Kenna felt her mouth fall open to answer but she could only nod. Will took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger. She fell to her knees and kissed him with every ounce of love she had for him.
“So, do you think you could be happy here?” Will asked, gesturing to the house.
“It’s so perfect. I love it! I thought you had been living at the main house?”
“I have been. This house was just completed a couple of weeks ago and the landscaping was finished yesterday. But I also have one more surprise for you.” He pointed to the little red truck. “I was hoping you’d say yes. As an engagement gift, I got you a Ford F-150 to match your M6. Now you truly are a Kentucky girl!”
* * *
Betsy and William were standing on their back porch with their eyes trained down the road that Kenna and Will were driving up.
“I'm guessing by their eager expressions you told them you were going to ask me to marry you?”
Will laughed and fingered the ring on her left hand. “I did. I had to ask my Mom for the diamond. It was my grandmother’s. I had it reset, though.”
“Oh, Will, that is so sweet. If it weren’t for Alda and my grandmother, we’d never have met.” Kenna couldn’t help laugh at Betsy as she shoved William’s hand off her shoulder and came running down the stairs to meet Kenna as she got out of the truck.
“Oh my, let me see it," Betsy nearly begged.
Kenna lifted her left hand and showed off her diamond while William clasped Will’s shoulder and shook his hand.
“It’s just beautiful on you. It’s been so long, I almost forgot what it looked like. We’ve had it locked away in the safe since Alda left for the nursing home twenty-five years ago.” Betsy grabbed her up into a hug and kissed her cheek.
“We couldn’t be happier for you both,” William said as he pried his wife off Kenna so he could give her a hug. “Welcome to the family.”
“Oh, we must have an engagement party! William, we must have an engagement party for them.” Betsy didn’t wait for her husband to respond, instead just took Kenna’s hand and continued. “What about over the Fourth of July? We could have a cookout and fireworks. Oh, it will be so much fun!”
Kenna couldn’t help it. Her eyes started to tear up.
“You’ve overwhelming the poor girl, Betsy,” William said gently as he pulled Betsy away.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that I realized I have a family again.” And with that, she burst into tears of joy.
They had decided to celebrate at the cafe. Kenna called Paige and told her the good news. She invited her to join her and the Ashtons. Just twenty minutes later, they arrived at the cafe to find the Rose sisters, Paige, Mo, Ahmed, Henry, Tammy, Tom, and many of the Ashton friends already there.
“The Keeneston grapevine,” Kenna said, shaking her head. Paige gave her a fierce hug, and the rest of the night became a blur of toasts, hugs, and good food.
Chapter Twenty
Every night since the engagement a week ago, Kenna had spent her time organizing the new house she shared with Will. She checked out of the bed and breakfast and found it surprisingly hard to leave.
She had picked out linens and towels and then had a field day in Paige’s store finding picture frames and other decorative items. She was currently in the kitchen filling the cabinet with everyday dishes she had picked out. The doorbell rang and she almost dropped the plate.
“Dani!” she practically screamed. Hope burst through her like sunshine as she made a dash for the front door. She yanked it open and found a UPS deliveryman.
“Miss Mason?”
“Yes?”
“Package for you. Sign here.” He handed her the clipboard and then a package no bigger than a five-by-seven box.
“Thank you,” she said. Disappointment filled her, and for the first time she was losing hope of seeing her friend.
She took the box to the kitchen and found the new pair of scissors to cut the tape. She pulled open the top and a picture slid out with a note taped over it. She lifted the note and her breathing stopped. She thought she might faint. Her vision became tunneled as she stared at a picture of her, Danielle, and Chad taken the night of her birthday. Chad stood in the middle of the two women with his arms slung around their shoulders. Dani and Kenna were laughing, but Chad had an arrogant, predatory smile that made her stomach turn. With shaky hands, she picked the note up from the counter and opened it.
Congratulations on the engagement, sweetheart. I’ll never forget my two favorite girls.
Kenna dropped the frame and card. She didn’t even hear the shattering of the frame.