Chapter 10 - Full Bloom
Six months later, the cliffs of Holloway Point were no longer battered by winter gales; they were bathed in the soft, warm golden light of a perfect New England spring.
The east terrace had been transformed.
There were no wedding arches this time. No frantic brides, no demanding aunts, no melting cakes, and no corporate logistics to manage.
Instead, long wooden farm tables stretched across the grass, laden with heavy glass vases overflowing with wild eucalyptus, white peonies, and pale lavender. Strings of fairy lights twisted through the ancient oak trees, and the air smelled of salt water, damp earth, and roasted rosemary.
Around the tables sat a small, carefully curated group of people: Lily and Evan, holding hands and laughing across the table; Tess, happily explaining her new role as head of operations for *Blooms & Co.* to a very attentive shipping lawyer; and a handful of close friends.
At the head of the terrace, standing near the stone balustrade, Mara looked out over the sparkling Atlantic.
She wore a simple, elegant ivory silk dress that swept the grass softly around her ankles, her dark hair cascading in loose waves over her shoulders.
Footsteps approached from behind. Strong, warm arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a solid, familiar chest. A chin rested comfortably on her shoulder.
"You're staring at the hydrangeas again," Grant murmured, his voice low and rich against her ear.
Mara leaned back into him, resting her hands over his forearms. "I'm checking the alignment. The sun hits this wall at exactly four-fifteen. If the stems aren't hydrated, they'll droop."
Grant chuckled, pressing a tender kiss to the side of her neck. "Let them droop. For once, you aren't working."
"I am never off duty, Holloway," she teased, turning around in his arms to face him.
Grant looked different. The hard, exhausted lines around his eyes were gone, replaced by the relaxed, grounded warmth of a man who had finally learned how to let go. He wore an unbuttoned linen shirt over dark slacks, looking less like a ruthless billionaire titan and more like a man who had finally found his home.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, flat velvet box.
Mara’s breath hitched. She froze, looking down at the box.
"Grant..." she whispered, her voice suddenly tight. "We talked about this. No corporate takeovers, no grand gestures—"
"This isn't a corporate takeover, Mara," Grant interrupted softly, his dark eyes burning with absolute, unwavering devotion. "This is a merger. Two lives, equal shares, zero exit strategy."
Slowly, deliberately, he popped the box open.
Inside sat a ring—not a massive, ostentatious diamond designed to make the Newport tabloids scream, but a clean, elegant platinum band inlaid with a delicate, intricately carved vine of small emeralds and tiny white diamonds.
"You designed this," Mara breathed, her vision suddenly blurring with unexpected, hot tears.
"I consulted with a very stubborn designer in Boston," Grant said, a rare, breathtaking smile touching his lips. "She told me my taste was atrocious, but she eventually let me pick the stones."
Mara stared at him, the fierce, independent florist from Boston realizing, with absolute clarity, that her walls hadn't just been breached—they had been willingly torn down, brick by brick, by a man who loved her precisely because she refused to let him hide.
She raised her hands, wrapping them around the back of his neck, pulling him down toward her.
"Your taste is still atrocious, Holloway," she whispered against his lips, a watery laugh escaping her throat. "But I accept."
Grant didn't wait. He slipped the ring onto her finger, pulled her flush against his chest, and kissed her as the sun dipped below the Newport horizon, painting the Atlantic in brilliant shades of gold and fire.
May you like
Down on the lawn, Tess raised a glass of champagne toward them, shouting out a toast, while Lily cheered and the string quartet struck up a slow, beautiful melody.
The flowers were arranged. The horizon was clear. And for the first time in their lives, neither of them had anywhere else they needed to be.
