Jewel Lakes Series Bonus Scene

Early afternoon sunlight flashed against my windshield as I angled my Highlander down the forest road. I kept glancing over at Michelle in the passenger seat. She was texting Sheila to make sure we weren’t late for the charity event we were heading to. We’d rushed straight from a living room interview and photoshoot for Mangé, a New York magazine doing a feature on ‘hidden gems’—fine dining in upstate towns. 

Michelle looked so fucking sexy in the silk blouse and skirt combo she’d chosen for the photos. My hand was resting on her thigh and I had to restrain myself from not sliding it up under her hem. I hadn’t had time to change into something more appropriate than this summer suit, and I was the one competing in the canoe race. There was definitely no time for fooling around. Unless she said the word. Then I was pulling the hell over into the trees. 

“I thought you were going to get that fixed,” Michelle said, pulling me from my already-going-too-far fantasy involving turning into a clearing and taking her right there in the front seat. 

I followed her gaze—the golden light slanting through the trees also happened to accentuate the sprawling crack cutting straight across the middle of the windshield.

“I will,” I said, removing my hand from her leg. Not because I wanted to, but needing it to maneuver around a particularly gnarly pothole. Ruby Lake Road had been resurfaced last year as the camp expanded, but the heavily forested terrain needed constant maintenance, I knew. 

“Mmm-hmm,” she said. “I seem to remember someone giving me hell for not bringing my car in to get fixed last fall. Even driving a tow truck to my house to force my hand.” Was that laughter in her voice?

“That was different,” I grumbled, trying to give her my best scowl. But it was hard for me to find much to frown about these days, if I was being honest. My life of late was better than my wildest dreams. 

In February, I’d quit my job and announced my run for mayor of Barkley Falls Town Hall. In March, I’d launched my campaign. And last month, in June, I won. I could still hear Hannah and Remy shrieking as they jumped up and down; Michelle and Casey crying. Hank whooping and popping the champagne bottle at Bella Eats, which Michelle and her mom had shut down for the night to host my election day celebration (or commiseration party if it had gone that way).

It still felt unreal to me. Every morning when I entered my office down at the town hall, I had to do a double check that I was sitting on the right side of the mayoral desk. When I met with workers and parents and business owners who told me they’d voted for me, putting their hopes and dreams for the town in my hands—it felt surreal. And like a goddamn honor. 

But the biggest coup wasn’t winning the mayoral seat. The biggest win of all was this woman sitting next to me, coming to watch me quite likely get dunked in the lake in the name of raising funds and awareness for the camp for troubled youth. 

Everything had changed since I finally let myself feel again—since I admitted I did actually want to try a relationship again. That in fact, it was the only thing that made sense. I was still a work in progress—it was sometimes painstaking remembering I could feel this happy and the other shoe wasn’t likely to drop. But no matter what happened, I no longer actively tried to hold myself back from feeling; from loving Michelle. I knew how good loving this woman made me feel, and I’d fight tooth and nail to make sure that I earned her love in return. 

But I knew, the moment I told Michelle I loved her, that just being in a relationship with her wasn’t going to be enough. I wanted to make her mine forever—I wanted to marry her. I knew it all the way down. It had been seven months since that moment at the Rolling Hills resort, and I couldn’t wait any longer.

I gripped the wheel with both hands now, not trusting myself to touch her again. Instead, as Michelle mentioned something about a rattling sound she’d heard when we pulled out of the driveway, I casually ran my hand over the pocket of my slacks, feeling the square shape there.

It was risky to bring it. It was only the third year of the James Colson Memorial Camp’s summer games, but the closing canoe race—which always ended with the competitors working to capsize each other—was the crowd favorite. And my competitors this year were a bunch of dudes who, although they were all respected members of the community, were also my buddies. Graydon, Chris, Logan, Heath, and Hank were most definitely not going to let me escape unscathed. Alfred Jones, a local philanthropist and the benefactor of Camp Colson, was a septuagenarian and might not engage in the closing shenanigans, but truly, no one could be trusted.

