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She nods in understanding as I continue.
“Kasey, watching you stand up to your challenges, no matter how badly you didn’t want to, and no matter how afraid you were, inspired me to be braver and stronger, which is what I want to be for you - and for Luna. Your patience, kindness, and love have made me into someone who I still can’t say deserves you, but hopefully it’s close enough.”
Small tears are starting to escape her eyes now, and I release one of her hands to wipe them away with my thumb.
“I’ve spent these weeks away from you setting some wrong things right and bettering myself, and there’s still more to do, but now I want you by my side for the rest of it… for the rest of my life.”
A gasp leaves Kasey’s mouth at my last words, and she looks around again at the romantic candles and the multitude of roses.
I pull the ring box out of my pocket and take out the simple oval diamond on the platinum band. When I found it, I knew it was for her. It’s so beautiful in the simplest of ways, radiant and classic.
I discard the box as I get to my knee and take Kasey’s hand in mine.
“Kasey Elena Conlin, will you please be my wife?” I plead.
“Yes,” she answers breathlessly as another tear streaks down her cheek. “Yes, oh my God, Ben,” she comes down to my level and kisses me. I kiss her back as I try to find her hand with my own and when I get a hold of it, slide the ring on her finger.
“I can’t believe this is really happening,” she exclaims looking down at it and then back up at me.
“I have to ask you something else,” I inform her.
“Oh?” she asks, trying to quirk an eyebrow at me through her happy tears.
“I don’t want to be Luna’s stepfather,” I say with a quiet sincerity.
“What are you saying?” she asks, but her smile hasn’t faltered. She’s still confident; still trusting me.
“I think you know,” I tease, as I feel my mouth start to pull at the sides.
“Ben,” Kasey caresses the side of my face with her soft, delicate hand that is now adorned with my ring. “You’re smiling.”
“I know,” I give her a playful scoff. “I’ve been thinking of doing it more often.”
“I’d like that.”
“So would I. Almost as much as I’d like to take my wife-to-be out of here and make love to her over and over.”
“Count me in,” my girl says, as I lean down to kiss her again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Kasey
“What are we doing?”I groan from the cloud of a bed in the guest room. I’m sleepy but happy, and I just want to stay in our cozy, romantic, reunion bubble. Besides, I have a nice view from here as I watch my naked fiancé wander the room with his rumpled hair, opening his bag and pulling out clothes.
“It’s a surprise,” he answers, picking up his phone and reading the screen for a moment before tapping on it. “Get up, baby, I promise you won’t regret it.”
I smile with one side of my face and look at my left hand that rests on the pillow next to me. My ring is so beautiful, sparkling in the early morning sunlight. My mind cycles through visions of more mornings like this one to come, and no matter how badly I want to stay in bed, I love having this man here with me, urging me to get up, and I want it every day.
“I don’t wanna,” I grunt back playfully.
“Now I know where Luna gets this from,” he muses with a smirk, taking both of my hands and pulling me up while I lean back limply, making him use all his strength. “Come on, in the shower we go.”
We shower and dress, and while I have my usual battle with Luna to get up, it’s at least cut short when she remembers Ben is here, and with the promise of breakfast at the nice inn a couple miles down the shore, she puts in the effort.
When we pull up to the beautiful white, two-story inn with hanging flower baskets, a wrap-around porch, both Luna and I have perked up a little from the drive. In my case it’s because I know I’m only moments away from coffee.
Ben gets me out of the car and Luna rushes to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and he places his around her shoulders like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Matt and Melanie brought her back last night just after Ben proposed, and I’ll never find words to describe what happened inside me when she came running down the dock and into his arms. He crouched down and held her wrapped tightly in his arms, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to fight back tears. I however, let mine flow freely as they had a little talk that I think made it the happiest day of both their lives. And unlike when we first started to develop feelings for each other, there was no way I was keeping this a secret for even a second. She was ecstatic of course at the fact that Ben was not only staying, but becoming part of the family, which is how we look now as we make our way up to the front steps.
