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Finished, I sat there for what seemed like forever. I knew in my head it was probably just a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. She needed to say something. I shifted on my knee.
“Tara? Are you okay?”
She nodded, opening her mouth and shutting it again. Then smiling. “What was the question?”
I grinned from ear to ear. “You’re right. I guess I didn’t actually ask anything. Tara Foley, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She helped me to my feet, and we held on to one another.
Phew. I hadn’t thought about what would happen if she said no. It hadn’t even been an option in my mind. Squeezing her tightly, I kissed her on the lips, sinking into her arms once again. This was easily the best day of my life. My phone rang, and we pulled back while I reached for it. I laughed, showing Tara the display. It was Shelby, and I was sure she was hoping for an update. She’d picked out exactly what I was looking for, getting it delivered this morning. Thankfully, Tara hadn’t asked any questions when it came. She was actually the one who’d answered the door and signed for it.
“I need to call my mom! She will lose her mind.”
“Would you rather tell them in person? I wasn’t kidding about having them here for dinner. A car can pick them up. I know they can drive, but I don’t want them to get bombarded by the press, even though your dad says he can handle it. Do you think they would be okay with that? I don’t want to upset them.”
“Are you kidding me? Have you met my mother? A car sent by her favorite author and future son-in-law. She will think she died and went to heaven. She already told me she was inviting you to all the holidays without me if I screwed this up.”
I laughed, both about the holiday invite and because I knew she was right. “It’s settled, then. We already have food headed our way. I ordered in the hopes you would say yes and we could surprise them. We should have everything we need.”
“Look at you! Planning all these things behind my back.” Her grin lit up the room, and then she gasped. “Wait! The ring? Is that what Shelby sent? I signed for my engagement ring?”
She bent over, laughing until she cried. It was contagious, and I laughed right along with her. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful woman. She made everything she touched brighter.
“I’m so happy, Landon. I love you so much.” Her eyes widened, and we both realized we hadn’t actually said that out loud to each other. I didn’t want to dwell on the fact that that usually came before the ring. We weren’t conventional in any way, which was another reason we were perfect for each other.
“Interestingly enough, I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.”
We kissed again and immediately started planning for her parents to visit. I’d ordered steaks, potatoes, and corn on the cob, among other things. I hadn’t actually used the grill Shelby had delivered before I moved in, but grilling was something I’d done often back in New York. I firmly believed I could grill every meal if needed.
“Okay. I’m calling them. I need to get my heart rate to slow down. They will know in an instant something’s up if I don’t.”
I could hear her talking while I walked around and picked up a few things. We’d not been out of the house in a couple of days, and it was definitely looking lived-in. Now that I was signing paperwork to own the other two cabins too, we had plenty of land to grow on. We still hadn’t talked about having kids, but I hoped she was on board. Again, probably something we should have discussed beforehand, but honestly, any time I thought of a potential conflict, my nerves calmed instantly. I knew she was the one for me, and it would all just work out. The only other thing I’d been certain about in such a sound way was my writing career. Still, it might be a good idea to at least talk about it. Fingers crossed I didn’t ruin anything.
“They are more than excited about dinner. And it thrilled my mother to hear you cook. I think she wonders how I’m able to feed myself when it’s just me. I tried telling her that everyone delivered in DC and I never had to worry about it.”
“Will you miss it? DC?” I asked, wiping down the counter.
“No. I mean, I love it there, but my heart is here. Besides, we could travel when we’re ready. I would love to see Brussels with you. Show off some of our favorite places?”
