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They sat down next to each other and filled their plates, talking about what the next day would bring.

“It’s my last day clearing brush. I’m glad we’ll be together,” she said, getting up for the pie. “That was the most enjoyable summer job I’ve ever had. Being outside all day, burning calories was great.”

“Will you do it again? Because when it was my turn to lead the crew, the day flew by.”

“I’m going to. I already talked to human resources at the company that hired me. They work all over Southern California, but I said I wanted to stay here in the area.”

He’d snuck out of his chair and was on his knees when she turned around with the hot pie.

“Yikes! What the heck are you doing?” she screeched, backing up.

His timing was a little off, and when she turned around, his eyes were at her crotch. Speechless, he smiled at it, and she playfully pushed him away.

The little black velvet box was in his hand, and he held it up so she could clearly see what he was doing. “Will you marry me?”

The scream echoed in the kitchen, and he laughed, wondering if Billy would run over to see if she was okay.

In the almost three months they’d been together, he’d never seen her cry, and she was crying, taking the ring box and holding it up to the light.

“Let me have it,” he said, taking the ring out of the box and holding her hand as he slid it perfectly on her finger.

“It’s so beautiful. I never dreamed I’d have a ring like this.”

“You didn’t answer,” he said, holding her hand. “I know it’s early. It’s unexpected. But I didn’t want to wait.”

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I don’t want to wait, either.”

He pulled her body down to his so they could kiss.

“I have another surprise,” he said. “I’ll get you situated in front of the TV in the den so I can set it up without your peeping eyes.”

“Oh no. You know it won’t be easy not to sneak.”

“Just don’t. You’re a grown, engaged woman. Let me plan a surprise.”

An early discovery about Emily that Paul found somewhat amusing was that she was nosy. He couldn’t plan surprises for her without taking elaborate precautions, and the engagement surprise was the perfect example. Trying to choose a day to do it was difficult, so a Thursday after she got home from her day in the canyons was the best choice even though he had to get up at the crack of dawn for work on Friday, and if they ended up spending the night doing what he was planning, he might be beat the next day. The thought had made him smile and kept him motivated.

But she had a hint what it might be because the day before he’d spent almost all day replacing the motor in the master bath spa tub.

“Why are you doing this? I never use the thing.”

“You know how I am. I don’t like things around that are useless. I might want to get in this thing with you someday.”

“You don’t seem like a bathtub kind of guy to me,” she said.

“What are you talking about? I’m in your pool at least daily.”

So he got the pump replaced, and now with her safely ensconced in a recliner with her feet up, the remote, wireless headphones and the door closed, he snuck out to his truck and brought in boxes of items meant to transform the tub into a heavenly spa. That was the name of the store where he bought all the stuff: Heavenly Spa.

Clueless about such things, the women who ran the store had a grand time loading him up with everything he might need, including a small air compressor to fill two dozen red balloons. Hopefully, she couldn’t hear it running.

He had everything possibly needed for a spa treat: candles, candy hearts, several gold plastic cupids, and another, larger silver cupid. The sales clerks talked him into gold lame underpants, which made him blush when they tried to guess what size he needed by spending more than a few seconds looking at his butt. There was also a gold plastic bow and arrow, and the piece de resistance, a red velvet sash that said Best Lover Award.

It was all so corny; he knew she’d love it. He also got a package of new razors; in their playful, no-sex getting to know each other, he’d discovered when she had her bikini on, she loved him to shave her legs.

But tonight, he hoped he’d be doing it with her in the nude.

When he got everything ready for her, the tub was full and percolating with bubble bath, he quickly showered, donned his gold lame shorts, the red velvet sash and his bow and arrow. He went into the main part of the house and knocked on the den door so he didn’t surprise her.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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