He worked quickly and put the cones in the bucket he’d brought up with him. A couple of feet down, the hops weren’t as faded. He’d wait another day or two for them.
When he reached the ground, Isla was bouncing. Her smile was broad, and tears glimmered in her eyes. “You did it. Your first harvest. Your parents and grandparents would be so proud of you.”
Emotion clogged his throat, and he picked her up in a hug and squeezed her tightly. “I think they would be proud. And happy. Just like your dad is of you.”
Her laugh was watery as she squeezed him. “I think you’re right.”
For an hour, they climbed the ladder and picked the hops, filling more buckets than he’d expected. “I hope the rest of the team is figuring out the brewery.”
Isla frowned. “I hope so, too. I’d hate for these to go to waste.”
“They can be brewed fresh or dried first. We’ve been so busy here that I haven’t even checked in with the gang to see where they’re at with the brewery. We’ll assume they’ll have to be dried until we hear otherwise.”
He stopped her before she took her turn, climbing the next ladder. “We need to get married.”
Her peal of laughter filled him up even as he realized how he’d phrased it. Idiot. “That just popped out. I had a whole plan. It was supposed to be romantic.”
Isla threw her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him. He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, muddy boots and all.
When she pulled back from the kiss, she smiled. “We’re in our happy place. Our field is filled with a crop we’ve grown together. A place where we can see our future. As settings go, it doesn’t get much more romantic than that.”
He had to agree, so he set her down on her feet and dropped to one knee. He took her hand, realizing he didn’t have the ring on him. “Isla Duggan. You’re the best and brightest person I know. I don’t want to do the rest of my life without you. Will you marry me?”
She dropped to her knees and kissed him again. “Yes. Always yes. I love you and want to marry you.”
And they sealed their vows as the rain started to fall. It was pretty damn perfect.
Bonus Scene: Heath Wilcox
Heath yanked at the knot in his tie until it loosened. He didn’t mind them most of the time, but the thing felt like a noose today. A noose that was slowly draining the life right out of him.
He walked into his Boston condo and moved straight to his large picture window overlooking the historic Boston Harbor. Normally, the view helped him settle and gave him a connection to people, and the past.
Today, he didn’t feel any of that.
Restlessness filled him, and he wasn’t sure why. He was successful at his job. His condo was everything he’d thought he wanted. He helped start-up companies and invested his money wisely, which was a full-time job that produced amazing dividends.
But it didn’t have heart.
His favorite part was working with entrepreneurs with dreams. Big ones. People who saw outside the box and wanted to try something new. People with drive and passion for their projects.
At this age, he’d always assumed he’d be married and have a couple of kids running around. Or at least be thinking about it.
He wanted that life, but he’d never felt close enough to a woman to picture her in that life with him.
Except Addy. And she’d only been a girl when he’d last seen her. He’d been picturing forever with her, but she’d cut him out of her life when he’d joined the military.
Well, when he’d been forced to join it.
But the Army had been good for him. Taught him a lot of skills outside of the financial world that he’d grown up learning. He would never see eye to eye with his parents, but Gramps had been the one who impressed Heath. Gramps had served. Every male Wilcox had served.
But Gramps had also had a life. A woman he’d adored and treasured. Kids. Grandkids. He’d built that life with very little money to begin with and Heath wanted to use his financial know-how to help others, just like Gramps.
He wanted the rest, too.
Just not with any of the women who threw themselves his way. Some after his name, others after his money. None of them much interested in him.
Again, his thoughts drifted to Addy. What was she up to now? He didn’t like to picture her married to anyone else, which is why he’d never looked her up. She’d made it clear she didn’t want him in his life.
He just wished he knew why.
