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My heart raced in my chest as we got closer and closer to her parents’ house. It seemed like yesterday when she brought me to her parents’ house for the first time. It was also the day she completely opened up to me in the loft. It was then that she gave me the courage to not close myself off from love. I glanced over at her. The summer air whipped through her hair, the setting sun glowing off her beautiful face. She looked over at me and smiled when I took her hand in mine.
I brought her hand to my lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. “I love you,” I said.
“I love you too, babe,” she murmured.
When we arrived to her parents’ house, Ashton groaned at all the cars in the yard.
“So much for having all the steaks to myself,” she joked as she got out of the truck. I walked around the truck and put an arm around her waist.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of steaks,” I said. We followed the music into the backyard, which bustled with many people.
“I thought this was just a regular dinner. I didn’t know it was a cookout,” Ashton whispered to me.
“Eh, I can dig it,” I said as Phillip approached us.
“Well, if it isn’t my man and my beautiful daughter!” he bellowed as he pulled us into a hug. “I already set two steaks aside for you, honey. And I even got a secret one stashed away if you brought your appetite.”
Ashton laughed. “Thanks, Dad. I definitely did.”
“Good, good. You’re mom’s in the kitchen. You should go say hi while I talk to O’Shea here.”
Ashton shook her head. “Haven’t even been here for five minutes and you’re already riled up to start your car talk,” she teased. She kissed me and let go of my hand, making her way into the house.
“I know this is probably earlier than you’d want to do this, but the sun is setting a little quicker than I’d anticipated. If you want the effect you mentioned with the sunset, we may want to go ahead and do it,” he murmured, keeping his voice low.
“Is everyone here? Her friends?”
“Everyone’s accounted for. Your family’s over there,” he said, pointing to a picnic table that my sisters, mom, and a couple of Ashton’s family members sat.
I nodded, blowing out a shaky breath. My heart raced in my chest. It was now or never.
“Let’s do it,” I finally said.
Phillip clapped me on the shoulder, a small smile on his face. “You’re a good man, O’Shea. I wouldn’t want anyone else for my daughter.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He nodded. “Well, I’m going to gather Savannah and her friends to get the horses.”
“Sounds good. I’m going to go speak to my family really fast,” I said. He gave me a thumbs up and walked away. I strolled across the yard and sat down next to my mother.
“Shea! I didn’t know you were here!” she exclaimed, hugging me.
“Just got here. Hopefully the flight wasn’t too bad.”
She waved me off. “Boy, it was literally a forty-minute flight. We really could’ve drove.”
“All that matters is that you’re here,” I said.
“Are you nervous?” Olivia asked.
I shrugged. “Kind of.”
“Well, don’t be. Ashton’s a good girl and I know she’ll say yes. You two are crazy about each other.”
“I know, but…insecurities, you know?”
