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A little black box.
Emma sucked in a breath, which made a rasping, gasping sound fill the stable. “Teddy.”
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” he said again, shifting and stepping to take the ring box from Missy. “And not just because I would be a free man. But because I’m in love with the most wonderful woman, and I didn’t want to ask her to be mine until I actually had myself to give to her.”
He opened the ring box and looked inside it.
The seconds seemed to pile on top of one another, and then he finally turned the box toward her and lifted his eyes to hers.
“I love you, Emma Clemson. I love your daughter, and I want to be your husband and her dad.” He looked to his left, and Missy came to his side.
“Will you marry him, Momma?” Missy asked.
Emma looked from her daughter to Ted to the ring. Then back around again. “Yes,” she said, the word easy and filled with joy. She burst out laughing again and threw her arms around both of them. “Yes, yes, yes.”
They laughed together, and Ted took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. He gazed down at her, and murmured, “I’m going to kiss your momma now, Missy.”
“Gross,” Missy said, and she walked away.
Emma couldn’t look anywhere but at Ted. Kissing him was definitely not gross, and Emma grinned at him as he smiled at her. “I love you too,” she said.
“Good to know,” he whispered before kissing her. He brought such a calm presence to her life, and Emma had never felt safer and more protected than she did in the arms of her fiancé.
She knew they weren’t alone, though, so she didn’t kiss him for long. She tucked herself into his arms, pure peace and joy filling her.
“All right,” Ginger said, and Emma turned to her. Ginger opened her arms, and Emma hugged her too. “I’m so happy for you,” Ginger whispered. “You deserve the very best, Em, and I think he’s it for you.”
“Thank you,” Emma said, getting emotional over Ginger’s words for some reason.
Ginger stepped back, and they faced the altars again. “Pick one, Emma. I’ll use the other one.”
“I can’t do that,” she said. “You pick, and I’ll use the other one.”
“He made them for you,” Ginger said. “I caught him, and he said he’d make me one too if I’d help him stage this proposal.”
Emma turned toward Ted, who only shrugged, that gorgeous grin on his mouth. She reached for him, and he secured his hand in hers. Missy stood on his other side, and Emma wanted to stop time and live in this moment for the rest of her life.
She’d had no idea a person could actually experience this much happiness, and her vision blurred as she looked at the altars.
“Pick one, Em,” Ted said.
“Which one do you like?” Emma asked, looking at Ginger.
“I like them both.” Ginger was neutral, and she gave nothing away.
Emma looked at Ted, who’d also turned into a statute. “Missy?”
“Teddy told me I couldn’t tell you,” Missy said. She stooped and picked up Petunia.
“Oh, I see how it is,” Emma said.
“If you don’t like either one of these,” Ted said. “I’ll make you a different one.”
“I didn’t even know you could do this with wood,” she said, almost accusing him of holding out on her.
“Well,” he said. “Now you do.” He squeezed her hand. “Ginger is going to go ballistic if you don’t choose in the next sixty seconds.”
Emma glanced at her best friend, who hated wasting time almost more than anything else on the planet.