The only reason I’d brought the ring with me was because it was my one chance to hand it off to Reese, who was going to drop it into a glass of champagne for me to give to Michelle at Bella Eats tonight. Their mom—co-director at the restaurant with Michelle, was going to ensure we got a moment of privacy while Reese set up the champagne.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” Michelle asked. 

My heart hitched. “What?” 

“Of Luciana.”

“No,” I said. Discreetly letting out a relieved breath. 

Of course we both knew that was a bald-faced lie. Luciana would have my head if she knew I’d been putting off bringing the car in. But when I glanced back at Michelle, all thoughts of the person with pipes almost as big as mine who’d bought my sister’s garage flew from my head. 

She was grinning at me. It got me, every time. Her eyes twinkled, her grin making me weak in the goddamned knees.

“I’ve just been busy,” I said.  

Michelle laughed, the sound sending a shot of warmth through every inch of me.

Ten minutes later, after I parked in the staff lot and we’d stolen our last chance for a private moment with a quick, urgent kiss, we emerged from the path through the woods into the waiting crowd. 

“Whoa,” Michelle said as we approached. 

“Yeah,” I said. There had to be over three hundred people here. 

As townspeople gathered around me, all asking questions at the same time (another thing I was still getting used to) I reluctantly let go of Michelle, watching her back as she headed over to Remy, Emma, and Macy, who were clustered by the edge of the dock.

“Mr. Mayor!” A woman from the newspaper pushed her way through the crowd toward me. I recognized her as a reporter from the local Jewel Lakes online magazine. “Mr. Mayor, bets are on Logan Bradley to take the race,” she said. “Any thoughts?” 

“What now? Who’s your source?” I said in mock upset. 

“Your daughter, actually.” The reporter pointed to where Hannah stood beside Jake Colson, lining canoes up along the far end of the dock. 

Hannah was home for the summer and working, incidentally, here at Camp Colson. 

Cat, Jake’s wife, had an arm full of metal paddles and was dropping one into each battered fiberglass canoe.

“Really?” I asked, clapping my hand over my heart.

Hannah looked up just then, waving when she saw me. Then, when she spotted the reporter, held her hand over her mouth and whispered something to Cat. They laughed. They knew exactly what the woman was asking about. 

“Well, I’ll be doing my best to make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said to the reporter. 

She asked me to pose for a photo, then scurried off as I headed for the dock. 

“You okay?” Michelle asked as I reached her and the girls. 

“Yeah, great. Do I look nervous?” 

She knew I was still getting used to my mayoral duties. Hell, I was still getting used to the fact that I’d been elected. Not that it had been a tight race. My opponent had been a smart, snappy woman named Callie McIntyre, who’d nearly handed my ass to me several times at debates during the run-up to the election. 

But Callie wasn’t a Jewel Lakes native, having only lived here a few years. So while she was sharp, and knew about the issues here, I had a serious advantage being a hometown boy. 

“That wasn’t your only advantage,” Michelle had assured me after the count. “You ran a brilliant campaign, too.”

“I don’t know about brilliant,” I’d said, but she’d grabbed my collar and looked me in the eye. “You did. It’s not just me saying that. Charles Haverford is acting like you’re the son he never had. And your own dad gave you a standing ovation at that speech over at the lumber yard!”

It was true. My father, as it turned out, had turned into my number one fan—besides Michelle and the kids. Dad had insisted that Hank and Casey drive him to nearly all of my campaign events, and at that one, he’d gotten up out of his wheelchair, which he hated but had to use much of the time now, and had clapped louder than anyone. The only reason he wasn’t here today was because he was out in Michigan, visiting Stella. 

“No,” Michelle said now. “You don’t look nervous, you look ready to kick some paddling ass.”

Remy snorted. “That sounded weird, right?” Michelle said. “Yes,” I said, then leaned in, “but kind of hot, too,” I whispered. 

Michelle flushed, which only made her look sexy as hell. 

Remy, obviously catching our flirtation, mimed barfing. “Gross,” she said. 

Emma joined her. She was the older girl’s shadow these days, even shaving the side of her head like Remy.

“Why aren’t you wearing paddling clothes, Will?” Macy asked, ignoring the other girls’ antics. 

