“Yeah, I know. It feels weird living there, though. I’ve talked to my parents about paying something for living there. At first they said no, but finally came around when I said I would move into town. I never would…but they don’t know that. Damn place is huge though.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. It was a huge house. I imagined it filled with more kids. Lots of noise, a few dogs. Maybe even a cat or two. Chloe’s conversation with Steed a couple nights ago took center stage in my mind. I was soon staring out the window and not even paying attention to what was there. Steed turned the plane so all I could see was blue sky.
“Look over here. The cows.”
I leaned over to see out his side of the plane. “Where are the cows?” I asked.
“Hold on. There’re coming up.”
Stretching my neck more, I was beginning to feel a little nauseous, and I wasn’t sure if it was because Steed was tipping the plane or if it was from lunch.
“Can you straighten the plane out? I’m feeling sick.”
“Yeah, let me make this one turn.” He straightened out the plane then pointed out my window. “Take a peek out your window, and you’ll see it.”
I did as he asked, while my hand came up to my mouth. I focused on the plowed pasture out the window. The black dirt was a sharp contrast to the brown grass.
The words MARRY ME were spelled out across the pasture. I wasn’t sure how long I stared at it, but now it was moving behind the plane. I tried to keep looking before it was finally gone from my view. When I turned back to Steed, he was holding an open ring box that contained a beautiful princess cut diamond, along with a brilliant smile covering his beautiful face.
“I lost our love once before. I vow never to lose it again. Paxton Lynn Monroe, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The nausea in my stomach was instantly replaced by butterflies circling deep in my belly. My hands shook as I brought them to my mouth again. Steed was proposing. He was asking me to be his wife in the most romantic way I could ever have imagined. Tears pricked the back of my eyes as I tried to find my voice.
My chest felt light, my heart floating on a cloud of utter bliss, while my body trembled with pure happiness.
Dropping my hands, I smiled and nodded. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
His smile grew even wider, and the threat of his own tears were evident in the glistening of his eyes.
“I love you, Pax.”
My mouth rose up at the corners even bigger. “You have to land this plane, Steed, because all I want is to throw myself into your arms. Oh, and I love you too!”
He laughed. “Does that mean you want to wait until we land for me to put the ring on?”
“Yes! Hurry! Land!”
He snapped the ring box shut, took the plane off auto pilot, and got busy with getting us back to the ground safely. My leg bounced the entire time as he lined the plane up with the runway. I glanced every other second to the ring box. Peeking at Steed, I was positive his expression of happiness matched mine.
We landed and I let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding. The moment the plane came to a stop, I unbuckled and so did Steed. My arms wrapped around his neck, and I let my emotions free.
He held onto me tightly as he whispered, “You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Pax.”
Through my unlady-like sniffles, I replied, “You’ve made me the happiest woman alive!”
He pulled back and ran the back of his hand down the side of my cheek before opening the ring box again.
I got a good look at it and gasped. “Oh my God.” Lifting my eyes to meet his, I asked, “Is that…”
He nodded. “The ring you pointed to the day we picked up my mother’s necklace. Yes.”
My heart hammered, the memory coming back.
“It will only take a second to run in and pick up the necklace my father bought for Mom’s birthday.”
I nodded and let the warm rays from the sunroof him me. It was the summer before our senior year. Steed and I had been down at the river all morning with friends, but the one hundred degree temperatures drove Steed and me to leave.
Pulling up to the jewelry store, Steed parked and rushed over to my side of the truck to open my door. He smiled and my stomach did that silly dip it always did whenever he flashed that sexy grin.
We stepped inside, and as Steed walked up to the saleslady, I wandered around the store. I soon found myself in front of the engagement rings staring at the most breathtaking ring I’d ever seen.
“Want to see it?”
My eyes snapped up to see Judy Pinhouse. Her daddy owned the jewelry store.
With a quick glance at Steed, I noticed he was in a deep conversation with Mr. Pinhouse.