The month since my birthday has flown by, filled with year-end sorority events, studying, finals, and Chase and I moving into the condos.
We wake up early and drive to the Ozarks, just the two of us, and the rest of the family is flying down. When we get there, I’m pleasantly surprised to discover we are the first to arrive.
Chase grabs our bags to take them inside, but I’m drawn to the backyard.
I walk around the side of the house, stand on the hill, and look down at the water, remembering how I felt that summer.
Chase comes up from behind me and wraps his arms around me. “What are you thinking about?”
“The last time we were here, specifically when we had to leave.”
“We stood right here, all of us, together, that last day.”
“Yeah. I remember Mimi and Papa, and Grandpa and Grandma Mac were misty-eyed. They loved spending time with us. Your mom and dad were holding hands. Emers was standing next to them, petting Winger and Angel. My dad had Weston on his hip, and Jennifer wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged him.”
“I remember my little brothers had their arms around each other’s shoulders, like best friends.”
“Speaking of best friends,” I say, “you, me, Haley, and Damon all held hands. And I cried. I was just so overwhelmed by the moment. And I remember thinking that when we were all grown up, we’d still refer to that time as that summer. That summer we went to the lake. That summer we all grew up. And grew closer. It was the summer that changed everything in so many ways.”
“It definitely was,” Chase says.
“Do you remember the toast you said?”
He shakes his head. “Something about time with family and memories.”
“You said, We started this trip with a toast to our good life and all that goes with it. I think we should end it with one as well. So, here’s to all the precious moments we will take home with us as souvenirs because time spent with family is time well spent.”
“You remember all of that?” he asks me.
“It’s permanently seared into my brain. I think about that moment a lot.”
“Damon and Haley weren’t thrilled with me that next year.” Chase dips his head down to kiss the side of my face. “There were memories of you everywhere. Still are.”
“I don’t know how you did it. It’s been three years since I’ve been here, and it all feels so fresh,” I say as tears fill my eyes.
“It was a special time for us, Dani.”
“Which we proceeded to screw up the second we got home.”
“But we’re back here now. Together,” he says, giving me a squeeze.
I turn my back to the view in order to face him. “It was the best summer of my life.”
“Mine, too.”
“But what do you say—think we can top it this year?” I ask, giving him a grin.
A wide smile forms on his face. “I think we most definitely can.”
“Let’s go sit on the dock, enjoy the peace and quiet before everyone gets here,” I suggest.
But no sooner are the words out of my mouth than two dogs race past us, followed by Chase’s younger brothers, Ryder and Madden, already wearing their life jackets. All four barrel down to the dock and leap into the water—the dogs barking, the boys screaming with delight.
They are followed by, well, everyone else.
We’re greeted with hugs and kisses from Papa and Mimi as well as Grandma and Grandpa Mac. I try to snuggle the little girls when they go by, but they all have fairy wands and are playing some form of princess tag. It’s fun to see them so close, like Chase, Damon, and I were. Chase’s little sister, Emersyn, will turn four in a few weeks, and Easton and Weston are two and three, respectively. I can’t believe how fast they are growing up. It seems like just yesterday that they were bundled up in their little blankets, cooing at me while I tried to be the first one to make them smile.
“Chase, Dani,” my mom says. “How was the drive down?”
“It was good,” Chase says with a laugh. “Neither of us got sick like last time.”
Mom is followed by Van, who hugs me and slaps Chase on the back, and Tripp, who is followed by a waiter, who hands out champagne. Then come Jennifer and my dad with Phillip and Jadyn.
“Dang,” my dad says, digging a ten out of his pocket and tossing it at Jadyn. “No way I thought they would beat us here.”
“It’s the first time they have been back here together since … the summer that shall not be named,” Jennifer says with a laugh. “You had to know they would be here first.”
“It’s gorgeous,” I tell Jadyn and Tripp. “Like, it looks like these houses and all these trees have always been here even though they are new.”
“Thank you,” Tripp says. “I can’t wait to show you all the resort. The rest of our side of the family is arriving tomorrow along with all of our hotel guests.”
“Who all is coming?” I ask.
“Everyone we all know, basically,” Van says, teasing his brother. At least, I think he is.
“Where’s—” Chase says just as Damon and Haley make their way down the hill.
“Don’t start the toasts without us!” Damon yells.