I glanced up at my competition. All the guys were in shorts and branded t-shirts: Graydon and Chris wore matching Grayscale Construction shirts—they co-owned the company; Hank wore a Jewel Lakes Firefighter t-shirt; Logan and Heath, brothers-in-law, white t-shirts with Logan’s woodworking logo, though I knew Heath ran his own roofing company, too. Alfred, who was looking fitter than he had in years and gave me hope for my later years, was in some kind of competitive lycra.

I looked down at my suit. “Guess I didn’t get the memo.” 

“It’s not like they have mayor t-shirts,” Remi pointed out. 

“Good point,” I said, pulling my suit jacket off and handing it to Michelle. “Anyway, I’ll still kick butt,” I said to Macy. “Or I’ll damn well try, anyway.” 

“That’s gonna cost you a dollar!” Macy cried gleefully. 

I winked at her. 

“Welcome to the final and most-anticipated event: the third annual Camp Colson Games!” Jake said over the bullhorn. 

 “Guess that’s my cue,” I said. I leaned in and gave Michelle a kiss that lasted maybe a moment too long. 

“Ugh, gross again,” Emma said, her nose scrunched up. 

“One day you guys will fall in love and you can gross us out with PDAs,” I said.

“But we’ve got plenty of time for that, right, Emma?” Remy said. 

Emma nodded sagely. 

I smiled at my younger daughter as I rolled up my sleeves. She seemed to have matured into the wisest one in the family this year. She never did get back together with Draco, choosing instead to focus on pulling her grades up. They were never too bad, but ever since I announced my run for mayor, it was like she’d been inspired to level up. She’d be heading to college next year, and if she kept her hard work up, she’d have her choice of schools. I always told her I’d be happy no matter what she did—and hell, her grandfather would be delighted to see her pick up a wrench—but Remy insisted she wanted time to explore her options. I couldn’t be more proud. 

“Go get ‘em, babe,” Michelle called after me. 

The slightest jump of nerves hit my stomach at the size of the crowd, which appeared to have grown since we’d arrived. 

“I feel like this is twice as big as last year,” I said to Jake when I reached him. 

“Three times, actually. You’re a helluva draw.” 

“No pressure,” I said. 

I spotted Sheila hooting from the beach. Even Callie was there. She’d told me last week that there’d been an election called back to her hometown of Sycamore Mountain, NC, and she was thinking about running in it. 

“What about Bruce?” I asked. I knew she’d moved here a few years back with her boyfriend, a doctor from Millerville.

Her face had gone grim. “It’s over.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I said. “But you’ll kill it in a local race,” I said. 

“I know,” she’d smiled. “Thanks for the practice.” 

Now, as I lifted the bullhorn Jake had just handed me, considering what to say, I looked over the crowd a final time before amalgamating them in my mind into one person—a public speaking trick I’d learned years ago. There were so many familiar faces, and so many new to me too. Barkley Falls was growing, and it was now my job to make sure we did that gracefully. I was up for the task. 

“Thank you all for coming.” I said, my voice echoing across the water. “And thank you all for your generous donations for this incredible cause.”

I listed off a few facts Sheila had emailed me about Camp Colson’s successes and the town’s involvement in them. 

Then I smiled. “I do want to apologize though, for whoever bet against me in this race.” I turned to my competition. “Because these guys are going down.” The crowd erupted in cheers and jeers. 

I handed the bullhorn back to Jake. I couldn’t help but notice he looked like he was itching to get into a canoe himself. 

“Join us?” I said. 

“Doesn’t seem fair,” he replied, but he was already striding over to Cat, passing her the bullhorn. “I’m out in these canoes all summer long.” 

“We can handle it,” I said. 

He shrugged, then pulled one of the spare boats from the dock and tossed it into the water with a practiced swing of his hands. 

“Well, shit,” I said, already regretting the suggestion. 

A few minutes later, the seven of us were seated in our canoes, life vests buckled and paddles poised just above the water. 

“Will hasn’t commandeered a canoe since we were teenagers,” Graydon said, wasting no time heckling. “Prepare to be trounced, Mr. Mayor.”

