Page 136 of Fall Over You

His face lights up. “Darcy’s not feeling good today.”

“She’s not?” I raise my eyebrows.

He fights a massive grin. “She said the smell of the rotting pumpkins might send her over the edge.”

“Okay. Okay,” I say, nodding. “Well, I’m sorry she’s not feeling good, but . . .”

Jake bites his lip with the happiest expression. “Yeah. But. Fingers crossed.”

I hold up a hand with my fingers crossed. “Pulling for y’all.”

“Thanks,” Jake says.

“Well,” I look around for Tyler so I can hand off Ellie, “I should get to ushering these last folks out and cleaning up.”

Tyler’s already striding my way with a determined look on his face that makes my insides squeeze.

“Good day?” he asks.

“The best day. Punkin’ Chunkin’ was a huge hit. We’ll have to do two days next year to fit everybody in.”

Tyler is quiet, tugging his lip into his teeth, and it worries me.

“What’s up, did you not have a good day?”

He smirks. “No, I just realized I was about to say something corny, like, ‘Every day is a good day with you.’”

I shrug and blush, fully flirting with my husband like he’s asking me to prom. “Maybe I like corny, then.”

Tyler considers me, looking me up and down. “Okay, good.”

He lowers to one knee and pulls a small, velvet box from his pocket. In his quiet, soft way, he takes my hand and strokes his thumb over my fingers.

“We’re already married,” I whisper.

“I know. But I want to take it a step further. I want this one to count.”

I bob my head and press my lips together, surprised that I’m emotional all over again when it wasn’t that long ago that Tyler proposed the first time. But this one feels like it does count, like it isn’t just two fools throwing caution to the wind, but two people who want that commitment together.

“I love you for the bold, beautiful person you are, whether you’re dyeing your hair with Kool-Aid,” I wheeze a laugh at that, “or turning rotting bananas into a treat just because you know I like it. I know I’ve said it before, but I need to remind myself of it every day. You deserve me at my boldest. And my boldest speaks up and doesn’t assume things about you. My boldest gives you a ring you love, in the massive size you want, without a single chip missing from it because every one of your sparkles needs to show. Because I’d be the biggest asshole to rob the world of its brightest star. So, I got you this, hoping we’ll be able to call this official and final and know that we have each other for life.”

He opens the ring box and the fading fall light sends little rainbows everywhere from the stone. I can tell this is killing him.

“You didn’t have to get me a different ring.”

He shakes his head. “I should have gotten you the bigger one the first time. I should have never tried to dim your shine.”

I chew my lip so I don’t cry. People are definitely watching and are probably confused. I’m even confused. “What’s the question? Whether we have each other for life?”

“I want you for life. I want to be the best I can be for you, and spend every day earning your love.”

My voice is all wobbly. “Tyler.”

“I love you, Becca.”

I nod. “I love you too. And I want it to be for life. I have to earn you too. ”

Tyler slips my cracked ring off my finger and slides the new one on. “That sounded like a ‘yes’ to me.” He chuckles as he puts on my new ring, a perfect fit and way more sparkle. “I looked it up this time. I’m supposed to put the ring on while I’m on one knee.”