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She’s the one for me, and I plan to make that known to everyone around me with this ring I’m carrying in my pocket. That’s the only thing that keeps my steps marching toward her father.
“What can we do for you, son?”
I smile nervously and angle my head toward the open door. He ushers us inside, hollering for his wife to let her know that I’m here, before leading us into the kitchen.
I’m barely sitting down when Ava’s mother waltzes into the room, a big smile on her face as if she knows the exact reason I’m here.
This isn’t something I would doubt, the woman knows everything there is to know. It’s incredibly weird, but I’ve gotten used to it.
I reach into my pocket, clutching onto the jewelry with so much force that it cuts into the palm of my hand. Releasing a shaky breath, I lift it into view and sit it in the middle of the table.
They glance briefly at the box, then smile knowingly back at me. “Is that what I think it is?” Ava’s mom screeches gleefully.
Her father chuckles at his wife’s lack of filter, but smiles adoringly at her in the process.
That’s exactly how I plan to be toward Ava for the rest of our lives, as long as her father will allow me the opportunity and as long as she says yes. I’m pretty confident in my odds, but that doesn’t stop my nerves from coming to fruition.
“I wanted to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage,” I say, surprised that I was able to get the words out without stuttering the entire time.
“Son, you had my blessing the first day you walked through that front door. There’s no one better for my little girl.”
We hug it out, then talk about plans for the proposal. When we were here last year, Ava took us for a tour of the town and showed me one of her favorite spots. There’s a big tree that sits in front of a lake, which looks beautiful during sunset, and I had a feeling the moment she took me there that it was our spot.
I’ve already coordinated schedules with Millie, who is telling Ava that she wants to come out to her hometown to meet her family since they’ve become so close. Ava takes Willow Peaks seriously and will only show it to people who genuinely want to know what it’s like. When I told Millie the plan, she was ecstatic for the two of us and then cursed at me for making her want to find the kind of love we have.
“I’ll be in touch in a couple days when Millie gets here with Ava. I’m going to be here until then, getting everything ready for the big day.”
They give me a big hug and walk me to the front door, seeing me out and waving as I back out of the driveway. There’s nothing stopping me now. Alex’s name flashes on the screen and I smile at it, but it’s the next call that I need to take first.
“Hey, man, thanks for getting back to me,” I tell Malcolm when I answer his call. “Think you could do me a big favor?”
I tell him the plan and he immediately agrees, which works out because he will be in town for his tourin a few days. When we hang up, I dial Alex back.
“Hey, man, you ready to head down here?”
He sighs. “Are you sure you want me there?”
“Alex, you’ve done well for yourself. I want you there. If it wasn’t for your stupid bullshit, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Okay, yeah, I guess. I’ll be there.”
We hang up as I pull into the hotel parking lot, grabbing my bags and smiling the entire way. Ava is the piece of me I didn’t know I needed and I can’t wait until she becomes my wife.
* * *
Ava and I are walking through the field by the lake after eating an amazing picnic made by one of her favorite restaurants. She’s been smiling extra hard lately and I’m starting to wonder if she has the same sense that her mother does, which would totally ruin the surprise for her. As long as she’s happy though.
I’m listening to her talk animatedly about her recent client when Malcolm steps out from behind a tree just as the sun starts sinking on the horizon. Ava brings her hand up to her mouth, tears filling her eyes, as he sings the first verse of his most recent love song.
Fun fact, I’m the one who inspired him to write it. I told him mine and Ava’s story, then asked him to write a song about us and he nailed it completely. It’s been number one on the charts for six consecutive weeks, which only makes this moment even more special.
When he gets to the chorus, I drop down to one knee and open the jewelry box as everyone else starts stepping out with big smiles on their faces. Ava takes a moment to look around, but quickly focuses back on me while bouncing on her feet in excitement.
I take a deep breath, hoping that I don’t ruin the moment before it even starts, and flash her my best smile. The one that makes her panties wet with need and she glares playfully at me.
“Ava, there’s nothing that could’ve prepared for the way you stumbled into my life. You’ve brought out the best in me, and in the people around you, simply with your selflessness.
“I’ve waited all my life to find a love as deep as yours, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep it in my life. I want to watch our kids run around barefoot in the backyard while the dog chases them. I’m fully prepared to learn everything I need to about ranching as long as it will make you happy. There’s nothing I want more in this life than to have you as my wife and the mother of our future children.