“Oh, so you’re bringing the Gray Wolf back, are you?” I shot back. Graydon and I had been good friends through high school, but we’d also brought an extreme level of competitiveness to our football games. “When’s the last time you were in a canoe?”

“We actually own one,” came a woman’s voice. Lucy, Graydon’s wife, stood at the dock where the partners and any kids old enough that they weren’t falling risks were now gathered. I’d already spotted Graydon’s twins with Chris’s daughter over on the beach with Sadie, his wife. She blew a kiss at Chris now and he winked at her. I thought of how at this time last year I might have felt a bitter twisting in my chest at that sight. Now, it only made me happy. 

Thanks to Michelle. 

“Yes! Lucy for the win!” Graydon crowed, holding his paddle up like Poseidon’s triton. 

“But I’m with Will on this one,” Lucy continued. “When Gray gets paddling fast, he tends to go a little wild.” 

“I think you mean he has the balance of a drunk manatee,” Chris said. 

Graydon gaped, dropping his paddle. “My best friends and my wife, too?! Well, at least I’m not afraid of weeds like big ol’ fraidy-cat Chris here.”

“I’m not afraid of them,” Chris snapped. “They’re creepy!” 

I secretly agreed with Chris—I’d always hated the feeling of weeds grazing my belly when I was swimming—it felt like fingers trying to grab me. But like hell I was going to say anything right then. Sorry, Chris.

“Don’t worry,” Hank said. “I haven’t let Will beat me at anything since we were kids.”

“My brother, too, huh?” I said, skipping water at him with my paddle. He splashed back and soon the two of us and half the others were soaked, the crowd cheering. 

“Bickering isn’t strategy,” Alfred said at the far end of the line. “But you young punks carry on. I’m here to win.” 

Jake and Gray, both of whom knew Alfred well, laughed hard at that. I swore I saw the older man’s lips curl up just slightly, despite his narrowed eyes. 

On the dock, Cat brought the bullhorn to her mouth. “Now remember, the rules are simple. The first one who makes it around the buoy and back to this point wins. If you’re capsized, you’re out. Players may forcefully attempt to remove other players from their boats, but there is to be no contact between players, only boats and paddles. While tapping and knocking boats and paddles is permitted, there will be no undue violence that could cause lasting harm to persons or property. As in, be sportsmanlike, okay?” 

Cat’s lawyer skills were showing.

“Oh, and I will be the sole determinant of unsportsmanlike behavior. That’s it, right Jake?” 

Jake gave a thumbs up. He used to run an adventure company before revitalizing Camp Colson a few years ago as I recalled. Maybe he was the one to beat. 

“Are we all agreed?” Cat called.

“Agreed!” we shouted. 

“Competitors, on your marks!” 

I shook my wet hair from my forehead and straightened my canoe. 

“Paddles up!” she said. 

Blam! The starting gun sounded and we all took off. 

Graydon shot out fast, followed by Heath. 

But Lucy had been right—Graydon was unsteady already weaving madly. Chris, behind them both, quickly overtook Heath and then Graydon, paddling smoothly by them both. 

Heath kept going at an impressive clip, but he was now in third place.

Graydon swung at the back of Chris’s canoe with his paddle, narrowly missing. But Chris had slipped sideways, and the stern of his canoe knocked hard against Heath’s. Heath had been so focused on leaning into his paddle that the impact immediately tossed him into the water. 

“Oh shit!” he exclaimed as he splashed into Ruby Lake.

“And that’s our first player down,” Cat cried into the bullhorn.

“Damn, not even two minutes in,” Hank said as we passed Heath, bobbing in the water. 

Heath, probably the least competitive out of the lot of us, laughed. “You’d think with my crap balance I’d have chosen a different profession!” he quipped. 

“That’s why you wear the harnesses, buddy!” Graydon laughed. But just as he said it, Chris knocked Graydon out of the way with a quick sideways paddle and the two of them sped off, neck and neck.

“Make sure Gray doesn’t win,” Heath told me as I passed.

“On it,” I said. 