He’s helping Haley, who recently got her full leg cast off and is in a walking boot. Part of the lawn is flat, but from the pool down to this area, it’s a nice slope, and it looks difficult, navigating with that thing on.
“Good thing our Hay Girl is an athlete. She just got the cast off and put into a boot this morning. You should see her leg. All shriveled up and in serious need of a tan,” Damon says with a laugh. “So, no making fun of her or the way she walks like an old woman—no offense, Mimi.”
“None taken,” Mimi says. Mimi is religious about getting five thousand steps in every day.
But then we all laugh when, on cue, my dad offers Haley a cane with a bike horn strapped to it. “We thought this might come in handy.”
“You guys are horrible,” Haley says, laughing.
I rush over and give her and my brother hugs. “Can you actually take the boot off and let your leg get tan?” I ask Haley.
“The doctor was a little iffy on that,” Damon says, “but I’m pretty sure she can as long as she is careful not to put any weight on it.”
“Did you go to the doctor with her?” Chase asks.
“Yes, and I’ll tell you something,” Damon says. “That cast was really smelly and kind of disgusting.”
“Why didn’t Mom or Dad take you?” Chase asks Haley.
Damon shakes his head. “Packing. Prepping. Whatever it is parents do. I threw some swimsuits in a duffel, and I’m all good. Plus, I heard they would saw it off, and I wanted to make sure they left her leg intact.”
“He wanted to see the saw,” Haley says seriously.
“I did. I remember freaking out when they sawed my cast off in, like, second grade,” Damon says. “I was sure they were going to take my arm off with it. Plus, this was a big day for her—and me. You don’t know what I’ve been through, helping drag her ass around, maneuvering her in and out of the car for school. I would have just thrown her in the back of your pickup truck, Chase—that would have been easier—but her mom said it wasn’t safe.” Damon rolls his eyes, like he’s mad about it when, clearly, he is teasing her.
“Might have been a little cold, too,” Haley says.
“I haven’t driven my car to school since the accident,” Damon says. “And when I get back home, my girl is coming out to play again.”
“Is your girl in this situation your car or Haley?” Tripp asks. He probably isn’t as well acquainted with my brother’s goofy sense of humor.
“My car, of course. Been driving the mom van around all semester. Thought it might hurt my chances with the ladies, but they all think it’s sweet I’ve been helping my invalid friend.”
He flips Haley’s hair, and she punches him in the shoulder with a fair amount of force, and then they both laugh.
“All right, everyone,” my dad says, “grab a glass of something and gather around.”
I get emotional as I look at everyone. How they have changed, grown, and aged since the last time I was here.
“To all of us,” my dad says, raising his glass in the air and glancing at me, then my mom. “I’m so glad we’ll all be sharing this weekend together. To family.”
“To family,” everyone agrees.
Too smart.
Chase
We tour the second property—which, other than the decor, is basically a mirror image of the original—and then have a catered dinner in a massive new screened-in porch between the two homes.
“The four of us. In the boathouse. With a candlestick. After dinner,” Damon says.
“You’re so weird,” Dani tells him.
“This vacation is going to be different than usual—you know that, right?” Damon replies.
“What do you mean?” I ask, studying Damon, trying to figure out what exactly he knows.
Damon rolls his eyes. “Usually, we meet a lot of new people during our time here. That’s fun.”
“Yes, it is,” Haley agrees with a grin, which quickly turns to a frown. “Although I probably won’t be able to pick up too many cute boys with this freaking boot and my shriveled-up leg.”
“Whatever,” Damon says. “This year is different because it’s going to be all people we already know. Have you heard who all is coming?”
I sit there stick still, hoping Damon doesn’t spill the beans. “It’s the grand reopening for the resort,” I say, repeating what Tripp said earlier. “One huge reunion with all our families and friends.”
“But Haley saw part of a guest list,” Damon says, keeping his voice low. “It’s not just their friends, but ours, too. Like, your roommate, Treyvon, was on the list, Chase.”
“That’s cool,” I say, trying to keep my expression even. Trying not to tell Damon he needs to shut up before he ruins the surprise. But just in case, I give my sister a pair of pleading eyes, begging for her help.
She narrows her eyes at me but seems to understand because she changes the subject slightly. “But let’s face it. The only name on the list you care about is that of your future wife,” Haley says to Damon, which sets him off on all the ways he’s planning to make Ainsley Archibald fall in love with him.
