Page 34 of Rescued By My Small Town Billionaire

The crowd is silent, completely still, as Mike drops to one knee, reaching into his pocket.

And when he pulls out a small velvet box, the air rushes out of my lungs.

“I don’t want to wait anymore,” he says. “I don’t want to waste another second not knowing what comes next.” He opens the box, revealing a delicate gold ring with a small sapphire stone, the exact color of my eyes.

The crowd collectively gasps.

“Becky,” Mike says, his voice firm but full of so much tenderness it almost breaks me, “will you marry me?”

The entire town holds its breath, waiting.

And suddenly… I can’t breathe.

I feel every emotion all at once—love, fear, hope, doubt. It’s too much, too fast, too real.

I stare at the ring, at Mike, at the faces watching, and for the first time in my life, I don’t know what to say. The silence says something.

The crowd waits.

Mike waits.

And I?

I say nothing.

Chapter eighteen

Mike

The world is silent.

I’m still on one knee, the ring glinting in the golden light of the town square. The crowd is waiting, holding their breath, the hush stretching long and thin between Becky and me.

She hasn’t answered.

My heart pounds, the weight of everything settling deep in my chest. I meant every word I said. I would give her my whole world, this town, a lifetime of safety and love. But I can see the whirlwind of emotions in her eyes—love, fear, disbelief.

She’s afraid.

I tighten my grip on the small velvet box, willing myself to be patient, to let her come to me in her own time.

The town square feels frozen in time, lit by twinkling lights and the glow of the setting sun. Flower beds overflowing with roses, tulips, and marigolds add bright bursts of color against the quaint storefronts that line the square, each shop painted in warm, inviting tones with hanging flower baskets by their doors. Everything is quiet, waiting in anticipation.

My sister, Lulu, is in the front row of the crowd, clutching Maggie Ann’s hand, her eyes wide with excitement. Ellie is next to them, nodding like she knew this was coming all along.

I see it, the quiet support, the unspoken encouragement from the people Becky loves.

I don’t care that everyone is watching. All that matters is her. Actually, I want to profess my love for her from the mountaintop.

Finally, she takes a deep breath.

And everything changes.

Tears spill down her cheeks, and for a second, I think my heart might shatter right here in this gazebo. But then, she nods—just barely—before whispering the word that turns my whole world inside out.

“Yes.”

The single word that Becky answers rings in my ears, reverberating in my soul.

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