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“The house. Just come inside and tell me what you think.” I held my hand out for her.
She voiced her objections, but after a little back and forth, she conceded and slipped her hand into mine. We’d talked before about me looking for a permanent place instead of continuing to pay rent. Everyone expected me to get a condo or something, but it’d be pointless. Well, it would be if things worked out.
“Dr. Carr said you went to see her,” she said, as we walked hand in hand toward the house.
“I did.”
“Why?”
Once we entered, she gravitated toward the fireplace in the formal living room. I’d viewed at least ten homes, but when my agent brought me here, I knew this was the one. I hadn’t signed the papers to make an offer yet, because I needed to make sure she loved it first.
A smile pulled at Ginger’s lips as she ran her hands over the wood-carved mantle. Her eyes went to the large picture window; it was the perfect location to place the Christmas tree. She had that dreamy, hopeful look on her face, a look I’d not seen much of lately, as it seemed to be reserved only for Shawn. She loved this place, I could feel it.
“I wanted to talk to her,” I replied, sitting Shawn down. “I was very confused on how to go about doing something.”
“What were you confused on that you needed to go see my shrink?” she asked, keeping her back to me.
I walked up behind Ginger and wrapped my arms around her. She tensed up from the contact. I was pushing my luck. I loved this woman, and I wanted her to know how much.
“Let go, Malcolm,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to. Not now, not ever.”
I reached into my pocket and fished out the ring. I slid the platinum and diamond infinity band on her delicate finger. She began to shake, and it pained me that she was scared. I pulled away and turned her to face me. She looked down to see what I’d placed on her and shook her head.
“It’s not what you think,” I stated quickly. “You have been hurt in unimaginable ways, and I know you think you are damaged goods. You’ve told me that plenty of times, but I’m here to say you’re wrong. When I look at you, I don’t see broken…or damaged. I see a woman who is beautiful and strong. A woman that has suffered, but survived. And most importantly, I see a woman that needs to be cared for and loved unconditionally. You deserve that and so much more.”
I reached for her hand and ran my thumb across the ring. “This ring is a sign, a symbol, of my promise to you, my promise to never let you be hurt again. I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m just asking for a chance. A chance to show you how much you mean to me, a chance to be the man you deserve.”
She tried to pull away from me, but I kept her close. I lifted her face so I could look into her beautiful green eyes. I could see fear in them, and it saddened me. She had to know I would never hurt her.
“Calida, Ginger, my Ginger. I want to love you and cherish you in the manner you deserve. You just have to let me.”
The front door opened, and she turned to see our families; Macy, my brother-n-law Mitch, and my baby niece London. Ginger’s parents, Sandy and Collin, along with mine, who’d driven down from North Carolina to be here for us. She needed to see that she was not alone, that we all loved her. That they all supported her—supported us.
I waited on bated breath for Ginger to respond. The seconds ticked by stretching out her silence and allowing time for my earlier fears to creep back in.
She turned to look at me. She closed her eyes and took a breath. “Okay,” she whispered.
My world stopped and my heart squeezed when I registered what she’d said. That one word made me the happiest man on Earth. My first instinct was to embrace her, but the memory of her trembling in my arms stopped me. As much as I wanted to hold her, and kiss her, I refrained.
“So, let me see,” Macy said to Ginger, handing London to Mitch. “Mal wouldn’t let me see the ring beforehand.” She grabbed her friend’s hand and frowned up at me.
“It’s not an engagement.” Ginger spoke quickly before Macy could go off on me about the lack of bling. The platinum band was topped with one carat worth of diamonds embedded within the symbol. It was simple, yet classic. Perfect for her.
“Welcome to the family, son,” Collin said, giving me a pat on the back.
“Thank you, sweetie, for getting him to settle down,” Mom said, pulling her into a hug.
Ginger nodded then walked over to her mom, took Shawn, and headed farther into the house. I stayed to talk with everyone and to decide where we should go for dinner. After a few minutes, I went to see where she’d gone. I found her standing on the bac
k deck. Mature trees shaded the medium-sized yard, but it was big enough to give Shawn room to run around as he got older.
“Did you see the rest of the house?”
She jumped at the sound of my voice.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
