22. Lucas

As we drove to dinner in the car together, I could feel it in my heart. There was no way that I was going to lose Bernadette ever again. It just wasn't going to happen; I would make sure of it.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking out the window.

"Well, I made reservations at a little French restaurant. But if there's somewhere else that you'd rather go, then I'm up for whatever."

"I'd love to go wherever you were planning on," she said with a smile. "You must have been confident if you'd already made reservations for us."

I laughed. "Perhaps. More like I was a hopeful fool and had a feeling that you and your mother weren't about to turn me down. And if she turned me down then I would just whisk you out of that house to dinner anyways. I couldn't stand another second without you."

She giggled. "Is that so? I'll keep that in mind."

"Good, you better. Because I'm not letting you leave me like that again. Not in a million years, not ever."

She sighed as she looked out the window. "Thank you for coming after me. I know that I can be a little difficult at times, so I really appreciate how much you've done for me."

"Of course. I care about you. And besides, you're not that difficult. It's your mother who's scarier to deal with. I was wondering if she was going to bite my nose off."

Bernadette shook her head with a smile. "No. I think she saw how lovesick I was for you and decided that it would be much better if the two of us were together after all."

"That's definitely good. I mean, not that you were lovesick. I don't want to hurt you like that ever again."

"No, it's okay. Misunderstandings are bound to happen. Fights are bound to happen. I just hope that something exactly like that won't happen again."

"Of course. I promise you; I won't let it."

We arrived at the restaurant then. I parked the car and helped Bernadette out, then walked up to the front. I told the hostess the name for our reservations and she had us seated at a romantic little table in the corner with flowers and a burning candle. Then she kindly informed us that our server would be right with us.

I reached across and squeezed Bernadette's hand, smiling at her from across the table.

"I love you," I said. I meant it, more than anything I had ever said before.

"I love you too," she said, and I could hear the sincerity in her voice. I was glad for it, because I knew that what I was going to do after dessert would need that sincerity, would need those feelings between us.

Our server arrived then, handing us a pair of menus with a smile.

"Can I get you two started with anything to drink?" he asked.

I nodded. "Can we get a bottle of your 2016 cabernet and two glasses of water please."

"Of course, I'll get that for you right away." He retreated back to the kitchen, giving us a moment to look over our menus.

"Anything catch your eye in particular?" I asked.

She tilted her head to the side, flipping through the menu again. "I might try one of their sandwiches. They all sound pretty yummy."

"A good choice. I'll probably go with a seafood dish," I said. "If you let me have some of yours then you can feel free to have some of mine."

She clasped her hands together. "That sounds wonderful! I think that's a great plan."

"Fantastic. We'll get some salads as an appetizer and then make sure to save room for dessert."

"Great!" She smiled at me from across the table and in that moment, I fell even more in love with her.

The two of us conversed all through dinner in that cute little French restaurant. It was very much in a romantic style. It had little gingham curtains and candles were on each of the tables. The silverware and tableware all matched in a quaint fashion and little white flowers rested in glass vases.

There were a few other patrons in the restaurant, but not so many that it would cause a scene. It was the perfect place to propose.

So after the two of us had had our dessert, I reached into my pocket and grabbed the ring box. Then, making sure that she was watching, I knelt down in front of her on one knee and pulled out the box.

There were tears in her eyes as I began to talk.

"Bella, I can't imagine there being anyone else that I would want to be with the way that I want to be with you. You're beautiful and kind and lovely and everything that I could hope for. I want you to be mine, more than anything else in this world.

"Ever since that first day that we met, I knew that we would have a future together. I didn't know what kind, but now I do know. I know the kind of future that I want to have with you. And it's one that has the two of us sharing our lives. I want to be in your life, and I want to be in the life of your child. I want to be the father that your child deserves and the husband that you want.

"I can't imagine ever losing you again, so I'm asking you now, will you marry me?"

She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eyes. "Of course, of course, I will marry you. I can't imagine anyone else that I would want to spend the rest of my life with, to have as the father of my child."

"Good, because I don't know what I would have done if you said no." I laughed, then slipped the ring onto her finger.

It was a band of platinum with little diamonds set into flower shapes. It had metal vines twining around it and little gold leaves imprinted with swirling designs.

There was clapping from all around the restaurant as the two of us rose up and I pulled her into my arms.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear. "You're more beautiful than anything I could have imagined. I know for sure that you're the one for me, Bella."

"I love you too."

* * *

After dessert and the proposal, the two of us headed out to the car.

"Where is it that you want to go?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I mean—" I leaned over and kissed her lips then looked her in the eyes "—do you want to come back to my place, my beautiful fiancée? Or do you want me to drop you back at yours and we can tell your mother the good news?"

"Not that I don't want to tell her, but I think I'll choose to go back to your place for the night." She giggled and kissed me, taking my face in her hands and biting gently down on my lip.

I brought her bottom lip into my mouth in response, sucking as she gasped against me. Then I pulled back and looked down at her with a smile. "Is that so? Sounds like a good plan."

"I love you; you know that?" She traced a line down my arm with her nails and I smiled.

"Of course, I do. It would be strange if you didn't, seeing as you accepted my proposal and everything."

"That's true I suppose. Well, shall we?"

I wanted to keep touching her, kissing her, but I knew that there would be plenty of time for that when the two of us go back to my house. So, I put my hands on the wheel, turned the key in the ignition, and drove.

We got home within about fifteen minutes, but it couldn't be soon enough. My body desired her. Every part of me was throbbing, aching to have her in my arms again. I just wanted to be as near to her as possible, and I wondered if any nearness would ever be near enough.

The two of us kissed as I parked the car and then got out and walked up the drive. I stopped before opening the door, remembering something that I needed to tell Bernadette.

"Hey, there's something I need to tell you," I said.

She tilted her head in question. "What is it? Don't tell me you're having regrets already." She giggled.

I shook my head. "No, it's definitely not that. I know that our families have some differences and I want to solve them before the two of us get married. I figured that it would be something important. So, I've arranged a dinner with my family that I would love for you and your mother to come to. It would be a great chance for all of us to connect again. That way when our wedding does eventually come, and before that when your baby is born, our baby is born, you will have all of the support necessary."

"Thank you for your concern," she said with a smile. "I think that that would be a lovely idea. I'll let my mom know so that she can put it in her calendar. She might be a little apprehensive, but I know that you can win her over."

"Perfect, now let's go inside." I kissed her forehead and she leaned into me as I unlocked the door and let the two of us in.