Chapter 62

JACOB

I paced back and forth, peering through the front window every few seconds, hoping to see Andrew before he opened the door to the medical clinic.

Paul stuck his head around the corner of the hallway. “Is he here yet?”

“No. I still can’t see him.”

Liam stood beside Paul, pushing a stroller back and forth as Joseph slept soundly inside. “We could call his cell phone,” he suggested. “He might have stopped at the general store to buy a few groceries.”

“He told Elijah he was coming straight here.” I looked through the window again. It wasn’t like Andrew to make a detour, especially when he knew I was waiting for him.

My eyes widened when I saw his truck pull into a parking space. “Quick. Hide. He’s getting out of his truck.”

Liam and Paul disappeared into another room with the stroller, hushing the people who were waiting with them.

By the time Andrew stepped onto the sidewalk, I was standing in the doorway.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said quickly. “I dropped a basket of kitchen things off to Barbara.” He kissed me and smiled into my eyes. “What have you been doing?”

“I…uh…” I needed to pull myself together. At the rate I was going, Andrew would know exactly what I’d been doing. “The new ultrasound system arrived.”

“That’s great. Did you try it out?”

“I did.” I opened the door to the clinic and breathed a sigh of relief. I’d half-expected Paul or Liam to be hovering around the entrance. They were convinced I’d go off-script and ask Andrew to marry me on the street.

“I love the champagne flutes.”

My heart skipped a beat. Sitting in the corner of the room were four crystal glasses. They must have been left there after everyone finished in the yard.

“Did you buy them for a special occasion?”

I hated telling Andrew lies, even if they were for a good reason. “Ben used them as part of a display in his jewelry store. He doesn’t need them anymore and thought The Welcome Center might like them.”

“That was nice of him. Why did you want to see me?”

“I made dinner.”

Andrew looked around the clinic. “You did?” He sniffed the air and frowned.

“It’s on the patio.” The clinic, like most of the buildings on this side of Main Street, had large outdoor areas behind them.

Andrew smiled. “We’ll have to buy some new outdoor furniture.”

I raced ahead of him and opened the back door.

“Last time I sat on one of the chairs, I thought it was going to…” Andrew’s mouth dropped open.

Usually, the best thing you could say about the patio was that it was functional. With red-brick pavers, an old wooden table, and four creaky chairs, it was the type of area where you ate your lunch quickly before heading back inside.

But not today.

Our friends had spent the last two hours transforming the run-down area into a little slice of France. Red and white tablecloths decorated small round tables. Baskets of baguettes, French cheese, and grapes filled each of the tables, and bottles of champagne cooled in silver urns filled with ice.

As if on cue, soft, romantic music spilled from speakers they’d hidden in the yard. Liam had brought the playlist from his wedding. As Nat King Cole sang, “When I Fall In Love,” my heart gave a nervous stutter.

“This is amazing,” Andrew said softly. “But why is there so much food and champagne?”

“It’s for later. For after…” I took a deep breath. Running three marathons in a row would be easier than asking Andrew to marry me.

I dropped my hand to my pocket and felt the ring box. At least that was one less thing I had to worry about.

With Andrew’s hands in mine, I tried to think positive thoughts. “I love you, Andrew. You’re the most important person in my life.”

His mouth dropped open for the second time.

I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but I wasn’t taking any chances. “I know this might be a little early, but I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.” I focused on what I wanted to say instead of the shock on Andrew’s face. “I want to tell you each morning how much I love you, how much you mean to me. And I’d like us to grow old together. Andrew Clarke, will you marry me?” I opened the box and held a wide gold band toward him.

My hand shook while I waited for him to speak. But instead of telling me how much he loved me, Andrew’s eyes filled with tears.

I hugged him tight. “It’s okay. We don’t have to get married. We can?—”

“I want to marry you,” Andrew said softly.

My heart pounded. “You do?”

He nodded and wiped his eyes. “I’m crying because I’m happy.”

“You don’t know how good that makes me feel. I thought it was too soon, that you didn’t want to marry me.”

Andrew smiled through his tears. “It could never be too soon. I love you, Jacob, and I’ll keep loving you until the day I die.”

Before I started crying, too, I carefully took the ring out of the box and slid it along Andrew’s finger. “If it’s okay with you, I’d prefer a really short engagement.”

His smile turned into a grin. “The first stop in my European exhibition is Rome. We could get married before we leave and have a honeymoon at the same time.”

I kissed the end of his nose. “I like the way you think.”

“So do we,” Paul said from the back doorway. “Congratulations!”

Within minutes, the patio was overflowing with our family and friends. Champagne corks popped, and Liam and Paul made sure everyone had something to eat. It was the kind of moment I’d only dreamed about. But here I was, standing beside the man I loved, ready to start a new life with him.

Andrew wrapped his arms around my waist and smiled. “I forgot to say thank you for the ring. It’s beautiful.”

When our lips touched, I finally relaxed. Andrew had become the most important person in my life. And each and every day, I’d show him how much he meant to me.

THE END

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