the road spotted the smoke just a little after four in the morning and called the fire department. Apparently, someone from the same farm claimed that they'd seen a handful of teenagers driving up there a couple times, sneaking inside to hang out and God knows what. A still-smoldering cigarette butt was the likely culprit according to the initial fire investigation and since the house was mostly lumber and tarp, the blaze swept it in no time.

Some people in the town hadn't been too happy with me when I'd put the construction on hold, citing it as an eye sore for what used to be a prized property in the area. No one said it out right to me in the call but there seemed to be some blame laid at my door for leaving the property vulnerable to vandalism and mischief.

Sure, because I wanted to lose money and time damaging my own property through teenage idiocy.

But I didn't say that out right either because I did bear some responsibility for the construction plans going to the wayside years ago. At that point, we were just all grateful that no one got hurt and that the fire was contained before it could leap to the trees around the property and spread into a wildfire.

To prevent further complications, I promised to get out there as soon as possible, deal with insurance, clean up the site and smooth out my relationships with the town.

I flew out there with Jamie pretty much the next day and together, we spent almost a week and a half just dealing with the aftermath and tearing down what little was left of the frame. The concrete foundation was about the only thing that wasn't damaged but even that we had to inspect and remediate for the smallest potential issues.

We both missed the fourth of July party at Stellan's, which really bummed me out, but Stellan, steadfast and levelheaded through it all, saved me a ton of photos and videos capturing reactions from his family and friends when the playhouse was revealed. He also mobilized some contacts to help us with the site clean-up and environmental assessments.

After Jamie and I flew back to Cobalt Bay, I pretty much had a weekend to pack and make arrangements for a longer stay in Darby, including renting a pair of comfortable RVs from a local RV place there. Kevin and Blake volunteered to come with me since they had no girlfriends or families keeping them at home. Kevin also wanted some project management opportunities and Blake was an avid fisher. Between them and Blake's two German Shepherds, I'd felt safe enough.

Stellan and I had a long debate about whether he should send a couple guys from his security team and in the end, I agreed on the condition that we weren't taking anyone away from their families or loved ones for a long period of time just to babysit me. It actually didn't turn out to be a bad idea because the two guys, Aaron and James, had helped out with fencing the work site and coordinating some of the logistics and supplies like utilities and food. But with a third RV, we pretty much had a full camp of people there without counting the local day crew that Jamie had helped me contract out.

All in all, it hasn't been too bad.

The work days were long and hard on the body but the setting wasn't without perks.

The property was a good size with a nearly three-hundred-sixty degree view of gloriously abundant nature. When we'd wrap up for the day and head back to the corner of the acreage where we 'camped', we had a decent time, cooking and eating around a nice campfire, talking and sharing stories. The dogs would be running around and sometimes James would play his guitar and sing a few songs. Sometimes, we would venture out into downtown for a nicer dinner or do some shopping. On days off, a couple of the guys would go hit the trails or drive out to a few different lakes. We were all on a rotation of taking a week off each month but a couple of them had even opted to stay in town and go camping.

One week out of my three-week-a-month stay, Stellan would fly in. He'd actually gotten quite involved in making a few modifications to the old plan since we pretty much had to build the place back up from scratch. We ended up opting for a much larger family room and switching the kitchen to a conservatory-style design that would let in so much more sun and nature into the space. Suddenly, this wasn't just a cabin we were rebuilding. It was a future mountain vacation home for our family.

As for living out of an RV, he didn't seem to mind. For a rich dude who could avail himself of all the comforts and luxuries money could buy, he's always been pretty basic with his needs. He'd brought in some kind of satellite-internet receiver for the occasional work stuff he had to do. He attended one video conference meeting from a hammock we'd strung on a massive branch of an ancient tree by the creek and everyone envied him for it.

For a couple days out of his week-long stay, we'd take my RV and go off on our own. We'd gone hiking on some of the nearby trails, camped out at an assortment of lakes where we would go fishing, swimming and mountain biking. We'd eaten at every local restaurant in town that we've now become familiar faces to many of the regulars. Away from our usual scene and with most people here not really knowing who we were, we had so much more freedom doing things together for the sheer pleasure of it.

