Chapter 9 - The Promise Kept
Luca led me away from the noise of the grand opening crowd, down a quiet gravel path that wound through a grove of blooming cherry blossom trees toward the far edge of the property.
At the top of a small, grassy hill overlooking the entire forty-acre sanctuary stood a beautiful, craftsman-style stone cottage.
It had a wrap-around porch, a stone chimney, and huge bay windows that looked out over the green pastures and the distant Chicago skyline.
"What is this place?" I asked, looking up at the stunning house in surprise.
Luca pulled a polished silver key—the same key he had given me six months ago in Lake Geneva—from his pocket and pressed it into my palm.
"This is our home, Emma," Luca said softly.
I looked at him, my heart performing a joyful leap in my chest. "Our home?"
"I sold the Oakbrook mansion last month," Luca explained, a peaceful smile lighting up his face. "It carried too many ghosts, too much blood, and too many memories of a life I no longer want. I built this house for us. For you, for me, for your mother, and for Bruno."
He led me up the wooden steps onto the porch.
The front door opened into a bright, airy living room filled with warm sunlight, hardwood floors, comfortable white sofas, and a massive stone fireplace.
In front of the hearth sat a huge, plush dog bed—and resting right beside it was a wooden plaque carved with the words: BRUNO'S SOFA.
Bruno trotted through the open door, looked around the bright room, let out a long, happy sigh, and immediately flopped onto the bed, stretching his old legs out in the sunbeams streaming through the bay window.
I walked over to the bay window, looking out over the sanctuary.
In the distance, I could see my mother sitting on a bench, chatting happily with Mrs. Gable, while my brother Leo was helping a young girl walk a three-legged golden retriever across the grass.
Luca walked up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist, resting his chin gently on my shoulder.
"Do you like it?" he whispered against my neck.
"I love it, Luca," I choked out, tears of absolute happiness blurring my vision. "It's perfect."
Luca reached into his pocket once more.
He turned me around in his arms so I was facing him. His grey eyes were clear, bright, and filled with a love so deep it made my knees tremble.
He slowly dropped down onto one knee—not on a wet rug in a terrifying dining room, but on the warm, sunlit floorboards of our home.
He held up a small velvet box.
Inside sat a breathtaking three-carat oval diamond ring, set in platinum, sparkling like pure sunlight.
"Emma Sullivan," Luca said, his voice trembling with rare, profound emotion. "You saved my dog, you saved my soul, and you gave me a life worth living. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Tears spilled over my cheeks, hot and sweet.
I didn't hesitate for a single second.
"Yes, Luca," I cried, dropping to my knees beside him, throwing my arms around his neck. "Yes! A thousand times yes!"
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Luca let out a triumphant roar of laughter, slipping the diamond ring onto my finger, pulling me into a fierce, passionate kiss that sealed our future forever.
Beside the fire, Bruno lifted his silver muzzle, let out a single thumping wag of his tail, and went back to sleep in the warm spring sun.
