Hardline by Meredith Wild

you know.”
       My heart sang. I tipped the glass, and as the fruity liquid hit my tongue, I knew this had been a great idea. Three days of peace and quiet with Blake was already pure heaven. I relaxed into the chair.  
       “This is amazing, Blake. I could stay out here forever. It’s so peaceful.”
       “Careful what you wish for. I’ll have us moved out here by the week’s end.”
       I laughed. “No kidding. I can’t make a wish without you rushing in to make it come true.”  
       His eyes held me steady, serious in their depth. The humor in my words faded away when I thought about what a gift he was to me. I took a breath, suddenly overwhelmed by that truth. What had I done to deserve such an amazing man to call my own?  
       “You know there’s no way I can thank you for everything you do for me. I kid, but seriously, how can I ever repay you for all the wonderful things you’ve done?”
       “I’m sure I’ll think of something.” He nodded to my glass. “Drink up.”
       I sighed and took a long sip. I nearly spit the liquid out when something hard fell against my lips. I swallowed quickly and looked inside the glass.  
       Oh my God.
       I straightened, planting my feet on the ground, though nothing could ground me for what I was seeing. I stared stupidly into the glass, frozen and vaguely aware that Blake had moved to kneel at my feet. His palms brushed along the sides of my bare thighs up to my shorts.  
       “Breathe, baby.”  
       I inhaled on command, my eyes unable to shift from the shiny diamond-studded ring that rested in the empty well of my glass. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe.  
       “This hasn’t been a one-way street. You’ve given me just as much as I’ve given you. You’ve loved me at times when I haven’t made it so easy for you to... Erica, honey, look at me.”  
       I swallowed over the tight prickle in my throat. Tears burned my eyes as I met his warm gaze. “This is crazy,” I whispered.  
       “This might be crazy, but this is our life, and I want to spend it with you, as your husband. I want to come home to you and know you’ll always be there. I want to make love to you every night and wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life.”
       I shook my head in disbelief, tears falling. I searched for words, but none came.  
       He brushed away the wetness on my cheeks and reached for my glass. Tipping it, he retrieved the ring and set the glass away. He grasped my hand gently and looked up at me.  
       “Erica, will you marry me?”
       I stared into his eyes, now green and bright in the fading daylight. Time stood still as the question echoed in my mind, as the enormity of what he was asking me sank in. Could this be real? Could he really mean it?  
       “Are you sure?”
       He smiled. Somehow he’d never looked so gorgeous. “Yes, I’m sure.”  
       “Are we rushing into this? That’s what everyone’s going to say.”  
       His eyes widened a fraction. “We’ve been through enough to fill a lifetime. I don’t need any more time to know you’re the one I want to be with. And I seriously don’t give a damn what anyone else has to say about it. Neither should you.”  
       I looked past him to the steady ebb and flow of the ocean. Our little paradise had become that much more surreal. To be Blake’s wife, to tie our lives together, irrevocably. I’d thought of it, of course. I’d tried not to read into his insinuations about a future of forever. Deep down that was what I wanted too, though. As much as the prospect terrified me when I thought about what it really meant, I did want forever with Blake. He brushed his thumb over the skin above my knuckle, sending a rush to my heart. I loved this man, and I couldn’t believe anything would ever change that.
       “Okay,” I said quietly.
       He cocked an eyebrow. “Okay?”
       I smiled. “Yes.”  
       “Are