We always parted sweetly, hearts full and happy from our time together, looking forward to the week I returned to Cobalt Bay. Absence definitely made hearts grow fonder in our case.

The week that I'd spend in Cobalt Bay usually started with a couple frantic days of work meetings, a visit or two at Passage, and attending my support session. I had a hard stop by the third day so Stellan and I could spend the rest of my time there together, mostly staying in at his house and occasionally seeing family and friends depending on whoever happened to be in town.

And for some crazy, magical reason, the last two and a half months just worked.

We were happier than we've ever been, settling into each other's lives even at a distance and with a hectic temporary set-up.

This was my last week at Darby.

We have an inspection by the end of the week but everything was ready to move forward to just doing the interior work. I'd handpicked one of the local contractors helping us out here to lead the rest of the completion with me possibly just flying in for a couple days once a month to check in. Stellan and I hired the owner of a local home furnishing store who happened to be a professional interior designer, to deck out the place using as many locally-sourced pieces as possible.

The whole place could be done by Thanksgiving if my always tightly-run timelines go according to plan.

But I was coming home for good next week.

Well... I would pretty much have to jet out to Paris for Vivienne's show early in the first week of October. Stellan was going with me, both of us mostly staying in the background so that we didn't distract from Vivienne's launch. But he was only staying until the day before the actual runway show because he needed to make it back for Max's birthday party.

That man had been acting strangely the past couple of months. He'd skipped the fourth of July party to go partying at some sketchy club. He'd been distancing himself somewhat from the group and pursuing some kind of clandestine mission that included dragging Stellan into some very questionable places with not a ton of context. Stellan had talked to me about it to make sure I had no problem with him going, which, after six faithful years to me, I didn't.

Besides, I considered Max a good friend, one I'd occasionally helped out on similar jobs before. We didn't want him bungling up whatever he's got going with this young female novelist he'd somehow gotten entangled with. She was absolutely not his type and way out of his league which meant that something deeper and more serious was at play here. I knew well how it was to be in his position so I had some sympathy for him even if he recently seemed to be doing his best to sabotage that relationship including going ahead with his daredevil birthday stunt at his upcoming yacht party. I saw too much of myself in Max, to be honest, and I didn't want Aiko or his best friends to give up on him.

So I was happy to send Stellan to his rescue.

Stellan wouldn't have done differently but he still groaned about the fact that they were both getting too old for these antics.

Once all this craziness was done though and we were both fully back home, Stellan and I could focus on the future.

Move me into his house and put up the condo for sale.

Keep trying for babies.

Plan a small, intimate wedding.

Two out of three ain't bad but you better get a move on that last one.

I smiled, summoned whatever extra courage I could and walked up to him.

In an old pair of hiking boots, jeans and a cream hooded sweatshirt, his reddish brown hair a tad too long and his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes, he looked so happy and approachable.

He glanced my way and grinned, ruffling Bee's head before turning to meet me halfway.

Number four: Get a dog.

"We should get a dog after you've moved in," he said, completely unaware of his mind-reading ability, as he joined me by the small campfire where we'd set up our folding chairs. He took out a bully stick and tossed it on the mat where Bee happily bounded over to settle in.

"Do you want a golden retriever? Or maybe a lab?" he asked, taking his mug from me. He gave it a quick glance before eyeing mine. "Are you sure there's any hot chocolate in there? It just looks like a mug full of marshmallows."

I daintily licked the marshmallow off the top of the pile, popping it into my mouth with the tip of my tongue before murmuring, "Maybe it is. What's wrong with that?"

Stellan's eyes tracked that entire move, the light in them flickering hot for a moment. His own reply was husky, "Absolutely nothing."

"You know I love sweet things," I said, unable to resist teasing him. I took a step closer to him, moving my mug out of the way as I tilted my head up to his. "Have a taste."

I was pretty sure it was Stellan who made that little growling sound as he leaned down to take my mouth in a swift kiss, his tongue hunting for sweetness as it tangled with mine. We jumped apart when some of the hot chocolate sloshed out of his mug and down on the ground.

Half-horrified, half-amused, I grabbed his mug and set it down along with mine on the built-in side table on one of our camping chairs. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Did you get any on your hand?"

"I'm fine. I lucked out. It wasn't even that hot," Stellan said with a wry shake of his head at me. "Note to self though—avoid getting seduced when handling hot liquids."

