"Thank you," she says softly as we pass the halfway point. "For everything. For standing with me. For believing in me."
"You don't need to thank me," I reply, covering her hand with mine. "That's what you do for someone you—" I catch myself, the words sticking in my throat.
Riley turns to face me fully. "Someone you what, Elias?"
The intensity in her voice makes me glance at her, seeing the hope and fear warring in her green eyes. We've danced around these words for weeks now, both of us knowing but neither willing to be the first to say them aloud.
I pull over at the scenic overlook where we can see all of Grizzly Ridge spread out below us, the place where Bill used to bring her as a child to show her their home from above.
"Riley," I begin, turning to face her fully. "What I feel for you... it's not just protection. It's not just duty to your father. It's not even just desire, though God knows that's part of it."
Her breath catches, but she doesn't speak, waiting for me to find my words.
"I love you," I say finally, the admission torn from somewhere deep in my chest. "I'm in love with you. Have been since you came back to Grizzly Ridge, maybe longer. I've tried to fight it, tried to convince myself it was wrong, but I can't anymore. I love your strength, your stubbornness, your courage. I love the way you see the world, the way you make me want to be better than I am."
Tears stream down her face now, but she's smiling. "I love you too, Elias. So much it terrifies me sometimes. I've loved you since I was old enough to understand what love meant. You've been my constant, my safe harbor, my home."
I pull her into my arms, kissing her with all the emotion I've kept locked away for so long. When we break apart, I rest my forehead against hers.
"I want to marry you," I say, the words surprising even me with their intensity. "I want to make this official, permanent. Not immediately, I want you to have time to live your life, but I also want the world to know you're mine and I'm yours."
"Yes," she breathes without hesitation. "Yes, Elias. I'll marry you. I don’t need time. The only way I want to live my life is with you in it."
I kiss her again, sealing our promise with the mountains spread out around us and the future stretching ahead like an open road.
EPILOGUE
ELIAS
Six Months Later
The flowersfrom our mountain meadow fill Maggie's diner with the scent of summer, white wildflowers and baby's breath arranged in mason jars on every table. The whole town of Grizzly Ridge has crowded into the small space, faces I've known my entire life beaming as they wait for the ceremony to begin.
Six months have passed since the courthouse victory, and three since Brad Cooper was finally sentenced to fifteen years in state prison for stalking, assault, and violating the restraining order. The bastard made the mistake of trying to approach Riley at the grocery store two weeks after the hearing. By the time Sawyer and I arrived, Riley had him on the ground with a knee to his back and half the town cheering her on.
Justice, at last.
Now, standing at the front of the diner in my best suit, Sawyer and Boone are beside me on either side. Boone as my best man, and Sawyer as the officiant. I watch the door formy bride as my brothers fill the front row. Cade with Harper, Luke with his arm draped over Caleb's shoulders. Lily, Caleb’s wife, sits beside him with Lily, Luke’s daughter, in her lap. They have gotten incredibly close, building a bond over their shared name. Finn looks uncharacteristically serious. Rebecca sits with Margaret, both women dabbing at their eyes with tissues.
The soft sound of the old piano begins, and every head turns toward the door. Then Riley appears, and my breath catches in my throat.
She's wearing her mother's wedding dress, cream silk that flows around her like water, altered to fit her perfectly. Her dark hair is swept up, revealing the graceful line of her neck, and she carries a simple bouquet of the same wildflowers that fill the room.
But it's her smile that undoes me completely. Radiant, joyful, meant only for me.
Sophie, her maid of honor, follows behind, but I barely see her. My eyes are locked on Riley as she walks down the short aisle between the diner tables, her green eyes never leaving mine.
When she reaches me, I take her hands, marveling at how small they feel in mine. How perfectly they fit.
"You look beautiful," I whisper, not caring who hears.
"So do you," she whispers back, eyes sparkling with tears and laughter.
Sawyer clears his throat, his deep voice carrying easily through the packed diner. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Elias McKenna and Riley Hart..."
The ceremony is simple, traditional, but every word feels weighted with meaning. When we reach the vows, Riley surprises me by pulling out a folded piece of paper.
"I wrote something," she says softly, unfolding it with trembling hands.
