Page 110 of Diamonds in the Mud

Rayne and her mother were busy rolling out dough and cutting it into perfect circles for the pie crusts, their hands moving with practiced ease. Randy stood at the counter, his apron stained with flour as he mixed together the filling for the pies, his expression one of focused concentration.

I watched them all with a sense of awe, amazed by their dedication and skill. It was clear that baking was more than just a hobby for them—it was a labor of love, a way to bring joy to those around them.

As I joined in, helping to shape the dough and fill the pies, a sense of belonging washed over me. These people, this family, had welcomed me into their home with open arms, accepting me as one of their own.

Suddenly, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. With Rayne by my side and her family surrounding us, I felt more at home than I ever had before.

By the time we pulled the last pie out of the oven, I’d made up my mind to ask Rayne to marry me. Now I just needed the perfect time and place.

Every man was told that women loved big grandiose gestures. Is that what Rayne would want too?

I wanted something intimate, personal, something to encompass all of those quiet moments we shared, the stolen glances and tender touches, since the moment we’d met.

While we sat down at the kitchen table to let the pies cool and to frost the rest of the cakes, I plotted.

The fair started the next evening. I’d seen them haul all the rides into town a few days back and set them up at the county fairgrounds.

Shit, I needed a ring. I frowned as I finished frosting a chocolate cake. There were a few jewelry stores in town. I could stop by one of them in the morning and pick out a ring.

I glanced over at Rayne’s ringless fingers while she was frosting another cake. What size ring did she wear? What kind of ring would she like?

“You’re distracted,” Edith said to me, breaking me out of the questions that circled my mind.

I glanced over at her and then thought of another very important step. I had to ask Randy first. Right? Wasn’t that important to ask her father for her hand before asking Rayne?

“Just need some fresh air,” I said, standing up.

“I’ll go with you.” Randy removed the apron he was wearing and set it down. Then he walked over and kissed Edith on the cheek. “We’ll be back.”

“Take your time. Rayne and I can finish the last three cakes,” Edith said with a wink.

As Randy and I stepped outside, the cool fall evening air enveloped us, and I took a moment to collect my thoughts. This was it—I was going to ask Randy for his blessing to marry his daughter.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” I began, my voice steady despite the nerves that were threatening to overwhelm me.

Randy turned towards me. His expression was almost humorous. “Spit it out, son. I could tell you’ve been thinking about it for the last hour.” He chuckled. “Right about the time you got as pale as a sheet.”

Did he know? Crap. Did that mean Rayne knew? I glanced back towards the house, then took a deep breath, gathering my courage. “I love your daughter, more than anything in this world. And I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy. I want to ask her to marry me.”

Randy’s eyes softened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. “Edith and I can see that you’re a good man. And we know how much you care for Rayne. We knew this was coming, had talked about it for the past few days, and you have our blessing.”

I felt like shouting with joy as relief flooded through me. Instead, I smiled like a stupid kid who had just won a prize. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”

“Just know that if you hurt her, it won’t be me you have to worry about,” Randy joked. “I raised her to fight her own battles.”

“I know it,” I agreed.

“Besides, I’m pretty sure Edith would beat me to you.” Randy laughed and slapped my shoulder.

We stood there for a moment, father and soon-to-be son-in-law, sharing a silent understanding. And as we headed back inside to join the women, I knew that I was one step closer to making Rayne my wife.

The next morning, I headed out to shop for a ring after Rayne went into the office. We were all set to head to the fair later that evening just before sunset.

As I looked around the first shop. I realized just how overwhelming it all was. There were too many rings to choose from. The diamonds had different cuts and shapes and sizes, and that didn’t even include the ring itself. What type of metal did she want? With my head spinning I walked out of the store and suddenly got an idea.

I walked into Jazzed Up and was happily surprised to see Aria chatting with Sabrina.

“I need your help,” I said eagerly. “Both of you.”