With Chris and Graydon racing up at the front, the rest of us eyed each other as we pressed ahead at a steady pace. If these guys were anything like me, they were preserving their strength for the return trip. 

While I was focused on both getting my boat out of the little pack we’d formed, and considering how I could sneak up and topple Graydon, a giant splash sounded up ahead. I looked up to see Gray sputtering in the water, his face shocked. 

I whooped, then looked back at Heath, who gave me the thumbs up from the water, laughing. 

“Graydon Mitchell is out!” Cat called over the bullhorn.

Hank hooted. Gray narrowed his eyes. Hank may be Graydon’s sister’s partner, but that didn’t mean he’d get special treatment. 

Graydon was still ahead of all of us and he cut straight for Hank, splashing madly as he swam with the bulky life jacket. Hank paddled valiantly, swinging sideways, but he wasn’t fast enough—Graydon grabbed the side of his canoe and put his full weight on it. 

The crowd roared as Hank hit the water.

“Hank Archer is down too,” Cat reported. 

We rounded the buoy, Logan now in front, Jake on his tail, then me, Chris, and Alfred in the rear. I was going to wait until we were a quarter of the way back before beginning my stronger strokes. I didn’t want to get too close, as I suspected Jake was after Logan. 

And I was right—Jake expertly maneuvered his canoe behind Logan, ramming him so he turned sideways. 

Logan wobbled, but righted himself. He assessed us and must have determined we were far enough behind him that he could take the time to ram Jake back.

But it was poor planning, as Chris shot up ahead, gripping the gunwale of Logan’s canoe and neatly tipping him out just as Gray had done to Hank. Logan swung for Jake, pulling him down next. 

“My god what an upset!” Cat cried. “We’re down now to only three competitors for the final stretch! Chris Slade, Mayor Archer, and Alfred Jones!” 

Now, with Alfred trailing far behind now, Chris was the one to beat. I shot up ahead, my preserved strength taking over as I cut him off at the front. 

“Mr. Mayor,” he said. “I wasn’t planning on doing this, but I’m afraid I can’t let you win!” 

“Too bad, buddy!” I called. “Looks like you won’t have a choice.” I began paddling hard. We were only fifty feet from the finish line now, and I had a chance to win this thing. 

But as soon as I’d taken a few pulls of the paddles, Chris knocked me hard from behind. I keeled sideways, nearly losing my balance. 

The crowd gasped, but I managed to right myself and jab Chris’s canoe with my paddle at the same time. He wobbled and I saw my chance. I knocked the stern of his boat with my paddle once more as it swung by me. 

That did it—Chris went over with a giant splash. 

“Set ‘em up and knock ‘em down,” I cried, holding up my paddle in triumph. 

But that was my fatal mistake. One moment I held the paddle overhead, victory in sight. The next, a crack of wood hitting wood struck my ears and my paddle flew out of my hand. It landed with a slap in the water on the far side of my canoe, next to Chris. 

Behind me, Alfred lowered his paddle. “What did I tell you, son?” he said as he coasted by. “Strategy always wins!” 

The crowd was screaming—they’d begun chanting Alfred! Alfred Alfred! as the old man glided straight past the finish line, clinching the race. 

Even I had to cheer, clapping hard and hollering after him as he raised his paddle in victory. 

But just then, beyond him, I saw someone running up the dock. Reese. I’d been so distracted I hadn’t noticed she wasn’t there before. 

“The winner is Alfred Jones,” Cat cried as the crowd roared.

Reese was looking at me anxiously, glancing at Michelle, who was cheering and waving, and then pointing at her hand. 

Two things happened at once then: I remembered the ring in my pocket, and someone flipped me out of my canoe. 

I landed face-first in the water, momentarily dazed. I flipped over, blinking in the sun. Then I patted my pocket, panic sending a gut punch through me. It was empty. 

“Sorry buddy,” Chris called, laughing. “It had to happen.” 

Then he saw my face. “Shit, you okay?” 

“I had a ring in my pocket,” I said. 

“A ring?” 

“An engagement ring!” I said. I fumbled for my buckles, unzipping my life vest and sliding it off. 

