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“Gone? But I was supposed to be meeting up with them to deal with something. They said there was an emergency here.”
“Sorry. It’s my fault. There’s been a slight change of plans,” he said, wrinkling his nose. At the moment he looked no older than ten. His face was lit up with mischief. “Suffice it to say, there’s no emergency. Sorry about that.”
“What are you up to?” Fancy asked, her heart skittering in expectation. “You look like the cat that swallowed the cream.”
“I planned a special evening for the two of us, right here at Savannah House,” Case explained. “The candles are supposed to be romantic. That was Olivia’s idea. I hope the darkness didn’t frighten you when you drove up.”
“Not at all,” Fancy said. “I thought there was a power outage. I figured that might be the emergency.”
“Let me take off your coat,” he said, helping her slip off her light jacket. He placed it in the hall closet, then ushered her toward the kitchen. “There are appetizers and drinks in the kitchen.”
“You cooked? For real? No ordering from a restaurant? Wow. This really is a special night.” Fancy felt like Case was wooing her the way he’d done when they had first been on the brink of falling in love. She loved the way it made her feel. Valued. Appreciated. And adored. Case loved her. She couldn’t get over how they had managed to move toward forgiveness and reconciliation. It truly had shown her the power of the human heart.
“Morgan helped,” he said sheepishly. “A lot. I owe her big-time. She’s really going to be an amazing chef for Savannah House.”
Once she crossed the threshold into the kitchen, Fancy let out a gasp. There were several bouquets of stunning flowers situated around the kitchen. Roses. Lilies. Tulips. Carnations.
“I’m making up for lost time. I feel like I need to shower you with everything I couldn’t give you over the past two years.” Case’s voice came from behind her.
She turned to face him. “I don’t need all that, Case. I may be wearing my heart on my sleeve, but all I want or need is you.”
“Dance with me,” Case said, reaching his hand out for hers. The lovely sounds of light music began streaming from the direction of the counter. Fancy spotted a small pair of speakers perched there. Case took her hands and began to glide her around.
“Hey. What’s with the tears?” he asked, peering intently into her eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not,” she said with a fierce nod of her head. “I-I just never thought we’d be here like this. Enjoying each other’s company. Dancing. And this song…our song. I’ve never been able to hear it without thinking of you. And I’ve heard it a hundred times or more over the last few years. It always sounded so bittersweet to my ears.”
Case held her tighter and whirled her around the room to the soft, romantic tempo of her favorite love song. She wrapped her arms around Case and placed her head against his chest. If this moment lasted forever she wouldn’t have a single complaint.
“You are my everything. Past. Present. Future. Without you, I’ll never be the man God intended me to be.”
“You’re a wonderful man, Case. And in case I haven’t told you, I feel very blessed that you gave us a second chance.” She reached up on her tippy toes and placed a tender kiss on his lips. Case moved his lips over hers, making her feel as if he was sweeping her away to another dimension. She felt almost dizzy with the raw emotion of this moment.
As the kiss ended, Case began to speak. “I’ve been blind, Fancy. And prideful. I was so blinded by my pain that I didn’t see what was standing right in front of me. I wasn’t able to see your regret and the pain and loneliness that led you to make poor choices. Two years ago, I let you go, Fancy. It was the single worst mistake of my life. I thought I’d be fine without you.” He choked on raw emotion. There was mist gathering in his eyes.
“I was lost, in every way imaginable. As a result, I’ve had to do a lot of soul searching. So many people have shown me that I was wrong. You’ve shined a light for me, with your quiet joy and resilience. And I admire the way you haven’t let bitterness about the past change you. Or shape you. The way you chose to instantly grant forgiveness to Charlotte inspires me to be a better man.”
“I learned that from you, Case. You’ve worked so hard to reach a state of grace where you could put the past behind us. That means the world to me.”
“Forgiveness is a living, breathing thing. It’s not just a word to throw out there to make ourselves look good. I wasn’t ready to forgive you two years ago. I’ve learned a lot about unconditional love. We have to live it. I vow to live it with you every day of our lives. If you’ll let me. Fancy Tolliver, you’re still the woman who owns me, body and soul.”
He reached out and smoothed his palm across her cheek. She turned her head and placed a kiss on his hand. “I’m you
rs, Case. I always have been. Always will be.”
Case grinned at her. “I was hoping you would say that.”
Without waiting a moment longer, Case got down on bended knee. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a square-shaped sapphire colored box. He flipped the lid open to reveal a pear-shaped, diamond ring with ruby stones on the band. Fancy let out a gasp. She covered her mouth with her hands. Her expressive blue eyes radiated shock. And an abundance of joy.
“Francine Tolliver. Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride? Will you allow me to love you for the rest of our days?” He looked up at her, hoping and praying that she would say yes to a lifetime lived in love.
“Case!” Fancy called out his name, her voice full of jubilation. Before he knew it, she was kneeling down in front of him so that they were at eye level. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began placing kisses all over his face. “Yes, I’ll marry you. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, Case Duvall.”
“I’m going to need your hand,” he teased as he reached for it. “This ring belonged to my grandmother, Amelia. Last go-round I wasn’t sure about giving it to you. I thought you’d want something brand new.” He made a face. “This time I think I’m going to stick to tradition. Grandma Amelia would be over the moon to know that the woman I adore will be wearing her beloved ring.” He slid the ring on Fancy’s finger. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, it’s stunning. I can’t imagine a more beautiful engagement ring.” She wiggled her ring finger. The gems winked and sparkled. It looked perfect on her!
“I can’t imagine a woman worthier of wearing this ring,” Case said, standing up and raising Fancy to her feet along with him.
