Chapter 23: The Ask

We dropped Camille and Jasper at the shelter at dusk.

Jasper hugged my leg again, and Camille said nothing, and I drove Margo home.

In her kitchen I took a creased envelope out of my jacket pocket.

It was the one she had left on my porch.

The paper had gone soft at the folds from being carried.

Across the front, in Lorna's neat hand, was the word REFUSED.

Margo stared at it.

"You still have that?"

"I've had it in my pocket for weeks."

I laid it on the table and uncapped a pen.

Under Lorna's word, in my own handwriting, I wrote: Accepted.

Then, underneath: Marry me.

Margo put her hand over her mouth.

"Caleb."

"You wrote me one letter and I almost let her win."

"You're asking me this on the back of a returned envelope."

"I bought a ring this afternoon too. It's in my other pocket. I wanted you to see the envelope first."

She laughed, and it turned into a sob halfway through.

"Yes."

"You didn't think about it."

"I've had four years to think about it. Yes. Yes."

I slid the plain gold band onto her finger.

It fit.

She grabbed my face in both hands and kissed me.

It was a long, deep kiss, her fingers tightening in my hair.

"Bed," she said against my mouth. "Now."

We left the envelope on the table.

In the bedroom she stripped off her black funeral dress and I pulled her down on the sheets.

I kissed her throat and her collarbone, and the soft place beneath each breast.

She arched into my mouth, and I took one nipple between my teeth and flicked it with my tongue.

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