“Kalin disowned us at the time,” Peter says with a flash of amusement.
“Of course I didn’t want them to know you were my parents.” He places his hands over their backs and caresses them softly.
“He pretended we were interested in buying his forty-million-dollar boat,” Peter explains.
We all laugh.
“I would have given you a bargain,” Kalin smirks.
“When Annabelle called us after that terrible accident, I was shocked.” My mom sets down her tea, and her expression tightens. “It was a miracle she walked away without a scratch. We were going to visit, but she wanted to wait until you came out of this.” The crinkle between her brows relaxes, and she turns her gaze to Kalin. “I think her energies were spent on taking care of you, Kalin.”
“You can say she saved my life twice now, Mrs. Ried. The first time when she nursed me back to health at the hospital, and the second time with her expert marksmanship.” His eyes sparkle with what looks like amusement mixed with adoration. “I hope I’m not trying your patience, Annabelle.”
“Not yet, Kalin.” I shoot him a glance. “I just hope you get some new colleagues.”
He runs a finger over the Cupid’s bow dimple above his lip, but I can still see the small smile playing on his lips. “If you recall, I didn’t hire any of them. I hired you instead. See what a difference good judgment makes?”
“I certainly do,” I huff with an air of mirth.
I glance at Lia and she’s hiding a grin behind sips of coffee. “You can’t afford her right now, Kalin.”
“You’re right, Lia. So I had something else in mind.”
I raise my brows at him, and my amusement turns to curiosity.
Kalin strolls over to me in front of everyone, and stoops down beside me by the sofa. Taking my hand, he presses his lips to the back of my hand, causing my body to tingle from the warm, soft caress of his lips. He lifts his eyes to mine, and a muscle quivers in his jaw. “I can’t afford you, Annabelle. I never could.”
I pull my hand away and blink in confusion. Lia folds her lips in and stares at me as if she can’t believe what she’s just heard. Mixed feelings surge through me. I just didn’t want to sign any contracts. I never intended for Kalin to say goodbye forever. I wanted us to be together without all the complications. Maybe it was too much to ask. Maybe I came in a close second to his first love: TALVIS Advertising. I stare at the floor, feeling an ache in my chest.
His deep voice sinks beneath my thoughts. “Annabelle, my intuition was right about you all along. Lia is right. I can’t afford you. This goes way beyond anything I would have ever imagined. I knew when I met you that there was something about you that caused me to lose my focus. Certainly you’re beautiful. I won’t deny that I noticed that about you first.” He shakes his head, and glances down for a moment. Taking a deep breath, his liquid chestnut eyes return to me. “But over the weeks, I learned that there was so much more to you. I wanted to see you more and more, and it had nothing to do with advertising.” He glances up at me and smiles. I stare at my hands, focusing on the spot where he kissed me. I struggle to find words to save what we have before it’s gone forever.
“Kalin, we can still…”
“Shhh. Please, let me finish. When everything came to a head during that terrible night, I knew the first thing I wanted to see when I woke up was you. And like a dream coming true, there you were, my beautiful Annabelle, bringing me back to life. But you had done this before, though you may not have realized it. When we met, you were bringing me back to life every day. You saved my life more times than I can count.”
Kalin reaches into his jacket pocket and fishes out a small case, a case I have seen before when we were walking on the beach, before our lives were shattered by events that none of us could have imagined. My heart begins to pound in my chest, and confusion is replaced with anticipation. “I can’t afford to lose the first thing I want to see when I open my eyes, Annabelle. I can’t afford to lose you. Make my dreams come true, Annabelle. Will you marry me?”
The heaviness I felt from the chance of losing him gives way to warmth now surging through me. My mixed-up thoughts are frozen in my head, and the gasps in the room remind me that I’m not the only one in shock. All of the reasons that I have to run away from this commitment are weighed in my mind, but it all pales to the quiet peace I feel in my heart, knowing that I have been in love with Kalin this whole time.
Lia smiles at me, her eyes moist, and I immediately know I have the blessing of my best friend. My dad clasps my mother’s hand with his, and they await my response.