Fuck fuck fuck. 

I dove under the water, blinking in the murky lake water. It wasn’t too deep here, but the weeds were thick. I was never going to find it. 

Still, I took a giant breath and went down, swimming through the slimy lake-grass and feeling around on the mushy bottom. Nothing. I went back up for more air. 

Vaguely, I noticed the crowd had grown subdued, murmuring now with a few shouts from people who haven’t noticed. I went under again. This time, I saw shadows moving beside me. Graydon and Heath were here. Logan and Hank, too. On my next resurfacing, I saw life vests floating all around me. Except for Jake, out collecting canoes, and Alfred up on deck, the rest of them were in the water with me, helping me search. 

Except for Chris, who looked slightly ill. But when I took another breath this time, he did too. Then he, too, was swimming down into the cool bottom with me. 

He vanished the moment we went under. It was hopeless, I knew. My hands were only touching silt, and all of us had stirred it up so much I could only see a couple of feet in front of my face. From somewhere up above, I heard the muffled sounds of Cat on the bullhorn. 

Then, from nowhere, a hand grabbed me. I nearly inhaled a bunch of water before seeing it wasn’t some kind of lake monster but Chris, looking panicky. His shirt and hair billowed around him. Was he okay? I went to reach for him, ready to yank him up. But he thrust something in my face. 

The ring box. He’d found it. 

Both of us kicked to the surface, emerging sputtering and gasping. 

“I thought you were scared of weeds!” I said. I was gripping the box underwater still.

“I am! They’re the fucking worst! But I’m the one who knocked you over.”

I clapped Chris on the shoulder, laughing. “You had no idea. I was an idiot for forgetting I had it in my pocket.” 

“No shit,” Hank said from behind, swinging his hair out of his eyes. 

The crowd was buzzing, staring at us. 

Cat held her bullhorn out. “Did you find it?” Michelle was standing next to Cat, her face anxious, her hands at her mouth. 

“She knows about the ring, doesn’t she?” I asked. 

“Looks that way,” Logan said.

“I can ask Cat to distract everyone? We need to close the games, anyway” Jake said. 

“Nah,” I said. “Not yet. Maybe this is perfect.” 

I held up the box like I had my paddle only a short while ago. 

The crowd cheered. 

“Success!” Cat cried through the bullhorn. 

“Not yet,” I shouted. I swam over to the dock, hoisting myself up the ladder in a splatter of sloppy clothes. Then I walked over to Michelle. 

She looked up at me, not saying anything. She’d seen the box.

But I wasn’t going to her—not yet. 

“Wait right there,” I said when I reached her. “Please?” 

She nodded mutely. I kissed her, while confused titters sounded from the crowd. Then I strode over to where our four girls were standing. 

“Hey guys,” I said. Hannah was already teary-eyed, her hand on her mouth like Michelle. Remy looked wobbly too. 

They knew what I was going to say. 

I knelt beside the two younger kids first. “Emma, Macy. You know I’m madly in love with your mom, right?”

They nodded. 

“I’d very much like to ask her to marry me right now. Would that be okay with you?” 

Macy frowned. “Would that mean you’re going to be our new daddy?” 

“No,” Emma said. 

For a moment, my heart sank. Then I realized she was talking to Macy. “No, that’s not what it means. If Mom says yes, then she’ll have a husband and we can have a step-dad. We’ll always have our real daddy in heaven.” 

My throat grew thick. “That’s right. I would never take the place of your dad, Macy.” I smiled at Emma. “And you can keep calling me Will if you want.” 

Emma considered me for a moment, then she smiled, shyly. “It’s okay with me.” 

That seemed to be the permission Macy was waiting for because she beamed. “Me too.” 

The younger girl threw her arms around me. “You’re all wet!” she said, but didn’t move away. 

Emma stepped forward too, squeezing me briefly. “Ugh,” she said, looking up at Remy, who laughed. 

“How about you guys?” I asked my own girls, standing up. 

Both my daughters didn’t hesitate. They wrapped their arms around me. 

“I can’t believe you have to ask,” said Remy. 

