Raúl pointed behind her.
Annalise turned.
Curt was on one knee behind her, a small box open in his hand.
Annalise sucked in a breath as her gaze fixed on a gorgeous square-cut solitaire diamond. “Curt…”
“Annalise,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming of finding true love for a long time, and I’m so lucky to have met a woman who feels the same way. I’m so lucky to have met a woman who makes me laugh, and who makes me feel seen the way you do. And to have that woman be the mother of my children… I can’t imagine anything better.”
Annalise’s heart beat furiously. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. She and Curt had settled so well into the routine of their life and of being a family together that she had stopped thinking about marriage. It had been enough for her to be with him.
But now, seeing him kneeling before her with that beautiful ring he had chosen specifically for her hand—
“Will you marry me, Annalise?” Curt asked.
“Of course I will,” she said breathlessly.
He slid the ring onto her finger, then got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him and kissing her deeply. She felt her body mold to his, as it so often did when he held her, responding to his strength and presence.
“Yay!” Will yelled, clapping his hands.
Annalise and Curt broke apart, laughing.
Annalise swept her son up in her arms. “Mommy and Daddy are going to get married. Do you like that?”
Will nodded enthusiastically, even though Annalise was sure he had no idea what was happening.
“Why don’t you two go for a walk?” Janette suggested. “Raúl and I will babysit.”
“Are you sure?” Annalise asked, knowing what a handful her children could be.
“Absolutely,” Raúl chimed in. “We’ll build a sand castle, right guys?”
“Yeah!” Will said, clearly still wildly excited despite not understanding what was so momentous about the day’s events.
He had always been that way—able to pick up on what was going on around him, able to understand the mood of a situation even if he didn’t know what was causing it.
Janette’s just like him, she realized. Maybe that’s why they get along so well.
It was endlessly fascinating to see the way the different members of her family connected, all the things they had in common and all the things that made them alike.
Curt wrapped his arm around Annalise’s waist. “Come on,” he said, toeing off his shoes. “Let’s go for a walk in the surf, Future Mrs. Slade.”
She buried her face in his shoulder, a little embarrassed by how much she enjoyed hearing that name. “You want me to take your last name?”
“Do you want to?”
“I think so.” She’d always assumed that if she were to get married, she would keep her own name. That was what Janette had done. But the idea of sharing a name with Curt, and with their children, made her feel warm inside. It was hard to believe she had ever considered doing anything else.
“Mrs. Slade,” he said again. “Annalise Slade.”
She giggled, feeling like a teenager with a crush. “What do you think the paparazzi are going to make of this turn of events?”
“Oh, they’re still not over the fact that I only make indie movies now and that I’ve moved in with a woman they’ve never heard of,” Curt said, laughing. “There’s no precedent in Hollywood for our story.”
“Can we have a small wedding?” Annalise asked.
“We can have whatever you want,” he said.
“I’d like it to be just close friends and family,” she said. “Janette and Raúl, of course. Some of my teacher friends, and some of your friends from the industry, if you want.”
“And James,” Curt added. “He’s been with me forever. I can’t leave him out.”
“Oh, God, yeah, of course James,” Annalise said.
“Maybe we can have the wedding here on Catalina,” Curt suggested. “That would make it harder for reporters to find us and crash the party.”
Annalise nodded. “We could have it catered by that restaurant you took me to on our first date,” she said.
“Perfect,” he said, turning to face her. “You always have the best ideas.”
“I do my best.”
He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, hands sliding up her back to tangle in her har. Annalise felt short of breath. She leaned into him, wanting more, conscious of the fact that there was a limit to how far this could go while they were out in public like this.
As always, that line only served to make things hotter.
“Maybe we should get back