I pursed my lips in thought. "Hmm... it depends on what hot liquid we're talking about and how it's being handled."

He flushed, groaning a little. "Stop it. You're incorrigible."

"I am and you love it," I told him with a smile as I slid my arms around his waist, rising on my tiptoes for another kiss.

He laughed against my mouth and pulled me close, his own arms wrapping around me. "I'm as weak for you as you are for sugar, no matter how hard I try to take you in moderation and with restraint."

"At every opportunity and as hard and fast as you can isn't what I would call taking me in moderation and with restraint."

"God, Kady. You're too much for me," Stellan groaned, burying his face against my neck, his lips nuzzling my skin. "But I want you anyway."

"For how long?" I asked, slipping my fingers through his hair and brushing a light kiss on his cheek.

He lifted his head and smiled down at me. "For as long as we both shall live."

My heart skipped a beat and I swallowed hard. "You really mean that?"

"Of course," he said, his brows pulling together in slight puzzlement. "I don't know any other way, Kady. My life only adds up with you in it."

"And you always like things to add up," I said with a small laugh. Slowly, I slipped away from his hold, stepping back and wringing my hands together. "Let me complete the equation for you then."

Stellan's eyes widened when I sank down to one knee and reached into the inner pocket of my parka.

I drew out a small flat box and opened it, the pale gold of the chain matching the thin strip that ran along the middle of the wooden band and contrasting the smoky dark finish of the walnut burl.

"Kady..."

I looked up and searched his face, smiling despite my building anxiety because I somehow managed to halt his every thought and center them to this very moment. At least that was what I thought given the look on his face.

"Stellan, I've stopped asking myself if I deserve you because it's obvious that no matter what the answer is, I can't and won't give you up," I said, taking a deep breath now that I've gotten out most of what I wanted to start with in some coherent fashion. "I love you so much that it's both the scariest and most wonderful thing in my life. And as crazy as that feeling might be, I want to feel it every day of my life, well into our gray-haired years when we can hunch together on a bench one day, happy and content to watch our grandchildren play and cause plenty of trouble for their poor parents."

I grinned as he laughed softly at the image, my chest expanding to make room for all of the emotions surging inside of me right now.

"If you happen to want the same thing, and you think you can still put up with me and my complications for many more years to come, please..." I said, my voice catching. I swallowed hard and looked into those melting brown eyes that told me to be brave, to ask, to trust, because it was going to be alright. "Will you marry me?"

With trembling hands, I held out the chain holding the promise ring I'd carved on my free time in the last couple months. I'd taken it to a local jeweller in Darby who then added the fine gold inlay and the simple chain.

Until a couple years ago, I've been sure that marriage wasn't in the cards for me. Not the kind that was rooted in love and the hope of spending my life with one man anyway.

Yet here I was, offering my heart and soul, damaged they might be, to the man who never minded those scars and who made me see a completely different future, asking him to spend it with me.

He'd planned on asking me the same years ago, rejected before he could say the words.

And while I was sure that in time, he was going to find the courage to ask again, I wanted my turn at the question.

Because I want nothing more than to hear him say yes.

My heart thundered like crazy as I waited in trepidation and hope.

"Did you make this?" Stellan asked in a low, thick voice as he dropped to his knees in front of me, grasping my hands in both of his and looking deep into my eyes.

"Yes, with a little help," I answered, trying for a lighter tone. "That's how I'm going to do my best to make you happy, you know? Working with what I've got and asking for help when I know I need it. I'll keep hoping that even though it may never be perfect, it'll always be enough."

"You'll always be more than enough for me, Kady," Stellan said with a tremulous smile. "And I'll spend the rest of our lives proving it to you until you believe it. I love you and it's my utmost privilege to marry you."

I choked out a tearful laugh, clumsily slipping the chain over his head until the band rested close to where his heart pounded in a steady rhythm.

Stellan wrapped his arms around me to pull me close, his head tilting down to give me a deep, fierce kiss before tucking his chin against the top of my head.

We stayed like that, heaped together on the ground with our arms wrapped around each other, a little dazed and breathless, buoyed by a heady sort of happiness.

This was obviously not the end, not the happily-ever-after.

