Page 271 of By His Play

The car comes to a stop, and he kills the engine.

“The last time you brought me somewhere blindfolded, it was the beginning of the end,” I say. The words and the memories of our stay at The Cove make my heart ache. It was so bittersweet.

“We’re having a do-over. This time, it’s just the beginning.”

“Okay,” I muse as he opens the door, allowing a rush of hot air to flow over me.

My skin prickles with goosebumps as I wait for him to get me.

In seconds, I’m on my feet and being guided somewhere with his arm around my shoulder.

Birds sing above us, and there are the unmistakable sounds of rush hour in the city.

I wrack my brain for where he might have brought me but come up short.

It could be anywhere.

In only a minute, we move inside a building. But there are no clues as to where.

After the doors close behind us, it’s silent, and other than the faint smell of cleaning products, there is nothing else to go on.

“Come on, nearly there. “

We walk for a few more minutes and pass through a number of doors before fresh air hits me again.

I frown.

Surely, he hasn’t walked me through a building only to bring me back out again?

We continue moving, and after a few steps, the ground beneath me changes. It gets softer.

Understanding dawns, and I can’t keep the smile off my face.

We walk for another minute before he brings me to a stop.

My hands tremble as he spins me toward him and cups my face in his hands.

“What are you doing, Kieran?” I whisper.

His fingers press against my lips, stopping me from saying anything else.

Slowly, his hands lift and he slips the blindfold from my face.

I blink against the bright sunlight and discover that my prediction was right.

We’re standing right in the middle of the Chiefs field.

“Effie, a few weeks ago, you wore a ring that made Grams the happiest woman in the world. It made all her dreams come true, and I want to do exactly the same for you.

“Some might say this is fast, but honestly, it’s not.I’m pretty sure I’ve been falling deeper and deeper in love with you for years. I just needed a little help to figure it out.”

“Kieran,” I whimper as tears blur my vision of him.

He quirks a brow, reminding me that I shouldn’t be talking.

“Seeing that ring on your finger did things to me. It annoyed me because it wasn’t anywhere near good enough for you. It frustrated me because I wasn’t the one who put it there. And it terrified me because it made me realize that one day, someone would put one there, and I couldn’t stand the thought of it not being me.”

Suddenly, he sinks to one knee right there in the middle of the stadium and pulls a small black box from his pocket.

---