“Chase, would you mind helping me get up to the house? It’s dark and—”
“And we don’t want her to fall and break a leg.” Damon cackles.
“Of course,” I tell her, and I know exactly why she asked me. She wants to know what’s up. And I suppose I should tell her.
Once we are out of earshot of the boathouse, she goes, “Okay, what was that all about? What do you know that I don’t? And why is it a secret? Or at least a secret from Damon and Dani?”
I give her a wide grin.
“Oh my gosh! Chase! Are you going to propose?! Is there going to be, like, an engagement party?! With everyone we know? Does Mom know?” she says, talking fast as it comes together in her head.
“Okay, chill out. Yes, I am going to propose. Tonight. I bought the ring over spring break. So, the guys know, but they don’t know when or where. I don’t know if we will have a party. That will be up to Dani.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you know Mom and Dad got engaged on their first date? And that as soon as she said yes, he took her to their surprise engagement party, where she then said no?”
“She said no?”
“She was mad Dad just sprang all of it on her. She freaked out a little. Dani doesn’t like surprises, so I don’t want to do that to her. But the guest list was made based on people we’d likely invite to—”
“Your wedding,” Haley says, her eyes huge. “I didn’t tell Damon who all was on it, but, honestly, that’s the first thing I thought when I saw a copy of it.”
“You’re too smart for your own good, Haley.”
“Wait. What? Are you saying what I think you are saying? Are you getting married this weekend? Does Dani know? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she doesn’t know. And I don’t know either, honestly.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m going to propose tonight. Tomorrow, after we announce it to our family, Dani will be presented with a few options. There will be some great festivities this weekend, but it will be up to her to decide if there will be a wedding, an engagement party, or as advertised, a simple reopening weekend. Please, don’t tell anyone though.”
“I won’t, but how? She’d need a dress and flowers and—”
“Let’s just say, her mom, Van, and Tripp are in on it.”
“Ohmigosh! That’s why they looked at dresses over spring break, isn’t it?” Haley says, figuring it all out. “Wow. You really do love her, don’t you?”
“That I do.”
Haley giggles. “You just said I do. Do you think Devaney will?”
“Honestly, I’m just hoping she’ll say yes to the proposal. The rest will work itself out.”
“How are you going to do it?”
“Now, that is a secret,” I tease her. “I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. And if she says no, you can help me drown my sorrows in ice cream.”
“She’s not going to say no, Chase. Have fun tonight. And thanks for walking me up here.”
“Like you needed the help,” I say.
When I get back to the boathouse, I give Dani a kiss and hand her a folded-up piece of paper and whisper, “I didn’t put it on the activity board because I don’t want anyone else to come.”
She unfolds it and reads aloud. “Stargazing with Chase. I’d love to.”
Only for me.
Devaney
The younger kids and grandparents have gone to bed, but our parents and Damon are all inside, having a nightcap.
“We’re going for a drive,” I say to them, but on our way out, I notice Chase give my mom a discreet wink.
“What was that all about?” I ask him the second we are out the front door.
“What was what all about?” he asks.
“You winked at my mom.”
“Oh,” he says with a grin. “I might have mentioned to her earlier that the last time you and I went stargazing, we stayed out all night. Just didn’t want anyone to freak out.”
“Perfect,” I say, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close to me. “But for the record, your winks are only for me.”
Just like the last time we were up here, Chase gets out of the truck and pulls down the tailgate, but instead of unrolling pool floats, he pulls out a tent. A tent that fits perfectly in the bed of the truck.
“A tent, huh?”
“Thought it might be nice not to have to douse ourselves in bug spray,” he says.
“But how are we going to see the stars?” I wonder out loud. “That’s the point, right?”
“Give me a minute,” he says, “and I’ll show you.”
Once the tent is set up, he uses the auxiliary power outlet to blow up an air mattress inside, then gets pillows and blankets out of the backseat and tosses them inside along with his phone, which is softly playing a mix of music.
“All right, milady, hop on up and take a look.”
I lean against the tailgate and see that the tent has a clear top so that we can still see the stars.
“You think of everything, huh?” I say with a smile.
“Well, I mean, after all, this is where we started, you know, when you took me parking.”
“When I took you stargazing,” I correct.
“You remember it your way. I’ll remember it mine,” he says with a laugh before smacking my butt. “All right, hop in.”
I get inside, and Chase follows me with a picnic basket.