Rather, it's the start of a different journey.

The kind we'll take together for better or for worse.

*****

It was quiet except for the hushed, late night sounds of nature outside, occasionally interrupted by Bee's low grunts as he slept on his dog bed just outside of our tiny little bedroom in the back of the RV.

Stellan and I had just stirred from sleep, tangled together under the thick cashmere blanket.

After an early dinner, we'd sat around the campfire for a while, talking lazily and smiling nonstop at each other. Then we called it a night and as soon as we'd gotten Bee to settle in, we locked ourselves up in the bedroom.

This was nothing new, of course, but there was something different about the way we came together tonight.

There was a certainty to it.

A heightened sense of anticipation.

A fullness to the act like we've never felt before.

"I have something for you," Stellan murmured, bracing himself up one forearm and reaching for his duffel bag on the floor with the other.

I waited and watched him stretch down from the bed. The soft light coming from a dimmed LED lantern in the corner brought out the dark red tones in Stellan's sleep-mussed hair and the faint tan of his skin which he'd acquired after spending a good chunk of the summer outdoors.

Where his back dipped into the narrow taper of his waist, just above the muscular swell of his well-defined ass, was too irresistible a spot that I softly touched my fingertips on his skin there, making his whole body clench in response.

He found whatever he was rummaging for and rolled back over to me, his eyes hooded with dark, lush want. The kiss he gave me contrasted that look with its tenderness but it didn't slow my flaring hunger.

Sliding my fingers into his hair, I tugged him down closer to me, deepening the kiss but he broke away, breathing harshly.

"Kady, love, just a moment..."

He squeezed his eyes close briefly, seeming to rein in his impulses, before giving me a pained smile.

My stomach fluttered anxiously but I told myself to wait, to trust.

"I meant to give this to you earlier but as always, you managed to drive all rational thought from my brain before I could," he said, capturing my left hand that had tugged at his hair and bringing it to his lips. "So let me try this again."

His other hand opened and in the center of his palm was the same beautiful vintage ring I'd found in his bag years ago on our first trip to Darby.

The teardrop-shaped solitary diamond glittered in the low light, adorned by nothing more than its sheer, multi-faceted brilliance and the delicate filigree tapering from the base to the rest of the band.

It was an exquisite ring and likely very expensive considering the workmanship and the size and clarity of the stone but I've been offered many exorbitantly-priced sparkling things in my life before, little of which mattered to me.

But this ring was different.

"It's your mother's heirloom ring, isn't it?" I asked in a whisper, entranced as Stellan slowly slid the ring over my finger.

Stellan looked up with a small, crooked smile. "Let me guess, Vivienne told you."

I bit my lip. "I had no idea what it meant to you when I first discovered it. I'm sorry."

His smile didn't fade. "It's alright. I might have felt like it at that time but in hindsight, I don't believe either of us had truly been ready for what this ring would've meant had you accepted it."

Lifting my hand, he brushed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "This time, it's on your finger for the right reasons."

I kissed the top of his head before gingerly lifting my hand to examine the ring in better lighting.

It fit perfectly and its weight was comforting—so unlike how it felt that one other time I'd worn an engagement ring, when it symbolized the cheap and suffocating reality of selling myself to become a man's property.

At the slight sting of those memories, I lowered my hand. "Do you think your mother will mind that you gave me this?"

"No," Stellan said without missing a beat. "If anything, my mother will be proud of me—for not giving up on you, on us."

I raised a brow, skeptical. "My history doesn't really recommend me as the kind of woman you bring home to your parents. They might have wanted you to marry some nice, sweet girl instead."

Stellan shook his head. "My parents had seemed like the ideal couple when they got married—similar pristine backgrounds and stable families—and that didn't work out in the long run. My mother would know, of all people, that the path to love and happiness can't be prescribed in the same way for everyone. She was convinced that I'd know when I've met the right person. And she wanted me to trust that instinct. To fight for it even when it's hard or daunting."

I felt a pang of guilt and I touched the side of his face. "Even at times when it felt like it hurt too much?"

