All I Never Wanted

Epilogue

June, One Year Later

“Are we there yet?” Lexi whined for what seemed like the hundredth time since they started this trek.

Annie had tuned her out somewhere in the mid-fifties, letting Stiller deal with her hot, tired and overly cranky sister.  Stomping through the concrete jungle of New York City had done nothing for Lexi’s aerobic endurance but Annie had refrained from pointing that out since it would only add to her sister’s displeasure.

Stiller had surprised everyone when he accepted an Internship in the city after graduation, moving well outside of his comfort zone in an effort to be closer to Lexi.  The arrangement seemed to be working for them.  Matt had adapted to the crush of people and subway routes with a grace she hadn’t known he possessed and he absolutely loved his position at the ESPN studios.  Though no one had mentioned it, Annie felt certain the two of them were headed for the altar as soon as Lexi was ready.

She and Luke were still in Lime Valley, sharing space with Dave and Jen as three of them worked their way towards Master’s degrees.  Dave was the only one with a “real” full-time job though the rest of them had taken part-time positions at the bottom of their fields to get some experience. 

Annie liked to get outside to photograph nature as much as she could.  While she currently honed her craft for a local studio and enjoyed traveling to events like weddings, her true love through the lens lay outside. 

Having a boyfriend who’s family owned real estate in the heart of Pennsylvania elk country made that endeavor easy to accomplish.  The six of them, plus Tobey and Laura, were taking a much needed vacation at the cabin and Annie had somehow convinced all of them to follow her into the wilds as she looked for photo worthy scenery.

The group crested the ridge, reaching a break in the trees and Annie stepped off the road into a small clearing, catching her breath.  It felt like standing at the edge of the earth as the ground dropped away and the river and valley spread out below her, the neighboring ridge staring back in rippling shades of brown and green.  They stood at a dizzying height, towering over the world below them and Annie found herself thankful she wasn’t acrophobic.

Movement in the trees on the ridge across from her caught her attention and Annie pulled her binoculars to her face, quickly zooming in.  She grinned, almost giddy to find what she wanted so quickly and easily.

“Yes, Lex, we’re here.  You can sit down for a minute.” Annie called over her shoulder. 

Lexi sank to the ground with a huff as the rest of the group congregated around her.  Luke came up next to Annie as she took off her backpack, fishing out her camera.

“I take it you found a good spot?” he asked.

Annie nodded.  “The perfect spot.  Have a look.”  She handed him the binoculars and directed him to the nest of Bald Eagles she’d spotted in the trees.  The birds, though no longer considered endangered, were a rare site to see unless one knew where to look and made the effort.  Kettle Creek State Park, along with its dam and surrounding forest, offered the perfect habitat for these birds.

Annie had set out to build up her nature portfolio by finding and photographing some of its rarer and harder to find inhabitants.  Seeing as how the Bald Eagle was the national bird it ranked high on her list.

“That’s awesome.  I knew they were up here but it’s been years since we took the time to do more than sit around the cabin and drink.  I haven’t seen them up close like this in a long time.”

Annie smiled as he handed her binoculars back to her.  “Well, then, it’s a good thing you stuck with me.  Welcome back to the real world.” She teased.

Luke grinned and leaned in to give her a kiss.  “I’m going to grab a drink. You want a bottle of water?”

Annie nodded.  “Yes, please.”

She fiddled with her camera, taking the time to get the perfect angle and light before taking any photos.  As if they knew she stood there eager to take their picture, the birds posed around the nest for a few moments before one gracefully lifted off, soaring on the breeze.  Annie wanted to laugh with joy as she got some close up shots of the eagle in mid-flight.

She felt Luke step up behind her but he waited until she lowered her camera to hand her the water bottle.  “Check it out.” She offered, handing him the camera in exchange.

He flipped through the photos, walking over to the rest of the group to show them what she had found.  Jen looked over at Annie with a smile.  “You sure do go to great lengths to get the shots you want.”

Annie shrugged.  “I’d much prefer to do this on a regular basis than be stuck in an office behind a desk every day.  I know you like the studio, but I’ll take the fresh air anytime.”

She capped her bottle, setting it on the ground before taking the camera back from Luke.  She snapped a few candid shots of the group, including one of Lexi sticking her tongue out at Annie.  Annie reciprocated before offering to take some group shots.

She got some of all four guys before setting up her tripod and taking a few shots of the girls.

“Okay, I want a group shot.  Can you guys just go stand over there together so I know how close we all need to be?”

Annie listened as they shuffled around, grinning at the childish grumbling and pushing as they assembled in front of her.  She was so focused on making sure everyone was positioned properly and no one had too much sun in their face or tree branches protruding from their head that she didn’t pay much attention to Luke.

“Okay, I’m going to set the timer.  Everyone get in your pretty pose.” She announced.

It wasn’t until she glanced at her screen one last time that she realized Luke held what looked like a white piece of paper in front of his chest.  Her eyes flickered from the camera to the group as she zeroed in on the object.

It was a sign and as she read the words she felt her breath catch and her heart thump, a hand flying to her mouth in surprise. Annie, Will You Marry Me?

Her eyes met Luke’s and she couldn’t help but laugh even as the tears stung her eyes.  He grinned and stepped forward, tossing the sign to the ground.  He reached into his pocket as he approached her and then fell to one knee, holding out the ring for her to see.

“What do you say, cowgirl?  Want to marry the Indian?”

Annie nodded, spilling her tears down her cheeks. 

Luke stood, reaching for her hand to slide the diamond onto her finger.  She looked at it for a moment before flinging her arms around his neck.  He wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her fiercely, as if he never meant to let her go.

It took a moment for Annie to register the clapping and whistling of the other six who stood watching the entire scene.  Then she pulled back with a laugh, looking into Luke’s face.

“Did they all know about this ahead of time?”

Luke nodded.  “Of course.  Why do you think Lexi was so impatient to get here?”

Annie looked over at her sister with a grin.  “Because she’s a wuss?”

Lexi glared at her sister but Stiller wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against him.  “Well, there is that.” He agreed, earning a smack from Lexi.  “But mostly she just wanted to see this.”

Annie turned back to Luke, still held tightly in his arms, her face only inches from his.  He grinned from ear to ear and she wasn’t sure she had ever seen him look so happy or satisfied.

“Are you sure about this?” she teased.

“Absolutely.” He whispered before his mouth found hers, kissing her breathless.