Finding Ronan’s Heart by Melanie Moreland

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ronan

Ichecked everything one more time, not leaving anything to chance. Evan shot me a grin. “Relax, it’s all good. It’s going to work perfectly.”

I ruffled his hair. “Easy for you to say, kid.”

He laughed. “I suppose.”

I grew serious. “Thanks, though, for all this.” I indicated the table. “She’ll love it.”

He beamed at me. “I know.”

Upstairs, I heard the women moving around, and I huffed out a long breath. “Showtime.”

“You got this,” Evan assured me. “It’s a slam dunk.”

I grinned at him, still hard to believe this was the same kid I had met a few months ago. Since moving here six weeks ago, he had begun to fill out, and his walk was getting better. His leg was stronger and his gait more confident. My dad hoped that he might be able to walk with one crutch soon, and after that—none. Evan’s posture had changed, and he had become surer of himself. A lot of that had to do with my family, but a huge part of it was his new home life. Beth was around more—she was relaxed. I was there. We were a family unit. I was part brother/part father, and I prized every aspect of both. It had taken Beth longer to settle than Evan. He was all too happy to embrace his new reality, Beth feared losing hers, but the past couple of weeks, she was better. I loved hearing her laugh. Sharing meals with her and Evan. Watching movies or taking walks on the beach. Lying in bed and having her tell me about the clouds we could see or listen about the approaching weather system.

Liam and Paige married quickly and quietly. Beth and I were their witnesses, and we went out to dinner afterward. We kept Lucy for the weekend, and on Sunday when they got home, they announced it to the family.

The following weekend, everyone celebrated. I swore no one could pull off a party the way my family could. Even short notice and low-key, it was epic.

And now, it was my turn.

I climbed the steps, hearing the chatter that always followed a book club meeting. Broken into smaller groups, they were having coffee or wine. Most of the men were back in the fold, always anxious to steal away their other half and find out what had been discussed. I personally liked it when Beth would read to me, and I would help her reenact my favorite parts of the book just so she fully grasped its contents. Scarlett Scott had become my favorite author, because her steamy scenes always made me smile.

Widely.

I found Beth in her favorite place in the Hub. Sitting in the library, quietly enjoying a few moments to herself. Those were still rare for her these days. But she welcomed me with a smile.

“Hey, Thor. What you been up to?”

“Evan and I made some cool stuff with our Lego.”

“Oh yeah?” She laughed. “You two and your Lego.”

I held out my hand. “Come see.”

She let me pull her from her chair, and we headed downstairs. No one moved from their spot or followed us. They all knew better.

She shook my hand. “You’re holding me too tight, Ronan. And why is your hand shaking?”

“Oh, sorry,” I muttered.

Downstairs, I led her to the table, stopping in front of it. She frowned in confusion at the array of Lego bricks laid out in odd ways.

“Um, an abstract?”

I held out my hand. “It’s better if you look at it from up high. Climb on the chair.”

She chuckled. “You guys have gotten so complex.” But she let me help her up, and I kept one hand on her to make sure she was steady. She rested her hand on my shoulder and looked down at the table, the abstract now clear.

Words, not objects.

Marry Me. Please.

She read the words once, twice. She covered her mouth with her hand, then turned to me, her eyes flying open wide when she saw me holding a ring.

“Ronan,” she breathed.

“I love living with you. Having you with me every day. I want it—I want you forever. Marry me.”

Tears formed in her eyes.

“Evan gave me permission to ask you. He gave me his blessing. Now I just need you to say yes.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

I lifted her from the chair and took her hands. “Beth. You make my life wonderful. Because of you, I found myself. I’m Ronan. Your Ronan. I found my heart the day I lost it to you. You hold it and keep it beating. Say yes, Beth. Give me your heart, and I’ll keep it safe for you.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

I picked her up, holding her against my chest where my heart beat frantically. I kissed her cheeks, nose, and everywhere else I could find, before sealing my mouth over hers and kissing her with everything I had.

Then I slipped my ring onto her finger, marking her as taken.

Marking her as mine.

Evan’s exaggerated whisper floated down the stairs. “What did she say?”

“She said yes!” I yelled.

Upstairs, my family exploded in celebration, the laughing and clapping loud.

“They all knew?” she asked.

“Yes. They had to keep you up there while we finished this,” I explained. “I think the champagne is chilling.”

“And Evan was okay with it?”

I grinned. “Once I bribed him with a retired Lego kit, he was all for it.”

She laughed.

“Look at your ring, Beth,” I said, loving the fact that she hadn’t even glanced at it before saying yes.

She looked down at the three-diamond ring, gasping. “It’s beautiful.”

“It stands for past, present, and future, but I think of it as us. You, me, and Evan.” I bent and kissed her again. “I’ll get you a band and expand it when we start having kids. I think six would look nice.”

“Six?” she squeaked.

I burst out laughing. “We’ll discuss that later. Our family is waiting to celebrate.”

She smiled. “Our family.”

I followed her up the steps, where they waited to congratulate us. Evan was the first to throw himself into our arms. I held them both tight.

My Beth. My Evan.

My heart.