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Katie’s parents give me hugs, and I can tell how overjoyed they are. I asked them a month ago after I asked Owen’s permission. They were more than thrilled that I wanted to make things official with their daughter. They’ve always treated me like a son and respected me even after everything that happened.
“Excited to have you officially be a part of the family,” Katie’s mama tells me.
“I promise to always protect her and love her,” I say.
“We believe you,” her dad tells me.
“It’s almost time, y’all. I need you to start lining up,” Gemma instructs. She’s a sassy little thing, and I’m glad I put her in charge of the people part. Takes a sliver of the stress away.
My sister was such a big help with planning this. When I was reminiscing about our past, all the letters we used to write to each other in high school came to mind. At that moment, I knew exactly how and where I wanted to propose.
I stand at the end of the pumpkin patch and know Katie has a long way to walk. She’ll be reading each of the notes I wrote to her about our past and our future. It will take her some time, and I’m okay with that, but I know my heart will be racing until I see her, and she says yes.
I expect tears of happiness because she’s been so emotional lately, but by the end of it, I hope she agrees to be my wife.
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO
KATIE
As I’m sittingon a bale of hay with my feet propped up to stop the swelling, I wonder what’s taking Noah so long. Maybe that number one turned into something more serious. The thought has me snickering to myself, then I go back to admiring the pumpkins.
I’ve always looked forward to this little festival. Well, ever since Noah brought me here when I was fifteen. I knew I had feelings for him then, but I was also too young to really understand. I guess it’s true, though—when the heart knows, it truly knows. It might’ve taken us some time to get to where we are now, but I don’t have any complaints, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve thought about if I could go back in time, whether I’d erase some of the heartache, but I realized maybe things wouldn’t be the same between us. My heart flutters thinking about it.
“What’re you grinning about?” Gemma asks.
My mouth falls open when I see her, and I immediately stand to give her a hug. She’s pushing Scarlett in a stroller, and I bend down to catch a peek of her sweet cheeks.
“Come on,” she tells me with a wink. “Let’s look at the pumpkins.”
“I’m waiting for Noah,” I explain, not wanting him to get worried or have to search for me.
“We’re just going into the patch. Text him and let him know,” Gemma says.
I snicker. “Oh yeah. Text. Forgot about that one. Baby brain.”
I send a quick message to Noah, telling him that I ran into Gemma and we’re gonna walk around.
He sends me a kissy face emoji back.
Katie: Hope you didn’t fall in!
Noah: Haha! I’m almost done. See you soon.
I tuck my phone back into my crossbody and follow Gemma. She pulls Scarlett out of the stroller and asks me to take a picture. I snap at least ten, and when we’re done, she hands me a letter.
“What’s this?” I ask, confused as fuck as to why she’s acting so weird.
She snorts. “Open it and read it.”
I’m lost, but I do what she says. When I see the handwriting, I immediately know it’s Noah’s. I can recognize his scribbles from a mile away.
The words nearly fly off the page as I read them.
Katie Bug,
I wanted to take you on a stroll down memory lane and confess some things in the process. The last time we were here a little over fifteen years ago, I nearly told you how much you meant to me. I almost asked you to be my girlfriend but was too chickenshit to do it. I told myself I’d never make that mistake again, and here we are. I love you more than the number of pumpkins in this patch. And you and I both know that’s a fuckton.
Tears sit on the brim of my eyes as I look up at Gemma. “What’s this about?”