"She once taught me that the person we can be happiest with is the same one we will be the most devastated living without. And that it'll scare us both," he said, resting his cheek against my palm. "Hurt is part of the equation, Kady. Because you can't get hurt if you don't care. And in our case, we cared deeply which meant it hurt more when things were falling apart. But it's hard to see the bigger picture when your entire world is just sheer pain in that moment. Sometimes, you have to wait it out. Sometimes, you have to walk away. Two things we did plenty of only to keep coming back because we just couldn't, wouldn't give up quite yet."

I smiled because he was right.

The fact that were here together, tonight, was proof of it.

"I'm known to be quite stubborn."

"I've been told I have the patience of a saint."

"The logic of that looks so obvious on paper that it shouldn't have taken over six years for us to make it work," I joked with a little groan.

Stellan grinned. "We're not as simple as that equation might seem. We're people, not numbers, and people are complicated. We don't always follow logic."

"No, we don't."

At my husky laugh, Stellan took my mouth in a slow, sensual kiss while his hands swept down the length of my body, lingering on every lush curve. He returned one hand to lift my breast to his mouth, his tongue stiff against an aching hard peak until it was sufficiently laved and loved. When his attention moved to its twin, his hands settled on my hips, his fingers digging into my skin as he gently nudged me to spread my legs around him.

At the dip of his fingers inside me, I arched off the bed, moaning low, my hands seizing his shoulders.

Even as they shook with anticipation, my legs fell open when Stellan slid further down on the bed. His hands pushed up my thighs until my knees bent, my ankles draping over his shoulders, giving him even more intimate access.

I lifted my head as best as I could, and in a haze of pleasure and desire, I watched as he anchored his mouth where I ached with so much need, touching me deeply with his tongue I swear I felt it all the way down to my soul.

He didn't let up as my breaths quickened and grew shallow, holding my restless hips down with such solid strength that I had no choice but to take his sweet torment. I broke into a loud, drawn-out gasp when the time came, shuddering through my release.

Tremors were still rolling through me when Stellan sat back on the bed, yanking me by the hips until I was upright on my knees, poised over his straining shaft. Looping an arm around my waist, Stellan surged up just at the same moment he pulled me down to meet his thrust, filling me completely with one swift stroke.

He groaned low in satisfaction before snapping his hips up and down, his speed spiralling into a frenzy as his control frayed.

I reached up and pressed my hands against the low ceiling of the RV, trying to steady myself through the frantic possession, my own need reigniting.

Before I could hit my peak again, Stellan reared up, wrapping his arms around me as he rolled us back on the bed, pushing into me so deep that I came in seconds, gripping his shaft so hard he gasped out loud, his entire body tensing into complete stillness before all his heat flooded me in a powerful gush.

The night was no longer quiet.

The sounds of two bodies coming together and coming apart filled the room.

Our breaths were fast and harsh as our hearts tried to regulate their rhythm.

We could hardly hear the world outside, could hardly remember where we were, exhausted beyond rational thought at the moment.

But I smiled and cuddled against Stellan, my cheek pressed against his still trembling chest, next to the chain that held my ring, my hand that wore his resting right over his heart.

*****

We had a nice, scenic drive back to the cabin the next day.

The crew was well into the job when we got there just before lunch and everyone cheered when Stellan and I carried down several brown bags of freshly-made burgers and fries from the local diner in town.

Over lunch, Kevin and Blake caught me up on the progress while Stellan phoned back a few people who'd been trying to get a hold of him. He was scheduled to fly back tomorrow because he needed to be back in Cobalt Bay for the Saving Hope annual fundraiser that the Vices were hosting this Saturday. I would've attended it with him if the inspection hadn't been pushed back a few days. I needed to be on the ground because I wanted to tie all loose ends and wrap up the main part of the cabin reconstruction to the satisfaction of the local officials and the community. This way, no one was going to worry about the work being abandoned and all the effort Stellan and I had put into establishing good relationships with the town wouldn't go to waste.

We were going to install the soffit and fascia boards this afternoon which involved a lot of standing up on the ladder and wielding boards and an air nailer. I had to go into the RV to change into some proper work gear.

Stellan was in the tiny dining area, typing away on his laptop, trying not to look at me as I puttered around in the bedroom. I'd left the door between us open and I was deliberately taking my sweet time getting my work clothes out while I paraded in the cramped space in nothing more than just my lace underwear.

