Back to You(29)

Just trust me. Before this trip I might not have been able to do that, but now—there’s no doubt in my mind that Declan knows what he’s doing. I wiggle my way out of his arms, taking a good long look at the man before me. In the eight years we’ve been together we’ve been through so many ups and downs—and believe it or not there have definitely been more ups. But the downs are what helped us grow and taught us the lessons that can only make our marriage stronger. Looking into the eyes of my husband—my best friend, my partner, the father of my children—I am so grateful for every twist and turn life has taken me on because they all led me to this moment.

“I trust you with my life, Mr. Murphy.”

“Oh, we’re back to the Mr. Murphy talk, huh?” he says with a devilish grin.

“I have breakfast in bed to finish… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tease, making my way back to the bed and my uneaten edible surprise.

Surprise! That reminds me…

“Hey,” I say over my shoulder. “You said you had a few surprises. Are there more?”

“As a matter of fact, there are,” he says with another heart melting smile.

I return to the bed and start to slice the waffle into bite-sized pieces, but I stop, stunned when Declan gets on one knee on the floor beside me. “What the hell are you doing?” I ask.

“Mia Murphy,” he takes my hand and I notice a slight glisten in his eyes. “Will you marry me—again?”

“Dec, what are you doing? Stop being silly.”

He remains in his position on the floor, waiting for an answer. “I’m serious, Mi. I made arrangements to have our vows renewed tomorrow morning on the beach. I want to do it all over again—make you mine forever and make good on the vows we promised each other five years ago. So, I’ll ask you again, will you be my wife—forever?”

He was right when he said surprise. I never could have imagined this. It’s so romantic, so unexpected, so… Declan. “Of course! Of course I’ll marry you again!” I squeal.

He takes my answer as permission to leap at me and roll me all around the bed in his arms.

I laugh at how easy it is to fall into these old wonderful patterns. We roll over to the far side of the bed and start to lose ourselves in the make-up kiss of all make-up kisses. “I guess I’m never gonna get to eat that breakfast, am I?” I laugh against his lips.

“I’ll give you something to eat, Mrs. Murphy.”

I lick my lips, “Mmmm, delicious!” And then I dive right back into our kiss.





We spent most of the day on the beach tanning, laughing, making out and napping. It’d been forever since we enjoyed something as simple as the feel of the sand beneath our toes and the waves of the ocean crashing on the shore—just the two of us. It was exactly like one of those Corona commercials—but we switched out the beer for champagne.

That’s right, we had something to celebrate. We toasted to unending happiness and the only thing that could have made it better was if Declan had brought his guitar. Having him serenade me to something from our never ending playlist of favorites would have been a dream, but he promised me his wheels were turning and he couldn’t wait to get into the studio when we got back.

After we fooled around some more and showered off the day, we head into town to do some shopping for the ceremony tomorrow. I hadn’t thought to pack anything remotely suitable for marrying the love of my life all over again. And Declan’s intent on both of us getting decked out in something semi-traditional. I remind him that I’m certainly no blushing bride, but he won’t have it any other way. “My golden beauty’s going to look like an angel dressed in white. That’s the way I picture it—just humor me.”

It’s the least I can do for all he’s done in making these arrangements so I nod and lean in for a kiss. Even though we’re enjoying the stroll in the quaint little town together, we decide it best to separate for an hour so that we can each surprise the other with what we find.

After purchasing the absolute perfect flowing dress in cream lace, I spot an antique shop that’s just too adorable to pass up. I’m sure I can find something to wear in my hair and maybe even a gift for my once-again groom.

I step into the shop and I’m welcomed by a dinging bell and the smell of must and lilac. I’ve always loved all things vintage and antique so this place to me is like a candy store to a kid. There are so many things I want to see and touch, but I know I don’t have much time until I have to meet up with Declan at the restaurant we designated as our meeting spot.