“Oh, you brought snacks!”
“I did. And some champagne.”
“Perfect,” I say, giving him a kiss. “I’m sort of hungry.”
He pops the bottle and fills our glasses while I spread out the snacks.
“Here you go,” he says, handing me my glass, which I know enough to keep up into the air for a toast.
“Here’s to surviving our first semester at college together as a couple.” We both take a drink, and then he says, “How do you think we did?”
“I think it was like an Ozarks road. Twists, turns, and some bumps along the way, but we got here, and neither one of us puked—”
“Except on your birthday,” he teases.
“Don’t remind me,” I say with a laugh. “Should have been my worst birthday ever, but you made it nice.”
“And how do you feel about our relationship? Obviously, it’s changed a lot since the last time we were here.”
“It sure has,” I say, giving him a deep kiss. “But it was exciting. All those new feelings coming to the surface. But it was new and scary and slightly awkward. I don’t feel awkward anymore. It just feels natural. You and me together.”
“Well, that’s good, I suppose.”
“Actually, I feel like we’ve grown a lot, Chase. Individually and as a couple. You know how we always get frustrated, watching romance movies? How it feels like the couple’s reasons for not being together are stupid? Like, here are these grown people who get butt hurt and run away from each other. They are torn apart, and you want to scream at the TV and be like, If you would just communicate—tell each other what you are thinking or freaking apologize for whatever it is, just talk it through—you’d be together. And I feel like that was us in the past. Stupid stuff felt so insurmountable. Our pride and feelings were more important than the relationship. I know we’ve had some trials this semester, but we got through them. With the exception of when I didn’t tell you when things felt weird between us when you were upset about football.”
“You know why I didn’t tell you, Dani?”
“Not really.”
“Because if I had, it would have been like I was admitting defeat. And it would have made it real.”
She reaches out and cups my cheek in her hand.
“I swear, I’ll never do that again, Dani.”
“Good,” I say, “because, someday, when we get married, we’ll tell each other for better or worse. I want to be there with you for both because I love you and I think we make a good team. When you lost your phone, I did get nervous because I cared. But I could have gotten pissed, and assumed, and walked away, and broken up with you, and did other guys on my roommate’s desk.”
Chase lets out a little chuckle. “I’m certainly glad that didn’t happen.”
“Me, too,” I say, giving him a peck on the cheek. “I’m sure, in the future, our relationship will have ups and downs, but as long as you hold my hand and tell it to me straight, I know we’ll figure it out together. I think that’s one of the cool things about us being together. We don’t have to handle our burdens alone. Like, remember when, during the divorce, I used to sneak over to your room to sleep with you?”
He grins wide. “Of course I do. I think some of the happiest moments in my life are when you lie next to me with your head on my chest.”
I shake my head and smile. “Even when things feel like they are shit in my life and everything is falling apart, when you wrap your arm around me, I don’t feel alone in the world. I feel safe and happy and loved. Mostly loved. Before, if you had asked me what I wanted, I would have probably sounded like a Taylor Swift song because I was still totally trying to figure it out.”
Chase breaks out into laughter. “Actually, didn’t she do a video where the guy and the girl lived next door and left notes to each other in their windows, like we did?”
“I think she did! I can’t remember that song, but it was the cutest video.”
“And really, I can’t talk. I was pretty much a mess regarding football.”
“You were a hot mess,” I tease, ruffling his hair.
“I thought only girls could be hot messes?”
“Oh, no, it goes both ways, and you, Chase—my best friend, my confidant, the guy who has always been my protector—were most definitely a hot mess. But now, when that happens again, I know what to do.”
“You’d better not say that you’ll make me mad so I will storm off and want to kill something.”
“Nope. You will be eating ice cream with me in the bathtub and telling me everything. And we will figure it out. Together.”
“Or we could find some stars to stare at from the back of a pickup truck,” he says with a grin, looking up.
“That would work too.”
“What about for me?” I ask him. “What will you do?”
“Hmm. Chocolate. A back rub. Both of which I think could go in the bath as well. Heck, maybe even some pizza.”
“We really have a lot to look forward to,” I say as I lean into his chest and sigh dreamily.
“Hey now,” he says. “Don’t get too comfortable. We need to find the stars—”
“I know, but we got up early,” I counter.
“Plus,” he says, “we need to do what I wanted to do the last time we were here.”
“Kiss?” I ask. But then I realize that was dumb because we did kiss.
