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“What is it?” Lucy reached to take a card from him.
“A thank you card.”
Lucy opened the card and covered her mouth with her hand, stunned. A picture of Toni and Shelly, at what looked to be the registry office, both dressed in Fun Bird themed outfits. She fought to stifle a giggle. “It’s beautiful. I’m so happy for them.”
“They thought it best to keep it simple, given his…condition.”
“Are you okay with them…getting married?”
“I have to be. As you said, it’s their life, not mine,” he murmured, gazing into her eyes. He brushed his long finger on her cheek and Lucy shivered. Butterflies tickled her belly.
Then a loud yip from the nearby tree startled Lucy.
She turned her head and saw a gangly puppy tangled in a decoration of one of the trees. He was caught on a branch. “How on earth did he get there?” Lucy asked, dropping her clipboard and making her way over. Antonio followed closely and stood and watched her take hold of the brown, fluffy, four-legged beast.
“He’s so adorable,” she cooed and stroked his fur. “Where did you come from, sweetie?” Lucy paused.
There was a festive satin emerald green bow around its neck. Emerald green was one of her favorite colors. And Antonio’s too, she had learned.
She saw a little box tied to the chain part of the bow. Her heartbeat pounded in her throat. She opened the box and there was a folded card.
LUCY,
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
XX ANTONIO
Lucy almost collapsed into Antonio’s arms. “What?” She was breathless.
“I believe the answer should be yes or no, Lucy. Not what?”
Lucy giggled and snaked her arms around Antonio’s neck. She squealed with excitement!
“Yes. Yes.” She hunched her shoulders and gushed, “Yes!”
“Good. I love you, Lucy. I love you more than I love anything in this world. I hate to sound cliché, but you complete me. You mean the world to me.”
Lucy was overcome with emotion and tears of joy welled her eyes. “I love you so much, Antonio. You…you mean the universe and then some to me.”
Antonio gave her a grin of approval and got down on bended knee to complete the proposal. Lucy’s heart fluttered. Waves of happiness coursed through her blood. She was overcome and overwhelmed with pure unadulterated joy!
This was what it felt like to be in heaven, Lucy was sure.
She was breathing hard and fast now.
“Take it slow there, future wife. I need you to be around for a long time.”
Lucy tried to calm herself. This was all too much. Was she dreaming? Should she pinch herself?
“Sorry for the deception, by the way.”
“What deception?” she asked him after he placed the most gorgeous diamond wedding ring she’d ever seen on her finger. She didn’t even know a rock could be cut so huge and sit on a woman’s finger. The ring certainly must have added to her weight by just wearing it.
But it wasn’t the size of the ring.
It was about the size of Antonio’s heart. And his love for her was huge!
There she was doubting him all this time and he had this elaborate staging of events to get her to marry him.
“So you had all this planned?” she clarified.
“Of course. Well, some of it. This little fella here,” he said snuggling the spirited pooch, “was a gift to you from Shelly. So, I thought I’d bring him along.”
Lucy gushed. She looked lovingly from Antonio to the puppy and back to Antonio as she weaved her arm through his while they walked on the grass towards the parking area.
“This is one of the properties we own. I figured you wouldn’t know about it.”
“So the Smithsons…?”
“Sorry, those guys are great. They are married by the way and they were up to having a second ceremony if you had said no to my proposal,” he grinned, arching his sexy brow.
Lucy flushed sheepishly. “And you planned all this with Maxine, right?” Lucy grinned and shook her head. She thought no one really cared about her but Antonio cared. Maxine cared. She wasn’t alone.
“Pretty much.”
“You know I owe her a lot,” Lucy quipped.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make it up to her.” He flashed his boyish smile.
