Page 58 of August

“That would be great, thank you.”

She looked down at the flowers and then at her soulmate.

“Come here,” she said. She set the flowers on the counter of the operator booth and took his hand, leading him through the exit gate and onto the carousel platform. She was right by her very favorite horse, the solid black one with the amazing mane that looked like it was flowing while he ran.

She looked up at August.

Her soulmate.

The male who had her whole heart.

He cupped her face and kissed her. She closed her eyes and melted into the sweet kiss. It took her a moment to open her eyes after the kiss ended, her mind spinning with thoughts of going back to the house underground and sneaking in a quickie, and the news she had to share on the tip of her tongue.

She realized he wasn’t standing anymore, but had dropped to one knee in front of her and was now holding a ring between his finger and thumb.

Her eyes widened and everything she was going to say slipped from her mind.

“I love you so much, Ginny. Since the day you stole that park SUV and broke the security bar that I’d just fixed, you’ve been the most important person in the world to me, the center of my universe, and the very best thing that ever happened to me. The day your brother took over the pack, I asked him for permission to marry you because he’s your older brother and your family and it’s important to me that he was included. So I’m asking you, sweet Ginny…will you marry me?”

She looked at the ring sparkling in the sunlight, the band of tiny diamonds held a heart-shaped diamond in the center.

August looked up at her with the sweetest smile.

“I’m pregnant.”

His brows rose.

She blinked in surprise at her own outburst, and then she laughed.

“I’m pregnant!”

He stood and caught her up in a hug, lifting her feet off the ground, whooping a cheer. “You are? That’s amazing! Holy shit!”

She kissed him with a laugh and said, “Easy on the swearing there, sailor.”

“Oops, I’ll be more careful.” He gave her a kiss and then said, “You didn’t answer me, you know.”

He brought the ring up between them. She took it from his fingers and put it on. “Perfect,” she said. “Just like you. Yes, I’ll marry you, August. I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“I can’t wait to be your husband,” he said. He kissed her again, and this time she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself close. Happy tears stung her eyes.

She was pregnant with her soulmate’s baby and now they were engaged, and to top it all off, he proposed to her in her favorite place in the park—the carousel.

“I love you,” she said when the kiss ended.

“I love you too,” he said.

They stood in a sweet embrace for a little while longer, until his walkie beeped and he was called to the entrance where one of the ticket booths needed fixing.

“I’ll be back before the kids go on their carousel ride, and then we can go to lunch,” he said before he left. “Good luck on your first day. You did an amazing job. I hate that we finished up the carousel and we’re not working together anymore.”

“I’ll miss it too,” she said. “It was so much fun.”

“See you at lunch, sweetheart.”

He gave her a quick kiss and walked away, leaving her to get the carousel running with a few tests and making sure everything was in order.

Six months ago, she’d come to the park trapped in a cage, scared out of her mind and on the run for her life. Despite all the hardships and loss, she’d made a new life for herself with August. She wasn’t living in fear anymore, always looking over her shoulder.