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I walk to the door.“Love you too.Call if you need anything.”
Once her car is out of the driveway, I spring into action.There is a lot to be done before she gets home.Plans were already in place before Jasmine got the call to come down to the station.And I’m glad things went well because now I don’t have to change anything.
I want her back porch to be the most romantic place on earth for our private dinner tonight.
Jasmine smoothesher sundress as she walks down the hall.“Like my new boots?I figured that since I know how to dance, I need a pair.”
“Love ’em.We’ll break ’em in tonight.”I lead her toward the back door.“Instead of taking you out to a restaurant, I had dinner catered here.”
On the back porch is a table, and both place settings have covers over the plates.Votive candles flicker in the center of the table.The Cowboy Chef outdid himself when he set this up.
“This is beautiful.How did you manage this?”
Keeping her away from the back of the house when she got home involved a lot of spontaneous kisses and some steering.All the effort was worth the look on her face.
“You went back to work, and I used that time.Joji connected me with a local chef.Nice guy.”After a few taps on my phone, music plays.“After we eat, we’ll dance on the porch.”
“So when you said you were going to hang around my place and maybe nap while I wrapped up that project, you weren’t planning to nap at all.”
“I said maybe.”
I pull out her chair, and she sits.“This is amazing, Tyler.Thank you.”
All my plans for how and when to ask fly out the window, and I drop to one knee beside her chair.“Bottle Caps, you’re creative and caring.Your ability to make things grow astounds me.And knowing you, I get why love is worth the risk.I love you more than I know how to say.”My hand shakes as I open the little box.“I want to wake up next to you every morning.Will you marry me?”
She leans in and whispers, “Yes” as her lips touch mine.
And now I believe in happily ever after.
After a kiss that lasts several minutes and melts the ice in both glasses, Jasmine finally looks at the ring.“I love it!”
“The little diamonds around the big one make it look a little like—”
“A bottle cap.It really does.”
I slip it on her finger, and she admires it from multiple angles.“I love you, Tyler.”
“Good thing because I already asked Mr.Grindle about being added to the lease.He said it wasn’t a problem.”
She bites her lip, and I kiss it.
“He gave us their blessing.And since our families are kind of a mess, it’s nice to have others showing support.”
“That’s the sweetest.”Her lashes are damp with tears, but her smile assures me they are the happy sort.
“Let’s eat.I have the makings for s’mores, and I borrowed a portable firepit from next door.”
“You thought of everything.”
“I’ve been thinking about you.Since the first time I met you.”
Cheek to cheek,we’re dancing on her porch.We’ve done more kissing than talking while our feet move to the rhythm, and I don’t want the night to end.
Jasmine breaks our kiss and rests her head on my shoulder.“What if we didn’t have a wedding?”
With family situations like ours, weddings are a land mine.“I’m listening.”
“I don’t mean not get married, but what if...”She shrugs.
