Chapter 27 - The Question
Rafe became strange in November.
Not dangerous strange.
Nervous strange.
That was worse.
He took secret calls.
Closed laptop screens when Eleanor entered.
Met Marcus without explanation.
Finally Eleanor cornered Marcus in Arthur House.
"Is Rafe dying?"
Marcus choked on his coffee.
"What?"
"Is he sick?"
"No."
"Criminal investigation?"
"No."
"Hostile takeover?"
"No."
"Secret child?"
Marcus nearly dropped the cup.
"Absolutely not."
"Then what is he hiding?"
Marcus smiled.
"I value my life."
Eleanor narrowed her eyes.
"Traitor."
The mystery ended Thanksgiving morning.
Rafe asked Eleanor to walk with him.
They drove to an overlook above the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Cold air swept across the mountains.
Rafe seemed unusually quiet.
"You okay?" Eleanor asked.
"No."
That alarmed her.
Then he dropped to one knee.
Eleanor stared.
"What are you doing?"
"Attempting something normal."
"We're already married."
"I know."
He opened a small box.
Inside was a simple ring.
Not enormous.
Not designed to impress anyone.
"First time around, you didn't choose me."
Eleanor's throat tightened.
"Rafe—"
"I've thought about that every day."
He looked genuinely terrified.
"I know our marriage became real. I know the paperwork already says you're my wife. But you deserved to be asked."
Eleanor's eyes filled.
"So I'm asking."
His voice roughened.
"Eleanor, if there were no company, no contract, no money, no Celeste, no Victor, no reason in the world except that I love you—would you still marry me?"
Eleanor started crying.
Rafe immediately looked worried.
"That's not encouraging."
She laughed through tears.
"You idiot."
"Also unclear."
She dropped to her knees in front of him.
"Yes."
His entire face changed.
"Yes?"
"Yes."
He kissed her.
The ring slipped onto her finger.
Eleanor looked down.
Inside the band were engraved four words.
NO MORE STOLEN DAYS.
She cried harder.
Rafe held her.
Eventually she pulled back.
"I have one condition."
His expression became suspicious.
"Of course you do."
"We redo the wedding."
"Fine."
"No society gala."
"Excellent."
"No ballroom."
"Better."
"No business deals."
"Perfect."
"And Thomas gets to choose exactly nothing."
"Agreed."
A voice shouted from behind a boulder.
"THE HELL I DON'T!"
Eleanor spun.
Thomas emerged.
Then Marcus.
Then Vanessa.
Then half the Whitmore Thermal leadership team.
Eleanor stared at Rafe.
"You brought witnesses?"
He looked embarrassed.
Marcus shrugged.
"We didn't trust him to execute this correctly."
Thomas wiped his eyes.
"You said yes, right?"
Eleanor laughed.
"Yes."
Everyone cheered.
Rafe stood and pulled her up.
Years earlier, Eleanor had imagined proposals looked like restaurants, champagne, diamonds, and beautiful thin women who deserved romance.
Reality was better.
Cold mountain wind.
Work boots.
Friends hiding badly behind rocks.
And a scarred man asking for something he technically already had because he understood choice mattered.
Eleanor looked at her ring.
Their first marriage had saved her company.
May you like
Their second wedding would celebrate something far more valuable.
Freedom.
