Will takes my hand and when I look at him, wondering what this is all about, a piece of silver in his ear glints. I gasp. “You’re wearing an earring!”
He chuckles. “Just for tonight. And just for you. I’ll be your pirate, Annie.” He smiles and it’s so devious and sexy it makes my stomach swoop like a swinging ship. He takes my hands. “I couldn’t make it to the wedding today because the trademark of every good romance novel is a grand gesture. And I wanted to give you one.” He looks sort of shy and unsure as he gestures toward the room.
“Will…” I start, but he cuts me off, stepping closer and taking my face in his hands.
“Annabell, I need you to know, I’ve fallen madly in love with you.”
I hold still. “But you don’t believe in love.”
He brushes the back of his fingers affectionately over my jaw and down my throat. “It was easier to say I don’t believe in love, rather than admitting to myself that I was afraid I wouldn’t be loved back.”
I splay my hand over his chest. “Heartbreaking, Will. It’s impossible not to love you.”
He smiles and presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “And then I called my brother, and as we talked, I realized that leaving this town without you was the scariest thought I’ve ever had. I need you in my life like I need air, Annie. You have wrecked me in the best way I could ever imagine, and I’ll never be the same. Never want to be the same.” He kisses my forehead. “I love you. And I know marriage is something that’s deeply important to you—and what you want is deeply important to me, so…marry me, Annie. No one else.”
I laugh as tears stream down my cheeks. Is this happening? It must be a dream.
“No,” I say with a huge smile while shaking my head. “I won’t marry you.”
He stares at me for a second, wondering if he’d heard me wrong because my expression and my words are in conflict. “You…won’t?”
Again, I can’t keep from laughing as joy spills out of me. I step up to Will and link my arms around his middle, angling my face up. The dark rim around his irises has never looked more dangerous. More compelling. More lovely.
“I love you, too, Will. I love you more than I thought possible to love anyone. And that’s why I won’t marry you.”
“Confusing.”
“Isn’t it?” I smile. “First, I want you to know that I heard you that night you explained why you’re hesitant to get married—and knowing all that I do about you now, I would never ask you to jump into something headfirst and just trust me. I don’t think that’s true love. In fact, it would be crappy of me to ask you to put all those fears aside for my happiness. And second,” I rise up to kiss him once softly on the mouth just because I need to. “I’m relearning who I am and why I love the things I do. So I’d like some time to do that before I decide to get married.” I kiss him again. “But what I do want is to have a relationship with you—to go day by day and earn your trust while you earn mine, and we figure out who we are in this messy life together. If you’re up for it?”
He grins. “I did already buy the truck.”
“It’s a great truck.”
“Are you sure, though? Because, Annie, if marriage is really what you want deep down…”
“I’ve never been surer of anything. Besides, Will…” I laugh. “I only met you a month ago! Even if I wanted to get married, I wouldn’t want a proposal this fast!”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Well, you are southern.”
“Not that southern.” And then I realize something as I gaze around the room he’s so thoughtfully sprinkled with flowers and lights and cozy blankets. “Wait. Whose house are we in?”
“Mine.”
“But you don’t have a house.”
“I do now,” he says matter-of-factly.
And back on the spinning teacup I go.
“Oh my gosh. I’ll pinch you, Wolf Boy!”
“Captain Blackheart.”
I poke him in the chest. “Tell me what’s going on! From beginning to end.”
He relents with an easy smile. “Well, technically the house is mine in thirty days once I’ve officially closed, but it’s pretty much mine already because Mary said it’s fine if I go ahead and move in. It’s been on the market for forever and needs a ton of work. Don’t look too closely at anything.”
“Willmont. You bought a house,” I say, turning away from him to admire the place with new understanding.