Page 70 of Searching for Love

ChapterTwenty-Three

Avery couldn’t have imagined that in one single week, she’d have so many wonderful days. Sure, there had been a few bumps. Almost getting shot or losing the man she loved was a huge bump, but they had survived, and now that they were on the other side, much stronger because of it.

There was a new baby in town, James George Stevens, born on her brother and Hannah’s wedding day. What a fun and amazing surprise.

Since she and Lucas were officially living together, she’d allowed his mother and Sophia to take over the cottage until their house was ready.

Graig had wanted them all to move in together, but Emily was determined to wait until they could all move into their new house together.

She and Lucas had spent the entire Sunday after the wedding moving Emily’s and Sophia’s things into a storage unit since their old house had sold quickly.

Lucas didn’t close on his new place for a few more weeks, but already they were looking at furniture online together.

By Tuesday morning, everything was ready for the grand opening at eleven that morning.

Lucas had been so busy the entire day before that he’d barely said two words to her. Then again, she’d been busy too. She’d only left her office twice that entire day.

When she’d woken up that morning, Lucas was already downstairs. He’d left her a sweet note telling her that he wanted her to sleep in and wanted her to know that he loved her. When she was ready, breakfast would be ready for her downstairs.

After showering and putting on a pair of black jeans and a new blouse that she’d purchased at Classy and Sassy Boutique just for the grand opening, she headed downstairs.

Before she entered the kitchen, she glanced around the empty dining room. Soon the place would be packed with people she loved. Family and friends who would come to support Lucas. Come to try something new in town. Come because, whether he knew it or not, Lucas was one of them now.

Opening the kitchen door, she stilled when she saw Lucas standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding out a single red rose toward her.

“Good morning,” he said with a smile.

She frowned. “Where is everyone?”

He chuckled. “They won’t be here for a few hours.” He motioned to a small table he’d set up in the middle of the kitchen. “I thought we’d enjoy one last quiet breakfast here together.”

Smiling, she took the rose from him and sat down in the chair he held out for her.

“This morning, to start, we have fresas con crema,” he said in a thick accent as he moved quickly and set a small dish of strawberries in cream in front of her. “Followed by huevos chilaquiles with bacon and fresh avocado.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You never cease to amaze me.” She sighed after taking her first bite of the food.

“To us.” He held up a champagne glass. She picked her own up and tapped it with his.

“There is one more item on the menu,” he said before she could take a sip.

“Oh?” She held the glass to her lips.

He nodded to the glass. Frowning, she looked into it and stilled. There at the bottom of the glass, sitting in bubbly champagne, sat a silver ring. The bubbles distorted it, making it look like a round blob.

Then he moved over beside her and got down on his knee. He took her hand in his.

“Avery Ann Austin, will you marry me?” he said, and suddenly she realized he was nervous. Very nervous.

Laughing, she nodded, and in one gulp she swallowed the liquid and tipped the ring out onto her palm.

Lucas grabbed her napkin and wiped the ring off as she held out her hand. When he slipped it on her finger, she smiled at the beautiful antique ring. It was her dream ring. How?

“Ruby told me that you’d wanted it back when you worked there but couldn’t afford it. She saved it for you all this time,” he said, still holding her hand.

“I’ve wanted it for years.” She held it to her heart. “How did you know?”

He laughed and hugged her. “I didn’t. Hannah did. She told me that I’d be a fool to let you go. When I told her I was going to ask you, after I’d already asked your father the other night at the wedding, she told me about the ring.”