ahead and kiss the girl.”
Easton grinned as his face flushed red. He pulled her into him then, his smile fading as his expression turned serious. “I don’t mind if I do.” He pressed his full, wonderful lips to hers then, thrilling her with a sensation Ivy had feared she might never feel again.
More cheers came as she wrapped her arms around him and reveled in his kiss.
She pulled back slightly, looked into his eyes once more, and smiled.
It was then that Marsha stepped out of the helicopter, a wide grin on her face, and waved the cameraman out of her way. And were those tears she was wiping from her eyes? The cameraman turned the lens on Marsha, leaving Ivy and Easton with some off-camera time to themselves. Well, and the hundreds of people surrounding them on the interstate.
“Is Marsha letting you off the hook?” Ivy asked.
He nodded. “She’s even raising money for the center right now, during the live broadcast.”
Wow, the woman really was a romantic, wasn’t she? “Is she the one responsible for the tux? If so, I’ll have to thank her.”
Easton nodded and grinned. “The tux was her doing. But, well, I was going for the whole squad car thing, but your dad said the chopper would be a better way to go.”
“My dad?” Her eyes widened.
Easton took that time to explain that her parents, and her brothers too, were waiting at the studio for them, which meant they were watching it all unfold on a big screen among hundreds of fans. She couldn’t help but take satisfaction in the fact.
Soon, the traffic would clear and they’d head to the studio for the rest of the premier. Also soon, they’d discuss what the short-term future would look like for them, dating as they planned to do. But for now, Ivy would enjoy the splendid heaven of Easton Spark’s embrace, and bask in the redemption, the joy, and the hope he’d given her.
Easton had gone to great lengths to make this happen. He’d come out of hiding, given up his privacy, and made a major public display.
And in the moment of bliss, among the night sky, their audience in cars, and the warm California wind, Ivy basked in the knowledge that, in Easton’s mind, Ivy was worth a gesture so grand. And something told her that this was only the start. Their start, to a happily ever after.
Epilogue
“Wanna hear something cool?” Easton asked while he lay next to Ivy by the fireplace. It was her turn to visit him, and late spring in Denver could still get rather chilly, especially for her.
“Let me guess,” Ivy said. “You’re going to tell me that it takes twelve pounds of milk to produce just one gallon of ice cream?”
Easton chuckled, glancing at their empty ice cream containers on the mantle. “I hadn’t heard that one before. Guess that means I’m going to have to pee soon.”
Ivy chuckled and gave him a nudge. “What were you going to say?”
“Just that, now that the baby’s born, Chantelle says she wants to open the second nature rehab center.”
“That’s awesome.”
Yes, it was. Thanks to Marsha’s more than generous donation—and the fundraiser she’d kept running during the entire first episode—they’d raised enough money to make it happen. He and Ivy’s social media page, something Ivy created after the show, continued to bring in donations as well.
“Guess where we’re going to put the new center.”
Ivy bit her lip and looked off in the distance, eyes narrowing in concentration. But then suddenly she gasped, sat up straight, and turned a very serious look on him. “Easton!” Her eyes were the size of saucers.
He grinned. “What?” His tone came out playful. He was enjoying this, after all.
“Is it…” She covered her mouth, as if she didn’t dare even speak it, then blinked twice, then pulled her hand down. “Are you going to build it in LA?” Her body turned jittery as she waited for his reply, as if she’d just stepped into a frigid storm.
“Tell me,” she pleaded, grabbing his arm and rocking him back and forth.
A chuckle escaped Easton’s lips. “Yes, Ivy. Of course we’re building it there. We’ll all be moving there too because…” He shifted himself up and onto one knee, then reached for the small box he’d tucked behind the wood stack. He cracked it open to reveal the ring and set his gaze back on Ivy. “Because I’d like you to marry me.”
Ivy squealed at the sight of the ring. Before he could brace