“And then some,” he says with a naughty grin.
“Chase Mackenzie, are you telling me you wanted to have sex with me?”
“I’m telling you, I had wanted to have sex with you from the moment I hit puberty.”
To that statement, I laugh. “I remember wishing that I had made a move the night we were last here. I mean, I sort of wished we had slept together then. Like I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. But as you once said, you were glad we didn’t because—” I give him a grin and raise my eyebrow at him in challenge.
“Oh, don’t think I don’t remember exactly what I told you, missy. Because it was literally what I wanted my whole life.”
“You also said it was like your birthday, Christmas, and a Super Bowl win, all wrapped up in one beautiful and naked bow.”
“I’m quite the poet, aren’t I?” he teases. “We need to dance, don’t you think?”
“We do, but our song hasn’t played yet.”
“Oh, we have a song, do we?” he teases some more.
“Yes, and you’d better remember some of those special moments.”
“Hmm. Let’s see. We might have danced to it here. I’m pretty sure it was playing when we were lying in front of the fireplace the day we got caught in the rain.”
“The day we almost died by lightning strike!” I say. “We also danced to it at that wedding reception we went to at the resort.”
“And I might have listened to it a million times on repeat after Lansford asked you to homecoming.”
This surprises me. “You did?”
“Yep. Cried like a baby, too. But that’s all behind us now, thankfully.” He grabs his phone, then presses a couple of buttons, and the song starts playing. “Well, would you look at that? May I have this dance, Dani?”
“You may.”
We get out of the truck, stand in front of it, and hold each other close for a minute, but then he twirls me out and then back close to him.
“This is a magical moment, Chase,” I tell him, looking up at the clear night sky. “You and me under the stars, dancing to our song.”
He lets go of me with one hand and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a black velvet ring box.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“Open it and find out,” he replies.
I do, and in the moonlight, I see a shiny copper penny sticking up from where a ring would normally be. And I will admit, I now know how Lauren felt on Valentine’s Day.
I smile but am a little confused. “So, is this you asking me for my thoughts?”
“No,” he says. “It’s a penny for you to remember this night, this place, this moment. And for you to use anytime you want to know what I’m thinking. You give it to me, and no matter how I am feeling, I promise to tell you.”
“That’s sweet, Chase. I love that. And I love you.”
He takes my hand in his and then says, “Remember when you learned to get up on one ski?”
“I do remember you holding my ass and pushing me up,” I say with a laugh.
But Chase doesn’t smile. In fact, he looks very serious when he catches and holds my gaze. “I think since we were last here, our life has been like that. All those falls have been leading up to the one perfect moment when everything comes together. I told you this once before, but I want to say it again. Being here under the stars with you makes me feel like anything and everything is possible. And I hope you feel the same way because”—he drops to one knee—“Devaney Diamond, will you marry me?”
And I just stand here in awe.
At the sight of Chase down on one knee. I want to memorize this moment. The way he looks. The little grin on his face. His gorgeous eyes pleading with me. Letting me know he hopes I want this as much as he does.
And I can’t even believe that this is happening. Here, where we began. How we screwed it all up and put it back together again. And got to come back here.
Tears fill my eyes.
Because my dreams are all finally coming true.
And then we kiss.
Chase
She stands there for a minute, looking down at me, her eyes wide. Like she can’t believe this is really happening. And to be honest, I can’t either. That the day has finally come to ask her this question. To be her friend. To be her husband. To be her everything.
I realize that I haven’t shown her the ring. And her dad told me it was important. That it seals the deal.
I fumble slightly, trying to get the other box out of my pocket. “Guess I should give you the real thing this time, huh?” I stutter out, speaking as much to my stupid self as I am to her. But I am so overwhelmed by this moment. So overwhelmed by her. Of what’s to come.
I feel like there’s a big center barreling through the offensive line, his sights set on knocking me into the dirt and making it hurt. Because she still hasn’t said yes.
I take a deep breath and open the box.
She lets out an, “Ohhhhhhh,” which I think means she likes it. Although I realize that maybe getting engaged in the dark when she can’t really see the ring might not have been the smartest thing.
“Um?” I say for lack of a better word.
“Oh!” she says, her face lighting up. “I’m still in shock, I think. Gosh! Yes, Chase! I would love to marry you.”
When I stand up, she throws herself into my arms.
And then we kiss.
