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“Sure,” he said. He looked around and saw all the people and wondered if he was crazy to do this here. But now or never was in his head. “What the heck is that one doing out there?”
Vivian started to laugh. “It looks like it’s playing with a rake. Kind of like Sammie does with her balls. They are like big pets when you think of it.”
“I guess,” he said. “How would you like to clean up that poop in the backyard? Sammie’s deposits are enough for me.”
She grinned and bumped shoulders with him. “Still speaking what comes in your mind without thought.”
He flushed. “Come on. We all are thinking that.”
“I suppose you’re right. What are you doing?” she asked when he dropped to one knee.
“By the look on your face making a mess of this. Did I kneel in some poop?” he asked, looking down. “You’ve got a stink face on.”
She burst into giggles. “Oh my God. Please don’t ever change. I’m in shock. Sorry. Do what you are going to do.”
He let out a big breath. “Vivian Getman. The woman who made me look as hot as I am.” He paused when there was laughter from those watching the show. She’d understand his comment and he didn’t care what the audience thought. “Anyway. Vivian, you saved me when I couldn’t save myself. You’ve gotten me out of the house so I don’t need vitamin D supplements.” There was more laughter. Damn, he was really sounding like an idiot. “You get the idea. Will you marry me?”
He flipped the lid on the ring box. There were tears running down her cheeks, her smile was bright, and she didn’t hesitate to simply say, “Yes.”
He stood up and put the ring on her finger, pulled her into his arms and whispered, “I love you. And people I don’t know are clapping. We need to get out of here.”
“No,” she said. “I wanted to bring you here for your birthday lunch. You made the bold move to do this in public and you are going to see it’s not the end of the world. Besides, I want to show off this ring because I saw someone that has been in the shop before. Be prepared to be interrupted and talked to.”
“I’m prepared for anything with you by my side.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The End!
Checkout the next book in Paradise Place…Made For Me
Prologue
Addison Fielding stood next to her brother at the cemetery as the priest spoke words about her father. The words weren’t registering anything other than ambient noises. She didn’t see the people or hear the sounds they were making.
All she could think of was her father being too young to drop dead of a heart attack. Or her mother being the one to find him at home when he didn’t return from his lunch break.
Roc Fielding was too healthy to have a heart attack. He was big and strong and hard like his name, Roc. Well, that was short for Rocco, but to her, her father was the rock of the family.
Now he was gone and it didn’t seem real.
Her brother, Cash, was standing like a statue, not moving, not flinching, until his hand touched hers. She wasn’t sure if it was an accident or not, but she grabbed it and held on. She didn’t know how her mother was holding it together when Addison had all she could not to sob loudly and fall to her knees that were knocking and shaking loud enough in her ears to be a drum solo.
“Would the family like to come up and say a few words?” the priest asked.
Cash looked at her mother. Addison knew her mother had a few things prepared but was going to keep it short and sweet.
Madeline Fielding moved to where the priest was and said, “Listen. We all know Roc. We know what he’d want us to do and it’s not to stand here gabbing about him. If I talk too long he’d make some crack about needing a few more holes dug for people standing in this heat.” There were some chuckles around over that, but Addison just cried louder rather than smiling. Her father was one for bold statements to make her laugh, but it wasn’t happening now. “Roc was a good man,” her mother continued. “A great husband and a wonderful father. He’s going to be missed, but he wouldn’t want us to mourn too long, so I’m telling you all you better not.”
Her mother said a few more things, but she couldn’t hear it over her own sniffling and gasping for breaths. She felt Cash remove his fingers from her grasp and go stand next to her mother.
“Like my mother, I’ll keep this short. Dad told me once when we were at one of these…he said, ‘Don’t give me a long speech or anything. Just throw the dirt on me and get a beer in my honor.’”
There were a lot of grins and head nods and Addison wondered if she’d be allowed to have one of those beers to dull this pain inside of her. Then she realized there couldn’t be anything to dull it, she was sure.
“We’ll be having a gathering at the house if you’d all like to attend,” her mother said.
When they were back at her house, several of her friends were there by her side being her shadows. Many tried to make her laugh and she wasn’t sure why. A few of her close ones just held her hand or hugged her when they felt she needed it the most.
