My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh.”
I can’t move. For a moment, I can’t even breathe. It’s beautiful, magical even. I haven’t been camping since I was a teen, nervous and giddy as I snuck away with Ryder to pitch a tent under the stars. That night ended with heartbreak I didn’t see coming, but this… this is different.
“Mummy!”
Jaxon barrels out from behind a tree, cheeks flushed with excitement. He skids to a stop in front of me. “Do you like it? We made it for you!”
Tears well in my eyes instantly. I crouch, pulling him into my arms, breathing him in. “You helped with this?”
He nods with a proud grin. “I picked flowers, and I didn’t tell you all day, even when I wanted to!”
A laugh escapes me. “You did so well, baby. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
When I stand again, Ryder is there, a few steps away, watching me like I’m the only thing in the world. The sight of him steals the rest of my breath. He looks nervous, his shoulders tense and his eyes uncertain. For a man who commands an entire pack of wolves with a single word, it’s strange to see him this way.
“Ryder…” My voice shakes. “You did this?”
He clears his throat as he nods once. “For you. I wanted to give you what I should’ve given you back then.”
The tears spill before I can stop them. I cross the space between us and press my hands to his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart beneath my hands.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper. “I don’t even have words.”
His arms wrap around me, pulling me close. “You don’t need words,” he murmurs. “Just stay here with me tonight. Let me make this right.”
I tilt my head back to look at him, my vision blurred with tears. “I’d love to.”
Jaxon tugs insistently at my sleeve. “Mummy, sit down on the blanket! It’s all ready!”
I laugh, letting Jax and Ryder guide me to the blanket. Callen and Remy appear then, grinning like they’ve been waiting to see my reaction. Parker joins us too, smug in that quiet way of his. They don’t crowd me, though, they hang back, letting Ryder take the lead.
The blanket is soft beneath me, and the food is laid out in neat dishes around us. Ryder pours me a glass of wine, his big hands careful, like even this part needs to be perfect.
“Do you like it, Mummy?” Jaxon asks again, plopping down beside me, his eyes wide with hope.
I kiss the top of his head. “I love it so much.”
His smile is bright enough to light the clearing.
“Ready to go, bud?” Callen asks, and Jaxon nods.
“Go where?” I ask.
“Home with us,” Parker smiles and gives me a wink. “This night is just for the two of you.
Enjoy.”
My heart skips a beat. I’ve never spent a night away from him before. “Are you sure?”
“Don’t worry, Mummy. We are going to have pizza and stay up late playing X-box.”
“Oh, are you now?” I laugh, hugging him and kissing his cheek before he grabs Callen’s hand and tugs him away with an excited giggle.
Callen looks back, blowing me a kiss. Then Parker and Remy each lean down, Parker kissing my cheek and Remy kissing the top of my head before they leave too. Then it’s just me and
Ryder.
Dinner is easy. We laugh between bites of food while Rye tells me all about Jaxon’s antics today and all the food he had to sample. For a while, I forget everything. There’s no Greg, no hunters, no danger, just us.
After we finish eating, we lay back on the blanket to look up at the stars in the glow of lanterns and candlelight. The clearing feels like we’re in a different world. Our own little bubble.
Ryder rolls onto his side to face me, his eyes searching mine. “Do you remember?” he asks softly.
“Of course I remember,” I whisper. How could I forget? That night is etched into me, both the sweetness and the hurt. “But this feels different.”
“It is different.” His hand finds mine, his palm warm against my skin. “I was a boy then. I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought we had time.” His voice is rough. “I was wrong, and I can’t change that, but I can give you this. I can do it right this time.”
He reaches behind me with his other hand and presents me with a single red rose, just like he had all those years ago..Red is for love, romance and desire.
Emotion sticks in my throat. I squeeze his hand, blinking back tears. “You already are, Ryder,
You don’t have to prove anything to me.”
He shakes his head, leaning closer until his forehead rests against mine. “I do. I don’t want you to ever wonder again if you were enough. You’ve always been enough. I was the one who wasn’t.”
The tears finally spill over, rolling down my cheeks. I cup his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”
He lets out a shaky breath, and then his mouth finds mine, soft and slow, and nothing like the rushed, messy kisses of our youth. It’s deeper, full of everything he can’t seem to say.
When we part, I press my forehead to his, my chest aching with love I can’t contain. “I don’t deserve this,” I whisper.
His thumb brushes away my tears. “You deserve the world, Paige, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life giving it to you.”
The lanterns sway in the cool breeze above us, and I shiver. The tent glows softly behind him, promising warmth and a night that belongs only to us.
Ryder’s lips linger on mine, slow and certain, and I swear I can feel his heartbeat in the kiss.
The man who once shattered me is now holding me as though I’m something precious. It undoes me in ways I didn’t think possible.
He pulls back just enough to search my face, his thumb brushing away the last of my tears. Come on,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough. “Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”
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