I rested against the trunk of the tree we were under, and Ashleigh turned her head to look at me. The cold had made her cheeks pink. She looked so young, so fresh.

“Luke, I fell in love with you one summer under a magnolia tree, and I’ve been in love with you ever since. But despite my heart having been yours for so long, I’ve given you reason to doubt me. I’ve pushed you away and not trusted you, not thought it was possible that what you felt for me could be anything close to what I feel for you. Well, I wanted to bring you back to where it all began for me. And say, winter or summer, rain or shine, whether the magnolia trees are in bloom or not, I will love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

My heart was pounding, and I raised my head to study the branches of the tree we were sitting under.

This was why she’d brought me here?

To propose to me under a magnolia tree?

My throat was tight with a thousand things I wanted to say to her.

She pulled out a green velvet pouch from under the blanket and opened the drawstrings that held it together. She dipped inside and brought out a small circle of wood. “It’s magnolia.” Her eyes darted to mine, checking for a reaction. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.” It was perfect, a symbol of our past that would be with us into our future.

“I measured your finger with cotton while you were asleep. It should fit, but I understand if you don’t want to wear it.” She was babbling, and it was adorable.

“Of course I want to wear it. And of course I will marry you. I love you so much.”

She pushed the ring onto my left ring finger and clasped her hand over mine, her sparkling sapphire nestling against the sturdy wood of the magnolia.

“So my proposal wasn’t good enough?” I asked, chuckling.

She laughed. “I just thought you deserved to see how much you mean to me. To know that I realize we’re forever.”

“You’re going to be the most incredible wife and mother.” I was so proud of her in that moment, so proud of who she was and the mother I knew she would become.

“You’re going to be the most amazing husband and father.”

I pulled her closer and buried my head in her neck, breathing in her familiar smell of summer. “This is the perfect engagement story to tell our kids and grandkids.”

“You think the story where you pulled out a ring while I stank of vomit isn’t romantic enough?” She giggled. “For me it was when we finally made sense. I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything.”

“I wouldn’t trade any moment I have with you.” Every second was special when I spent it with Ashleigh.

A Few Months Later—Ashleigh

My husband cooing over our daughter had to be one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. He was just so gigantic next to her delicate newness.

“Welcome home, Maggie,” he whispered as he stepped over the threshold of our new house, clutching her like the precious jewel she was. Even at twenty-three hours old, she had Luke’s eyes and golden skin. She was perfect. She’d been as desperate to meet us as we her, and the labor had only lasted two hours. A girl after my own heart, she’d arrived just after six, and just in time for cocktails. The hospital had told us we could go home that evening, but Luke, ever protective, had insisted we all stay the night. Luke and I’d spent the entire time holding hands, just staring at her.

A few months earlier, we’d found a house, a Victorian villa with a garden. When we’d moved in, Haven and Jake put an offer in on a place two streets down. Their home was at least nine times the size of ours, but I couldn’t wait to have them round the corner. Ours was a fixer-upper, but when it was done, there would be room for more babies and a garden where they could play. Luke insisted that he wanted at least seven more kids. I’d told him that he would have to pray for a medical miracle that made men carrying children possible. Though now that Maggie had arrived, he could probably convince me that I should be pregnant the rest of my life.

“She smells like you,” he said, taking a seat in our living room, his eyes not leaving her for a second. I stood next to them, leaning into him, gazing at my daughter as I threaded my fingers through his hair. How had I gotten this lucky?

I bent down to take in her scent. “She smells of the flower she was named after. How is that possible?”

“She’s a miracle.”

“We have to try not to break her. She’s nonrefundable,” I said.

“We got this, Ashleigh.”

I nodded. “We really do.”

There was some scrabbling at the front door, and then I heard voices. Luke looked up at me, and we grinned. The rest of the family had arrived.

I turned around and found myself enveloped in a Beth-and-Haven hug, which was the best kind.

“A two hour labor? Are you shitting me?” Haven asked.

“Giving birth is her superpower,” Luke said proudly.

“And you look so good,” Beth added. I felt fantastic, elated—as if I were high on a new kind of drug named baby.

Jake carried a sleeping baby Sophia over to the sofa and set her down next to Luke and Maggie as we all gathered around them.

“She’s gorgeous,” Haven said, mesmerized by Maggie.

“She really is,” I replied. “Maggie, meet your future partner in crime, Sophia. You two are going to break some hearts.”

Haven and Beth laughed.

“I really don’t need to hear about my daughter and boys the day she’s home from the hospital. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Luke asked.

“Don’t worry, we have a few years to formulate a plan,” I replied.

Haven and I exchanged a look. No plan would ever work. We knew how naughty teenage girls could be.

“Can I hold her?” Beth asked me.

“If you can pry her away from her father, then of course.”

Luke shot me a glance. He didn’t want to lose a second with his daughter, but he reluctantly handed our tiny bundle to Beth.

“You next then, Beth,” I said.

Beth smiled. “I don’t think so.”

“They all say that,” Jake said. “Just before they meet the perfect guy. And he better be perfect, mind.” He slung his arm around his sister’s shoulder. “But in the meantime, you should have some fun.”

“Yeah, surely there’s a tall, dark stranger waiting for you on one of your trips to Chicago.”

“Yes, mindless sex with a stranger. That’s what you need.” Haven sounded excited, and I couldn’t help but giggle at Jake’s face as he watched his wife consider the idea.

Beth rolled her eyes. “Let’s just concentrate on baby central over here, shall we? Just because you’re all domesticated doesn’t mean that’s my path.”

“It’s just a matter of time.” I grinned at her.

I wrapped my arms around Luke’s waist. “Can you believe this?” He bent down and dropped a soft kiss on my lips.

“We brought food and beer,” Haven said. I didn’t want to let my baby out of my sight, so I stood as Haven scurried round, finding plates, glasses and cutlery.

“We’ve set it all out in the garden,” she said a few minutes later.

“Please, may I have my daughter?” I asked Beth. I loved her feeling everyone else’s love, but I needed a Maggie top-up, just so I could feel her pressing against my heart, to let her know I was still here, as I always would be.

Beth grinned and handed Maggie to me, and she led the way into the garden.

“I hope you don’t mind all these noisy people,” I whispered to Maggie. “You’ll get used to their strange ways soon enough.”

“Is she talking back?” Luke asked as he came up behind us in the doorway.

I turned to face him. “She is. She told me she’s pleased to have such a handsome, kind and generous daddy.”

“She said that to me too,” Luke said.

I giggled.

Luke’s face broke into a grin, and then his smile fell, his brows knitting together. “God, you’re so beautiful.” He sounded so serious, my heart skipped at his words. He pulled us into his arms as we watched the rest of them gather around the table.