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“Unlike last year, I’ll keep this brief,” he said. “Thanks for coming, everyone. This might be the last time we’re all together this season. All together having fun and relaxing, I mean.”
“Except for your wedding!” someone shouted.
He laughed and pulled Kim Dresden close. “Until my wedding, right. But we’re playing the Broncos the day before that, so we might be unhappy during the ceremony. But regardless, drink up. Eat up. And enjoy yourselves.”
Dallas waved for the party to resume, but then Brody ran up to him and said something. I frowned as my boyfriend stood up on the coffee table and addressed the group of football players, cheerleaders, and guests.
“I’m not one for speeches, but I’m gonna give this a test drive.” He gestured with the lasso in his hand. “Last summer, I met the love of my life. She’s the bombshell I’ve seen all of y’all droolin’ over, right there in the red dress. Give a little wave, Jessica Rabbit.”
I blushed and did as I was told, but I was wondering, What are you doing, Brody?
“Like I said, we met last summer. But it wasn’t until this Halloween party, exactly a year ago, that we finally hooked up.”
“YEAH BOY!” Double-D shouted. Kim put a hand over his face.
“Since then, my life’s been real blessed,” Brody went on. “It’s like I’ve got ten pounds of happiness in a five pound bag. And it’s made me a better version of myself. The kind of man I’ve always wanted to be. The kind I never knew I could be.”
“Glad she helped you go through puberty,” Double-D shouted. Kim turned and shook her finger at his face in a warning until he backed off.
“I’m reminded of a piece of advice a friend gave me a while back,” Brody said. Was there a quiver of emotion in his voice? “When you find that person, do everything you can in your power to keep them in your life. That’s only a small reason why I’m doing this, but I think y’all know the rest of the reasons.”
Brody hopped off the table and walked toward me. He dropped the lasso and pulled something out of his pocket. It wasn’t a box, but it was a ring. A ring with three diamonds set in the face.
I felt myself gasp. My brain suddenly stopped working, so all I could make myself say was, “Your hands are shaking!”
“Never been more nervous in my life,” he replied. “Not even in the Super Bowl last year.” There was no humor in his tone, now. He was completely serious.
And he’s holding a ring.
“What do ya say, Foxy?” Brody asked.
“You’re supposed to get down on your knees!” I replied.
Somewhere behind me, Double-D yelled, “Why are you hitting me? I wasn’t gonna say nothing!”
“My legs are too wobbly,” Brody said. “Don’t think I’ll be able to get back up.”
Once the shock wore off, the only thing remaining was love. And a rock-hard certainty of how I wanted to respond to his question. It wasn’t even a decision for me. It was just a formality. Somewhere deep inside my heart, I had said yes to this question long before he asked it.
I didn’t trust my voice, so I nodded vigorously and held out my hand.
The room erupted in cheers and shouts as Brody slid the ring onto my finger. Then he hugged me, and kissed me with so much ferocity and passion that I began wondering if he was going to rip my clothes off right there.
“I love you so much,” he said. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life provin’ it to ya.”
“You already have,” I replied. “But I’ll let you do it anyway.”
For the next five minutes, it was like the scene after a football game. Everyone came up to us and shook our hands and congratulated us. Double-D, under Kim Dresden’s watchful glare, apologized for making dirty jokes during the proposal. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and told him that it wouldn’t have been the same if he didn’t do that.
Eventually, Dallas appeared and hugged both of us. “I’m happy for you, buddy.”
Brody patted him on the chest as they hugged. “Thanks, skipper.”
“Even if you did copy me.”
Brody grinned. “I saw how well it worked out for you last year. Nothing wrong with running the same winning play twice.” He gestured at me. “And shit. Just look at her. Even if I didn’t already have a ring, once I saw how good she looked tonight I probably would have proposed out of principle.”
“You do look beautiful,” Dallas told me, giving me a hug. “And you two are going to make a beautiful couple.”
