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“I’m not practicing magic,” he deadpanned. “I’m mastering it.”
“God, help us all.”
“Hey,” he said. “I was thinking we could sneak in a visit to the elephants tomorrow.” He gave a nonchalant shrug. “It’ll be the one year anniversary of the first time we kissed.”
“Look at Mr. Romantic. Of course. I’d love to go.”
“Great. You’ll wear the pink poncho this time.”
Travis brought two pink ponchos. He wore one and had one for me. I laughed because it was exactly the kind of stupid, but funny thing he liked to do. He was always surprising me, even if it was just with little moments of silliness.
Just like last year, we had the elephant encounter to ourselves. The trainers let us pose for pictures on their knees, pet them, feed them, and watch them paint us an abstract picture with brushes they held in their trunks. But before we led them off to be bathed, Travis got a look in his eye that told me he had something up his sleeve.
“So do you remember that story you told me a couple months ago at the county fair?”
“The one about how broccoli upsets my stomach?”
“No. The thing about how you never got to ride an elephant when you were a kid cause your mom wouldn’t let you?”
I saw where this was going. My stomach clenched as I looked over at the trainer who was leading the old, sweet female elephant named Candy towards us. Candy was thirty-two years old and the most gentle of the group.
“Yes, believe it or not, I’ve convinced the trainers to let us ride Candy together for a romantic romp around the enclosure.”
Sometimes, Travis’ idea of romance was more of a corny joke or something so over-the-top you couldn’t help but laugh. This was honestly so sweet I felt my eyes welling with tears just at the thought of him coming up with it. “You told me they don’t do elephant rides here.”
“They don’t, but bribery is the most reliable form of magic ever discovered. The filthy rich man is a magician as long as he has a blank check and enough willpower.”
We were helped up onto the elephant’s back. They’d fitted her with a loose, somewhat improvised looking harness so we had something to hold onto. A fall from her back when she was standing would’ve likely been very unpleasant, so I was glad to have the ropes and the little saddle strapped around her belly and back for security.
Candy got slowly to her feet, temporarily leaning us so far to one side I had to clutch to Travis for dear life. But she straightened and began a slow, lulling walk around the enclosure.
“This is amazing,” I said, taking a quick look down to see how far away the ground was. And a little terrifying.
Travis started shimmying around until he was riding backwards and facing me on the elephant’s back.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “That’s not safe.”
“I had to help you. There was something behind your ear again.”
I glared. “Let me guess. A quarter?”
Just like last night, he tucked a hair behind my ear, but when he pulled his hand back, he was holding a gorgeous ring. It wasn’t a diamond ring, but I’d talked to him once about how my grandmother had an emerald engagement ring I’d always found beautiful. This ring was an emerald stone and breathtakingly beautiful.
It felt like I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds, then I frowned and looked up at him. He was watching me, excitement dancing in his eyes. I almost forgot we were on the back of an elephant.
“One year ago, you overpowered me and kissed me here in the parking lot. Once I was done being impressed by how you wanted the kiss so badly that you would practically steal it, I realized something.” There’d been a playful note in his voice, but he grew more serious then. “I realized you were like nobody I’d ever met before. You were the one I couldn’t let get away, no matter what. You were the only one who ever made me scared—the only one who could ever shake my confidence. You taught me there are some very rare, very special things in life that are worth taking seriously.”
“Travis…”
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
“Hmm,” I said, pretending to think about it. The look of sudden and sheer panic on Travis’ face was both heartbreakingly sweet and hilarious. I couldn’t put him through it for more than a split second. “Yes,” I blurted. “Yes. Yes. Of course the answer is yes.”
He slid the ring on my finger and we both shared a long smile and a tender kiss on the swaying back of the elephant.
“I do think it’s worth noting that you were the one who kissed me a year ago,” I said.
