"Grady, I missed you too." Arabella tossed a fringed pillow onto the floor and eased into a matching wing-backed chair directly across from him. "How did you know I was here?"
Grady gave her a small grin. "I guessed as much and your mom confirmed my hunch."
"Oh, she did?" Arabella nodded slowly. "Cheeky move on her part."
"I asked her to keep it a surprise," Grady said, and he wondered if she could see the box pressing against his pants leg. He put his hand over it and then had to force himself not to do a jittery foot wiggle. "You know, I think I'll take you up on that drink offer."
"Water? Soft drink? I don't think I have any beer."
"Water is fine, thanks," he said, and as soon as she left the room he took the blue box out of his pocket and tucked it in between the sofa cushions. When she returned, he tried to act casual but was glad to accept the bottle of water to quench his suddenly parched throat.
"You guys were awesome on Good Morning America."
"Thanks, Mom's song is doing amazing on iTunes and we've been trending on Twitter," Grady said, trying to put together a speech in his brain, but needing to have her in his arms interfered with his ability to think.
"Great news."
Grady inhaled a deep breath, deciding to give it a try. "Arabella," he began, but when she tilted her head in question he didn't want to bungle this important moment. Maybe he should just make it simple and straightforward like Jimmy had suggested. Yes, good plan. He reached between the cushions and pulled out . . . the TV remote?
"Oh, wow, I've been looking for that! Sweet! Hey, would you like a tour of the house?"
Grady put the remote on the oval cherry coffee table. "Um," he said, trying to discreetly locate the elusive box, but the sofa seemed to have swallowed it whole. "Sure."
After standing up, Arabella said, "Follow me. This, of course, is the living room." She pointed to the fireplace. "The tile around the fireplace is Rookwood, the famous pottery from here in Cincinnati. I'm so happy that Granny York didn't paint the gorgeous woodwork. The house is small but filled with treasures. That's another reason I didn't want Dad to sell it." She pointed to the foyer, where a carved banister led up the staircase hugging the far wall. "I used to slide down the banister when I was a kid. It seemed so long when I was little."
///
"Wow, did you ever fall off?"
"Oh yeah. Seven stitches under my chin." She reached up and touched the scar. "But I still did it afterward, even though I'd get scolded."
Grady shook his head. "I just bet you were an adorable little kid."
"There's plenty of pictures in the attic. And isn't the stained-glass window up there pretty? I used to love when the sun would shine through the colors."
"I can see why this house is so special to you." Grady followed her into the open dining area from the living room.
"There are pocket doors that close this room off, and I used to play with them like they were curtains opening to a stage." She pointed to a chandelier. "That always reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. Isn't it so delicate?" She pointed to a wide window at the far end of the room overlooking a small backyard. He followed her over to gaze into the waning light of the late afternoon. "I used to climb that big oak tree. I felt like I was on top of the world up there."
"Any broken bones?"
"No, I was pretty agile," she said, and his brain went to actions other than climbing trees. "I've been hoping for snow. Wouldn't that be pretty?"
"Yes," Grady agreed, wondering when he could get the opportunity to find the engagement ring. Searching through the sofa would ruin the moment. "Damn," he said quietly.
"What?" Arabella looked at him in surprise.
"Damn, the house is sweet."
"Oh." She smiled and led him into a small kitchen. "I used to sit on top of the table and watch Granny York cook up a storm. She refused to get a dishwasher or microwave and perked her coffee. Nothing much changed over the years. The appliances are all really old but I don't want to replace them with anything sleek or modern. It's like stepping back in time, isn't it?"
"I love the retro look," he said, trying to focus on what she was saying.
"That door leads to the basement. The washer and dryer are down there but Granny York used to hang most of her clothes up to dry either in the basement or outside during the summer." She glanced at him. "Sorry, is this incredibly boring? You seem in another world." Although she smiled, Grady could tell that he wasn't handling this right, and he tried to concentrate on the tour.