Falling For You (Honey Leaf Lodge #1)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Violet

Valentine’s Day had arrived, and despite the cold Wisconsin air, there was an undeniable warmth in my heart. I’d woken up to a quiet cabin, Owen already gone, with a note left on the kitchen counter in his familiar scrawl.

Today is a day of adventure so put on your boots and bundle up. I’ve got a surprise for you. Follow the clues.

I smiled as I read the note. It was so sweet of him.

Our first Valentine’s Day together. I poured some coffee as my heart raced with anticipation.

Owen had a way of making even the simplest things feel like magic. I grabbed my jacket and boots, eager to see what he had planned. As soon as I stepped out the door, I noticed the first clue—tied to the railing of my front porch, fluttering gently in the cold breeze. The paper was folded neatly, with a heart drawn on the outside.

I opened it with a smile.

Clue 1: I’m thinking of an animal that’s fluffy and loud. You’ve seen it before. Do you remember when you fell down proud?

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course.

The llama.

The infamous incident where I’d tripped and landed, feet sticking out of a trough. Owen had been there to save me, pulling me out and wrapping me in his jacket. I hadn’t known it then, but that was the moment I started falling for him.

The clue was clearly pointing me to the barn.

Pulling my jacket tighter, I trudged through the snow with my coffee and clue toward the petting zoo.

My breath was visible in the cold morning air, and my feet crunched with each step.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the familiar sounds of the animals. The next clue was tied to the gate of the llama pen.

Clue 2: A tangled affair of lights and limbs, but we made it through with laughter and grins.

I chuckled, recalling the time I’d tangled myself in Christmas lights, and he caught me from smashing my head against the barn floor.

This clue must be pointing me to the lodge. On the porch, we still had white, glowing lights welcoming guests.

The lodge stood proudly in the distance, its warm glow beckoning me closer. When I reached the porch, there was another clue tied to the front railing.

I chuckled and shook my head. Owen was really good at this.

Clue 3: A moment under the stars, where time seemed to stop. It’s where you held my heart, and I realized you were my rock.

I smiled at the memory. It had been late one evening after a snowstorm. After a long day of working at the lodge and on my blog, Owen pulled me out of the back of my tiny cabin, and we wandered to the outlook.

Wrapped in a blanket, we watched the stars twinkle above us in the quiet of the resting snow. The beauty of the frozen lake stretched in front of us. It had been one of those moments when everything felt right, and I knew he was the one.

I hadn’t noticed any footprints in the snow headed inthat direction. Maybe he was spying on me and dashing all over. The thought made me giggle as I looked around sheepishly.

I made my way back toward the cabin and veered toward the lake. My heart pounded with a mix of excitement and love as I climbed through the snow. The view was just as stunning as I remembered when I reached the overlook. The lake stretched out before me, frozen over in the winter chill. The trees surrounding the frozen water were dusted with snow. And there, tied to one of the benches, was another clue.

Clue 4: You’ve been brave, you’ve been bold, and you’ve held your own here. But now it’s time to take a leap, and this treasure will be known.

My breath caught in my throat as I read the words.

Was this it?

Was this the last clue?

I glanced around, looking for any sign of Owen, but the hill was quiet. The snow-covered landscape stretched out in all directions, peaceful and still.

I wasn’t sure what to do next, but something in the note made me think I needed to return to where this all started—back to the lodge. The treasure would be known, it said. And where else would Owen reveal the treasure he had in store?

And bold? Was that about my cooking?

I headed back down the hill, my steps quickening as I neared the lodge. By the time I reached the front door again, I was practically buzzing with anticipation. As I stepped inside, the familiar warmth of the lodge washed over me, and I stopped in my tracks.

In the center of the room stood my family and his. All of my closest friends stood quietly, grinning.

The room was filled with candles, their soft glow casting a magical light across the space. And at the center of it all was Owen.

My breath hitched as I took in the scene. He stood there, waiting for me, looking as handsome as ever in his dark sweater and jeans.

Owen’s eyes locked on mine. I could feel the love radiating from him. My heart felt like it might burst from my chest when he stepped forward.

“Owen?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

He smiled softly and walked toward me, taking my hand in his. “Vi,” he said, his voice steady, but I could hear the emotion in it. “You’ve been my adventure from the start. Every moment with you has been a treasure, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as he spoke.

His words sank into my heart. I had known for a while now that he was the one, but hearing him say these things out loud was overwhelming in the best possible way.

“And so,” he continued, his thumb gently brushing over my gloves, “I wanted to make sure you knew just how much you mean to me. Today, I want to ask you something I’ve wanted to ask for a while.”

With that, Owen dropped to one knee.

A collective gasp from the room erupted, and my stomach knotted in anticipation.

My hand flew to my mouth as I watched him pull a small velvet box from his pocket.

“Violet,” he said, his voice filled with so much love it nearly brought me to tears, “you are my heart, my home, and my future. Without you, I would be a salty curmudgeon. You saved me from a fate worse than…” He chuckled. “You get the point.”

I laughed and nodded. “I do, indeed.”

“Vi, thank you for trusting me and believing in me. You are my person. Will you marry me?”

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. Everything around me faded away.

The room, the people, the candles… none of it mattered. I only focused on Owen, the man I loved, kneeling in front of me with a ring in his hand.

I thought my heart might leap out of my chest at any second as I started nodding frantically.

“Yes,” I finally managed to whisper, my voice trembling with emotion. “Yes, Owen. I’ll marry you.”

He wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the ground as the room erupted in cheers and applause. I could hear Liam whooping in the background, Fifi squealing, and Beck clapping, but I could only focus on Owen.

Owen set me back down and chuckled, cupping my cheeks in his.

“Most women want to see the ring.”

“The ring!” I chuckled. “I forgot about the ring.”

Everyone chuckled as he tugged my gloves off my hands and opened up the box again.

“I don’t want to wait another second.” He grinned at me. “Let’s put this puppy on.”

The ring was simple, elegant, and perfect.

Owen slipped the diamond onto my finger, and the tears spilled down my cheeks.

“Are you happy?” he asked softly, brushing a tear from my cheek.

“I’ve never been happier,” I whispered.

We stood there for a moment, just the two of us, as the room buzzed around us. My family and friends congratulated us, laughing and cheering, but it felt like we were in our own little bubble.

Finally, Liam clapped Owen on the back, grinning like a fool. “Well, I guess you’re officially stuck with us now,” he teased, winking at me.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Owen replied, smiling as he pulled me closer.

As the day wore on, we celebrated with everyone, surrounded by love and laughter. I couldn’t stop glancing at the ring on my finger, the reality of what had just happened slowly sinking in.

Owen and I were engaged. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together, building a future, sharing adventures, and creating memories.

As I rested my head on Owen’s shoulder later that night, curled up on the couch with him under a blanket, I realized that this moment was what I had always been searching for.

And I had found it.

In him.

My fiancé.

Everything else like the blog, the lodge, and the town mattered. But this love we shared was the anchor that held it all together.

Owen kissed the top of my head.

“I can’t believe you did all of that,” I whispered, glancing up at him.

He smiled down at me, his eyes full of affection. “I’d do anything for you, Violet. Anything.”

I pressed a soft kiss to his lips, feeling the weight of his words settle deep in my heart. This was just the beginning of our story, and I couldn’t wait to see where it would take us.

THE END