Page 89 of Savannah Sweethearts

I nodded. “Emil. I would like your permission to ask Amaya to marry me. If she’ll have me. And you approve. And your wife approves. And Yai. I think Linaya would approve.” Did that cover everyone? Why was I rambling?

Laughter filled the air and Emil put his hand out towards me. I took it eagerly. “Of course! Linny has already filled in with what Amaya hasn’t told us. I’m happy to give my blessing to you, Orlando.”

Relief washed over me. This was it. I could officially propose to Amaya now. “Thank you, sir. Of course, please not a word to Amaya until I can arrange a proposal.”

He placed a finger to the side of his nose. “Mum's the word!”

The next morning I went to McFarland’s jewelers to pick out a ring. They were the oldest jeweler in Savannah, nestled in a shop off Ellis Square, and were distantly related on my mother’s side. If there was a ring unique enough for Amaya, it would be there.

I perused the displays while chatting with Nathan McFarland, the patriarch of the family. Each and every diamond ring looked like the one next to it. “Isn’t there something else? Maybe not a diamond? Maybe an antique?”

“Show me a picture of this girl, son,” came the weathered reply.

Several photos were on my phone and her social media and I scrolled until I found my favorite. Amaya in a fuchsia dress flowing out from behind her. Her eyes were crinkled almost shut and her mouth was open in a riotous laugh. She didn’t hide her joy, but wore it for the whole world to see.

“This is her. Amaya.” My heart swelled with pride upon showing her off.

I flicked the screen to show a better photo of her face. It was a lovely shot of her looking right at me over her shoulder, her tanned skin close to glowing in the fading sunlight. Brown doe eyes gazed right into the camera and the corners of her full lips were upturned. Maybe this was my favorite picture of her.

“Ah, yes, I know just the piece,” Mr. McFarland said, tapping his temple. “Wait one moment.”

He disappeared in the back for a few seconds and came out with an ornate navy blue box that looked like it was older than him. “This was made in 1844 by my grandfather Alexander. It’s one of a kind.”

The box was opened to reveal a gold ring shining bright with rubies. Small red jewels flanked the sides of the ring and in the center were gems arranged to look like a flower. It was stunning. He pulled it from the box and handed it to me. The blood-red rubies glinted in the light and I was mesmerized.

“If I were to turn Amaya into a ring, this would be it.”

Old McFarland nodded. “Precisely.”

The ring, however, was approaching two hundred years old and had been in the family all the while. “If it’s been in the family this long, why sell it?”

“Grandfather had it made for his sweetheart, my grandmother. And you know, my grandmother and your great-grandmother were sisters. So truly, it’s keeping it in the family.” His eyes twinkled as he winked at me.

“It’s perfect. But I have to ask how much it is.” I winced, knowing I wouldn’t like the price tag and hoping I could talk him down – for family.

Thankfully, he was willing to negotiate and with a little finesse, and a free event at The Promenade, I walked away with the perfect ring for the perfect girl. Now I needed to set my plan in motion.

On Monday, I popped my head into Amaya’s office. “We had a last minute event come up for Friday.”

Her face wrinkled up. “Friday? Really? What is it?” She averted her gaze to look at the calendar on her laptop.

“I think you’ll like it. It’s a proposal. Very sweet couple,” I told her, inwardly high fiving myself.

Her head tilted to the side and she looked back up at me. “Someone booked for their proposal? That’s interesting. Has anyone done that before?”

It was so hard keeping the huge grin from my face. “Not that I’m aware of.” I shrugged in an effort to look calm while my insides were screaming that it was me.

Amaya went back to the laptop. “Well, they booked for six. Want to grab a late dinner afterward?” She beamed up at me as I came fully into the room.

I bent down and kissed her lightly. “Absolutely.”

Before I could leave the room, though, she spoke again. “I don’t see any files for this, babe. What are the names? What kind of set up? Will this be inside or in the garden?”

I swallowed and turned back to her. “Um, what would you do?”

A blank stare met me face on. “It’s not about me. It’s about this couple. What do they enjoy? Are they outdoorsy? More upmarket? Would she appreciate romance or not?” She pulled out a paper and passed it to me. “Didn’t you get any information on them? How did I miss meeting this guy?”

Don’t panic. Do not panic, she can smell fear. “He, uh, emailed me. I’ll just forward that on to you and you can get what you need.” I could feel the beads of sweat on my brow. I hadn’t planned this through as well as I had thought.

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