“Yes. Mostly.” Content, maybe. Climbing my way to happiness.

“Because from here, it looks like you’re killing time. Being a teacher, doing those paintings you hate, listening to sirens and car horns all day, taking your life into your hands every time you cross the street. You gave it a shot. It didn’t work. Come home and be with me.”

My jaw clenched. “Wow. So now that I’ve failed—at least the way you define it—I should come home and marry you and get pregnant.”

He leaned forward. “I love you. Doesn’t that matter at all? Because to me, that’s everything.”

“It doesn’t sound like everything. It sounds like everything you want, with no room for me. Why can’t we be together, me in the city, you in Stoningham? Lots of people have long-distance relationships.”

“You can’t raise a family that way!”

“So that’s it? Your way, or nothing?”

“What would I tell our kids? Mommy doesn’t love you enough to live with you?”

“I don’t see me having kids anytime soon, Noah. And certainly not because you bullied me into it.”

We glared at each other over our cooling burgers.

“So you’re saying no, is that it?” he asked. “Because I’d like an answer. The waiting period is over, and I’m not gonna chase after you all my life.”

“This is a very hostile marriage proposal.”

“Don’t make jokes, Sadie. Give me an answer. Will you marry me?”

There was no right answer I could give.

“I’m so sorry, Noah,” I whispered. “I love you with all my heart, but I don’t want that life right now.”

His face didn’t change. He just looked at me with those dark, dark eyes, then glanced away and swallowed. Twice. He pulled out his wallet and put two twenties on the table. Then he left me at the table with our untouched burgers and unfinished beers.

Sitting there in that pub, I think I knew. A love like that didn’t come along every day. No other man was going to light my heart up in shades of red so beautiful it hurt. I loved Noah, loved his gentleness and kind heart, how hard he worked. I loved his smile, his mouth, the way he looked on the water with the wind blowing in his tangled hair. I knew that being with someone who thought you were the most wonderful, precious thing in the world didn’t happen very often, and maybe would never happen again.

But I wasn’t going to marry a man who’d proposed via ultimatum.

— —

Three years after I’d turned Noah down in that stupid Irish pub, he got engaged.