Page 28 of Under the Mistletoe

I looked over at Kelsey with a questioning look, but all she could do was give me her usual goofy smile she always wore when something was up. Questions floating through my mind, I finally said fine and closed my eyes.

I heard nothing in the room, no one handed me anything and when I heard the door close behind me, I wondered how much longer I was going to have to sit here with my eyes closed.

“Bentley, can I open my eyes now?” I asked, frustration setting in.

“Not yet.” I heard Kelsey say.

“Why not? What is going on?”

It was then I felt a hand slide in front of my eyes.

“Relax Darlin, just a couple more seconds.” Bentley said, soothing me with his deep and calm voice like he always did.

I let out a sigh and continued to sit there.

“You know this isn’t fair.” I whined.

“What isn’t?” I heard Bentley ask.

“Um, hello, making someone cover my eyes.” I cried.

“That’s because I know you’d look. I needed some extra insurance here.” Bentley added, sounding as if he were concentrating on something.

Finally, I felt the hand that was covering my eyes fall away and I heard Bentley say, “You can look now.”

I opened my eyes, blinking twice, allowing the room to come into focus and looked at the table in front of me. Everything was exactly as it had been before. I frowned, shaking my head.

“What is it?” Kelsey asked.

“What were you guys doing?” I questioned, looking at each of them.

It was then Bentley picked up his wineglass and said some silly toast and then waited as everyone else picked up their glasses before he looked at me and nodded toward the glass in front of me.

Locking eyes with him, I finally looked down and picked up the wineglass in front of me. I felt something hit my hand, and that was when I noticed the white ribbon tied around the stem of my glass and dangling from the bottom of the ribbon was a diamond ring.

With a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes, I finally tore my eyes from the ring and looked at Bentley. Was this for real?

I looked over at Kelsey, who had her usual cat ate the canary look on her face and then over to Trent, who sat there with a smile on his lips. Then I looked back to Bentley, who had somehow in that time, dropped on one knee and took my hand in his.

My stomach flipped as I met his eyes.

“Noelle, darlin, you’ve changed my entire life in the last year and I’ve never been happier. We’ve navigated all the difficulties our relationship has brought forth together and for that we are stronger.”

Tears slipped from my eyes as I stared into Bentley’s eyes. He took my wineglass from my hand and quickly untied the ring from the ribbon and held it in his fingers.

“Noelle, I want to live within the warmth of your heart and always know I can call it home. I was your first everything, and I also want to be your last. You make me happier than I ever thought possible. You are my heart, my life and my one and only thought. You’ve been the one I’ve been waiting for. Will you do me the honour of saying yes to being my wife?”

I could barely see the ring he’d slid onto my finger for tears.

“Yes.” I answered, tears now falling freely down my cheeks as Kelsey gasped and clapped her hands.

Bentley moved in closer and pressed a kiss to my lips and pulled me against him for a hug as his tongue parted my lips, washing through my mouth.

The moment we parted, Kelsey grabbed my hand and looked at the ring Bentley had placed on my finger.

“My god, it’s beautiful.” She said, hugging me.

“Now, lets get this desert in us.” Bentley said, taking a bite of the red velvet cake he’d ordered.

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