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Chapter 20
Over two months later
I drove, and Landon rode in the front seat as we made our way to Stacy's restaurant. We weren't eating at The Black Skillet—we were only going there to pick up Stacy. We had plans to meet Charlie at the marina near the restaurant where we would get on his boat and travel over to the Morgan's house in Broken Arrow. Charlie was picking us up on the small boat since there were only three of us.
It was a going-away party of sorts. The three of us would be just about the only ones in attendance because most of the others in the Morgan family and all of the Camerons had already gone back to their respective cities weeks ago. Max, Charlie, and Caleb were the only ones still out at the property (not including my father, of course).
Max had stayed in Arkansas to see to his building project, and Charlie hung back with him. Caleb, Charlie's youngest brother, had come to Arkansas a week or so ago, and he arrived using a one-way plane ticket so that he could drive back to Florida with his dad and brother. They would be leaving to go back home to Miami tomorrow.
Charlie would go back to his normal life as a real estate developer in Miami. Only this time, he would have an extra companion. I would be leaving with them tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Charlie and I had been spending all of our free time together, and we didn't have plans to stop. I was in love with him, and I felt empty when we weren't together. I had never been to Florida before, and I instantly agreed to move there with him when he asked me to. I had plans to live at Max's for now.
I grew up on the water obviously, so I was comfortable with that aspect of it, but palm trees and blue ocean water with salty sea air would be new to me. Charlie had shown me pictures and told me a lot of stories, so I knew what to expect somewhat, but I was still nervous and excited about going there with them. I couldn't wait to see it with my own two eyes. I had to put a significant amount of trust in Charlie to do this, though, which was why we had a certain wonderful, exciting conversation last night.
"We're getting married," I told Landon. "I'm going to marry him."
It was a huge piece of news in my life, and I delivered it nervously and quickly.
"I knew you would," Landon said, smiling and shaking his head at me. "I knew you were going to. Have you told your parents and brother?" he asked, looking at me from over the console.
"Just my mom, and that's because she came over today to help me pack. I haven't gone around calling anyone. It happened late last night, and I hardly believe it's real. It was just a conversation we had. I don't have a ring or anything. I'll tell my dad and Eric the first time I talk to them, I just had a lot going on today with packing and everything."
"What happened? How did it happen? How do you not have a ring? Did he forget it when he asked you?"
"No, he didn't forget, but it wasn't an official proposal in the way that you think of them on TV. We just got into a long conversation, and in it we decided to get married. It was just a conversation. Charlie wasn't prepared for it. Neither was I. He didn't have a ring. We just decided to get married."
"That sounds super romantic," Landon said. He was smiling and giving me a hard time, but he liked Charlie and he had been really nice about suddenly spending a lot less time with me.
"It was romantic, actually. I was glad he responded when I brought it up."
"You brought it up? You asked him? What did you say?"
"I said I didn't care about having a big proposal and we could and should just decide to get engaged. I want to marry him. I'm moving to a whole different state with him, so it feels right to get married."
I looked across the console at Landon. I was way more nervous about delivering the news of my engagement to my friends and family than I was about actually marrying Charlie, which was weird.
"Yeah," he said. "It might be a good idea to get engaged since you're moving and everything."
***
"Hope's getting married," Landon said ten minutes later when we walked into the bar at the restaurant and saw Stacy standing there.
She made a shocked face and gasped, hitting Landon on the shoulder as if he must be joking.
"I'm serious. She told me with her own mouth a few minutes ago, on the way over here. She said they decided to do it last night. Tell her, Hope."
"Well, I would have, but you already did," I said, looking at him with wide eyes like I was upset even though I really wasn't.
Stacy looked utterly shocked, staring at me.
"She said there's no ring or anything," Landon said. "It wasn't an official proposal."
"It was official," I said. "We said we decided to do it, and we talked about a date and everything."
"When? What date?" Stacy asked, still looking caught off guard.
"Christmas time. December. We'll do it here."
"This Christmas?" Stacy asked. "So, you know it? It's real? You're already engaged?"
