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Chapter Twenty-Two
Pleased that everyone who mattered in her life was gathered around her, Zoe leaned back in her chair. And saw that Dale was standing. Everyone else looked at her. Her breath caught in her throat. What in the world…
“If I can have everyone’s attention…” Dale began and waited for everyone to stop talking.
He turned to look at Zoe. “It was right here in my mother’s restaurant that I saw this woman for the first time,” he said and laid his hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “And although I didn’t realize it at the time, I fell for her right there and then. It has taken me all these months to realize the reason why I can’t sleep, can’t focus on my work, forced her to do the interior decorating in our new hotel, jumped on a plane when I heard she was hurt, freaked out when I realized how much she’s taken over my world, was because I love her.”
While everyone laughed, Dale went down on one knee, and Zoe tried to gulp back the tears clogging up her throat.
“Zoe, I love you, and the part that I left out yesterday, the part that I thought was obvious but according to our mothers and Caitlin isn’t, is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’ve touched my soul, and I cannot imagine a day without you in it. Will you marry me?” With a grin, he flicked open the small box in his hand.
Zoe didn’t look at the box, she stared into Dale’s eyes. And it was there she saw what she’d been looking for so long—this guy was going to stay.
“Well, say something and put the poor sod out of his misery,” Don hollered, and everyone laughed.
Zoe fell forward into Dale’s arms and he lifted her up, laughing.
“Is that a yes?”
“Of course, it’s yes, you idiot!” She laughed. “I was going to find you tomorrow to tell you that I only really registered what you said yesterday much later.”
“You mean to tell me I could have had you without this circus?” Dale teased.
“Yes.” She smiled. “But this is a wonderful bonus.”
Dale bent down and kissed her.
“Your ring!” Dana cried out.
Dale lifted his head and laughed again. He took out the ring, for the first time looking a little bit uncertain. “If you don’t like it, we can take it back.”
The lump in her throat was the size of a golf ball and she couldn’t talk. And those silly tears spilled over again. Dale took her hand and slid the ring over her finger. She sighed. He knew her so well. She wouldn’t have chosen anything else. The ring was a beautiful vintage one in rose gold, covered in dozens of tiny diamonds.
He wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “If you don’t like it—”
“I love it!” she exclaimed.
“But you’re crying…”
“They do that when they’re happy,” Don said from across the table. “You still have a lot to learn. Can we now please open the bubbly?”
Corks popped, people laughed, glasses tinkled, but Zoe didn’t really take any notice.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
Dale took both her hands in his. “I’ve never been as sure about anything before. But if you’re still uncertain, I can promise you by the time the sun rises tomorrow there won’t be a single doubt in your mind as to how I feel about you.”
*
“I’m taking youto my house,” Dale said when they finally drove away from his mother’s restaurant.
Zoe nodded and put her hand on his leg. He brought her fingers to his lips.
“I’m very glad our mothers arranged tonight, glad everyone was there, glad you said yes, but now I’m especially glad I can have you all to myself,” he said and put her hand back on his leg.
“So am I.” Zoe moved her hand up and down his leg.
He stepped on the petrol and she giggled, moving her hand higher and higher up his leg.