"Kady, you're killing me," Stellan muttered under his breath while I bent down to get a pair of socks out of my suitcase under the bed. "You're probably too sore. And you have work to do. Stop tempting me."

I glanced over my shoulder to give him an innocent smile. "What? I'm just getting dressed."

"I've seen you get dressed in thirty seconds," he grumbled, forcing his gaze back to his screen. "Please do that unless you want me to die of a blood clot."

"Fine, fine," I said before making quick work of slipping into my work clothes and pulling my hair up into a ponytail. A curl tugged at my ring—a new problem I hadn't anticipated before—and I gently extricated my hair from it.

I didn't want to take it off but my line of work was too dangerous to be wearing any kind of jewelry that could catch on anything so it would have to stay in my little lockbox in the RV for now.

But before slipping it off, I took a picture and impulsively sent it with a simple text that said 'KLJ said yes this time around.'

Before I could finish lacing up my steel-toe boots, my phone started ringing.

"Oh my God, Kady! I don't believe it!"

Stellan looked up at that familiar shriek because it was that loud and I haven't even put her on speaker yet.

"Hey, Vivienne," I said with a grin, scooting into the space next to Stellan. "How are you?"

"I'm chin-deep in prepping for the show, as you know, but this is too momentous an event for me to let pass. Wait a sec, though. Let me get into my office where there's at least some visible floor space for me to step on."

She held a hand to the phone as she put out some instructions to what sounded like a very busy room in the background. I waited until she clicked the door close and the noise subsided.

"Alright, we're good," she said with a deep sigh. "Is my brother there?"

I put the phone down on the table and grinned at Stellan.

"Hi, Viv," he said before rolling his eyes at me. "I take it that Kady shared our good news?"

"She did and right now, I have a million and one ideas of a vintage-inspired wedding dress that will go so well with that ring," she said dreamily before pausing abruptly. "When is the wedding, by the way? Can we tell people now? I need to clear my calendar to make your dress—I am making your dress, aren't I, Kady?"

I laughed. "Yes, if you want to. And I would absolutely love a vintage design. As for the wedding, I'm thinking maybe January?"

Stellan raised his brows in surprise because, well, we haven't really discussed details yet. We were too busy having sex last night.

"Is that too soon?" I asked him sheepishly.

"I'll marry you next week if Viv can whip up a dress for you that quickly," Stellan said with a smile and a shrug.

"Next week? Are you trying to kill me, Stellan? Think of your niece!" She groaned loudly in disbelief and I could just see her flipping her hair back and blowing out a breath. "I will somehow juggle the fundraiser and some last-minute sewing this weekend, fly out to Paris on Monday with all the pieces that are here, get the collection together for the final fittings with the models, finalize the handbag launch, do the press work and socials, meet with the hair and make-up teams all while trying to keep my child busy watching The Wiggles."

She took a deep, long breath after that rant. "So, if you two won't mind waiting at least until after the most stressful week of my life is over, can we please push the wedding date a little later? January's perfect. Cassie was a January bride. Or try February, like I did."

"January or February will work and we can iron that out later," I told Vivienne, trying not laugh in a mixture of guilt and amusement. "No need to rush anything for our sake. Take your time and just breathe. I know you'll pull this off beautifully."

"Thank you," she said, sounding friendly again. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for the show, Stellan? Kady is going to take everyone's breath away."

"She absolutely will and I would love to see it but it might be best if we kept everyone focused on what she's there for. Also, there's Max."

"Ugh, of course," Vivienne said with a little frustrated hiss. "Max is being such a dumbass right now. He's currently partying it up and down in Florida while poor Aiko's trying not to fall apart. Cassie and I just convinced her to still show up at the fundraiser this Saturday and she'll be stunning and perfectly alright without him."

Stellan and I glanced at each other because while Vivienne wasn't totally wrong about Max's debatable decisions lately, she didn't know about his other side. Something about it was going terribly wrong for him to abruptly ditch the girl he's clearly crazy about.

"She needs a date," I said, rubbing my chin in thought. "Men like Max are easily and extremely jealous. Might send him straight back home especially if he thinks the other guy can be a serious contender so find someone hot, rich and most of all, is the exact opposite of Max."

Silence and then Vivienne said, "So someone like Stellan."