Hannah nodded against my shoulder. “Of course, Dad.” 

The girls loved Michelle, too. 

I turned to head back but spotted Reese, standing a few feet away. She was wringing her hands, her face stricken.

“I’m so sorry, Will,” she said as I came over. “I should have been here.” 

“It’s fine,” I said. “I think, somehow, this is better than what we were planning. Anyway, it was me who put the damn thing in my pocket.” 

She nodded, pinching her lips together. 

“You sure you’re okay?” 

She nodded again. “I’m fine. I just got some news, that’s all. But this is more important right now.” Reese gave me a brief hug and said, “You’re already family to me. Take care of her when I’m not around, okay?” 

I gave her a confused look. “Not around?” 

She laughed, though I could see her eyes were wet. They didn’t look like happy tears like my daughters’, either. “I’m not dying. I’m just… taking a job in Vermont. I’ll tell you guys more later. Just please, go ask my sister to marry you.”

I turned back to Michelle. She was right. Nothing else could wait for what I was going to do now.

Several people in the crowd watching raptly had obviously sensed what had just happened, as more cheers began sounding as I jogged toward Michelle.  

“Hang on now,” Cat said through the bullhorn. “Don’t forget the most important part!”

The moment I reached Michelle the cheers grew even louder. 

“Thanks for waiting,” I said in her ear. 

She nodded.

Then I dropped to one knee. The cheers turned deafening.

Behind Michelle, Jake held his hands up. 

“Give them a minute!” Cat called through the horn. The crowd quieted down to a buzz.

“Michelle,” I said, softly. They couldn’t hear me now—it was just me and her. 

I popped open the box. Water gushed out, but the ring, thankfully, was still in its slot. Pulling it out, I held it up before me. 

A collective gasp, along with some awws came from the crowd, but they kept quiet enough for me to keep going.

“I love you,” I said. “I might have even known I was going to love you that first moment we met.”

“You mean when you told me you didn’t believe in marriage?” Michelle said.

I laughed softly. “Yeah, that time. I was scared. I knew you were special, Michelle. I’m not afraid anymore, not now, not ever. I hope…” That damn lump in my throat came back. “I hope now you might do me the honor of being my wife.” 

For a moment, she was silent. 

The crowd seemed to hold their breath in unison. 

Cat looked at me expectantly, the bullhorn held out at her side. 

On the deck, Graydon held hands with Lucy, Logan with his wife, Ophelia, who’d helped out on my campaign. Chris had swum back to the beach to be with Sadie and the kids along with Heath, to meet his partner Morgan, the potter, who was standing with Heath’s daughter. Hank, my brother, gave me a wide grin as he stood behind Casey, his arms folded around her shoulders while she held Sam’s hand. All of them were staring at me, grinning. They’d found their happily ever afters. Would I find mine? 

Michelle lowered her hands from her mouth, her eyes wet with tears. “I never wanted to remarry, you know.” 

“I know,” I said. 

“This is all your fault.”

“Why’s that?”

“You changed my mind,” she whispered. “I was so sure I didn’t want to love again, but I was wrong. I just hadn’t met you.” 

Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. “I love you, Will. I want to marry you.” 

My heart felt like it was filled with helium. “So that a yes?” I asked. 

She nodded. “Yes.” 

“That’s a yes!” Cat cried through the bullhorn. 

The crowd erupted—cheering, screaming, kids jumping up and down. 

I slipped the ring on her finger, then stood up, wrapping my arms around my fiancé.

“I’m going to do this right,” I whispered into her ear.

“I know,” she said. Then she kissed me, and everything else faded away—the noise, the sun, the water on my skin. 

It wasn’t how I’d planned it, but it was exactly the right way for it to happen. 

I clasped our hands together and raised them up to the cheering crowd. “To getting thrown in the lake,” I said to her, “and going with it.” 

Michelle laughed, the pure goodness of that sound rolling all the way down to my toes. 

***
Did you love this bonus scene and the Jewel Lakes Series? Then you’ll want to dive right in to Claire’s next series: The Kelly Family. The fun begins with Book One: Level With Me.