All I Ever Wanted(79)

"Yes! Let's order a giant pizza and find a girly movie to watch."

"Perfect," Arabella said as another piece of her life fell into place. Her guilt over leaving Sea Breeze lifted. Yes, she needed Grady, but she also needed her mother back in her life. And now here she was, red hair and all.





 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE



BACK TO YOUR HEART

Grady pulled his rental car up in front of 321 Shade Tree Lane. "You have arrived at your destination," Siri proudly announced.

"Thanks. Sorry I got irritated with you earlier," he apologized with a nervous chuckle. "You gotta admit it was damned confusing that the Cincinnati airport is actually in Kentucky," he added, and then realized he was speaking to his phone as if it were a real person.

Grady parked behind the Mini Cooper, got out of the car, and stood on the sidewalk, looking at the little brick house that meant so much to Arabella. He'd seen pictures, but seeing the stately little home on the tree-lined street in person somehow made him feel emotional. He was getting a glimpse of Arabella's past, and today he would hopefully begin a lasting future.


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The conversation he'd had with Arabella's mother had gone well, so much so that he was afraid she'd spill the beans, even though she'd vehemently promised not to. He'd even done the old-fashioned thing and called Arabella's father as well, asking permission for his daughter's hand in marriage.

Grady blew out a breath he could see in the cold air. Now all he had to do was walk up the steps and ring the doorbell. He patted the pocket of his jeans and felt the small box. Part of him wanted to wait and take Arabella to a fancy restaurant or do something crazy like hire a plane to write a marriage proposal in the sky. Jesse had suggested hiding the ring in a pizza box. Oliver said he should present the ring with a Heartbeat dance move. No, just . . . no. Jimmy said to keep it simple, with a heartfelt speech.

But the bigger part of him just wanted the ring on her finger, like, now.

Hopefully, she was going to say yes.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Grady whispered to himself, and started making his way up the steps to the front door. His brothers were waiting impatiently for Arabella's answer. Now he wished he'd kept his damned mouth shut. No, surely she wouldn't refuse.

Grady took a deep breath, raised his finger, and firmly pressed the doorbell.

Bing, bong!

He waited a few seconds in silence. Nothing.

Bing, bong!

Dear God, when he finally heard footsteps his heart started pounding like he'd just run a marathon.

When Arabella opened the door, her eyes widened. "Grady? Ohmigosh. Wow." She stared at him for a few moments.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by," he joked, hoping her "wow" was a good "wow" and not a bad "wow." "Can I come inside? It's freezing out here." The jacket he was wearing wasn't adequate protection against the chill.

"Oh . . . oh yes, sorry." Nodding, she stepped back for him to enter. "I just wasn't expecting you. I'm surprised."

"A nice surprise, I hope?" he asked, testing the waters.

"Of course it is." Arabella smiled, easing his apprehension a little bit. The house smelled of buttery vanilla and lemon and was just as warm and quaint as he'd imagined. Arabella looked cute in hip-hugging jeans and a snug Tinkerbell T-shirt. As if reading his mind, she grinned. "I didn't pack for winter weather, so I've been wearing some of my old clothes left here from my teen years. They don't fit quite the same as they did back then. And I need some big hair to make the look complete." 

"I think you wear them well," Grady said, and walked farther into the house. He wanted to draw her into his arms for a long, hot kiss but the ring in his pocket was making him jumpy and nervous. Maybe he should do it right now and get it over with.

Arabella pointed to the small living room filled with antique furniture. "Take your jacket off and have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm okay, thanks," Grady replied, but a shot of whiskey would be nice to calm his anxiety. Should he just dive right in or beat around the bush? Engage in small talk and then suddenly get down on one knee? Damn, he should have had more of a plan. A speech. Something. Anything.

"Why are you frowning? Is everything really okay? I know you weren't simply in the neighborhood." She looked at him, knowing there must be a reason for his impromptu visit.

"Yeah." Grady nodded and sat down on an overstuffed floral-print sofa. "I hope you aren't upset that I showed up while you wanted some time to yourself. I just couldn't be apart from you one more day."