“Then don’t make a wrong move, Garrett.”
“Well, you see, I might.”
She eased back a little. “Don’t make us both fall.”
“Then hold on, because…you might get dizzy.” He reached into his pocket and closed his hand around the small box he’d brought to dinner on the not-so-off-chance that tonight might be the night. “When I give you this.”
“Give me wh…”
He opened the box with one hand, holding her tight with the other, because he knew from experience that it was a long way down.
“Garrett.” His name was barely a whisper on her lips.
“You know, Jessie, I had a dog named Moses.”
She looked up at him, her eyes glistening.
“And the thing about him was, he was a forever dog. He wasn’t going to leave me, no matter what. And you once asked me the moral of that story, and I guess I finally figured it out.”#p#分页标题#e#
“What is it?”
“That I want another Moses in my life. Someone who will never, no matter what, leave my side. And in return, I will love that person with all I have because she will be my number one.”
In the dim light, he could see the tear trickle down her cheek.
“You’ve taught me so much already,” he said. “But one thing I’ll never forget you saying is, ‘Anytime you can ask a “why” question, you’ll get the best, most honest answer.’”
She nodded, staring at the diamonds he’d spent so many hours picking and then up at him. “That’s true.”
“There are so many ‘why’ questions,” he mused. “Why do you love me?”
“Because your heart is so good.”
“Why did you come back here?”
“Because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“Why am I the luckiest guy in the world?”
She smiled. “Because I love you.”
“Why do I love you so much, Jessie Curtis?”
“Um, because I’m…your Moses?”
He laughed and held the ring closer. “Why would you go one more day without being the woman I’m going to marry?”
She dropped her head back and laughed. “I can’t. I won’t. I mean, I will! Yes! Why can’t you ask normally?”
He leaned close and put his lips to her ear. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” She cried a little when she said the word. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Still kissing her, he slid the ring on her finger, and they sat in the tree and kissed until the voices of his family grew distant and silent.
“They gave up,” Jessie said.
“That means we won Manhunt.”
“Yeah.” She leaned in and sighed. “And we won life.”