The lightbulb went off in my head and I clapped my hands excitedly even as Stellan groaned.

"Oh, my God, this is my perfect revenge in some way," I told him with a wiggle of my brows. "Go as Aiko's date. She's not going to be that interested in you, really, because I think you're too much alike, but Max doesn't understand that. You'll be the perfect threat to him because you've got a lot of what he has but you're the kind of guy a level-headed woman like Aiko might seriously consider dating."

Stellan raked a hand through his hair. "I'm done posing as someone's love interest. That didn't work out well last time I tried it—"

"Maybe not with me but it worked in Ansel's case," I interjected. "The perspective's different. Max needs a push."

"He does but I don't want to bait him," Stellan said more forcefully.

Vivienne and I quieted down to let him continue speaking.

"I'll go because more than anything, Aiko needs friends supporting her right now and I'm also already going to be there. I think Max would also appreciate having someone looking after her even if he's not going to be able to help himself and get jealous anyway."

I grinned at Stellan and kissed him on the cheek. "You're too good and that's why I love you."

I had no worries about Stellan pulling off this act one more time. I might not have met Aiko in person yet but I've heard enough to know that I like her already, probably because she reminded me so much of Stellan in a way.

"We'll invite her to the barbecue at Dad's house the next day," Vivienne added. "I think almost everyone's going to be there. We can call you on video and say hi. Maybe flash that ring innocently and see if anyone catches sight of it and figures it out."

"Maybe we should wait till I'm properly back before announcing anything," I said, reaching out to squeeze Stellan's hand. "I want to do it with the people closest to me in attendance as well. Maybe we can plan a dinner or something like that a couple of weeks from now, after we're back from Paris."

"I like that idea," Stellan said, smiling softly at me and squeezing my hand back.

I had a feeling that as soon as we're settled in for good back home, life would change and we'd come out of this cocoon we've been happily lingering in for the last few months.

We'll have an engagement to announce.

A wedding to plan.

And maybe a new little human to welcome after that.

No, life won't change.

It would finally begin.

*****

Ninya's Notes:

Hi everyone! 

So, what do you think of this week's chapter? I really hope that the timelines are a little bit more obvious now that I've tied them somewhat together. 

I know that reading Fleeting & Forever, none of this was hinted at because well, the book wasn't written yet at that time. LOL. So I've taken some creative liberty in saying that little of this was visible to Aiko at that time because she was really only seeing things as an extension of Max's perspective and Max himself at this time was busy laying groundwork to take Vitto down. Max has a 'bad crowd' he hangs out with, separate from his true inner circle of family and friends, something that Aiko points out in F&F. This could also be gleaned a bit in an earlier chapter here when Kady & Sidney attended his yacht party. I guess you could argue that Stellan could've told him but let's just say that Stellan thinks Max and Aiko have enough on their plate at the moment. 

Also, what are you thoughts on Kady popping the question? I've never written a romance where a woman asks instead of the man but I've gone out of my comfort zone so much with Kady's character that I felt this twist fit with her situation.

I think we're probably down to two chapters before we wrap up, counting next week's. 

So hang tight!

Hope you are all staying safe and healthy despite the ridiculousness of how bad COVID is still ravaging certain parts of the world. I'm sending you all my love and best wishes that you and your loved ones may weather this storm.

XOXO,

Ninya

P.S. I might have already featured this is another book but I love this song. To me, it's like a perfect proposal/wedding song.

♪♪♪ Chapter Soundtrack: The One by Kodaline ♪♪♪

https://youtu.be/gVILookzrPw

Tell me, tell me that you want me,
And I'll be yours completely
For better or for worse.

I know, we'll have our disagreements,
Be fighting for no reason.
I wouldn't change it for the world.

'Cause I knew the first day that I met you
I was never gonna let you,
Let you slip away.

And I still remember feeling nervous
And trying to find the words to
Get you here today.

You make my heart feel like it's summer
When the rain is pouring down.
You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong.
That's how I know you are the one.
That's why I know you are the one

Life is easy to be scared of.
With you I am prepared for
What is yet to come.

'Cause our two hearts will make it easy.
Joining up the pieces
Together making one.

You make my heart feel like it's summer
When the rain is pouring down.
You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong.
That's how I know you are the one.
That's why I know you are the one.