Page 38 of Loving Jared

Jared felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest and he had to blink back tears as well. He looked down at Amy to see what she made of her sibling’s proposal.

"You guys… this is so sweet… but you can't just propose to him for me." She let out a watery laugh and shook her head. "We've only been dating a couple of months."

"Yeah, but we've known him for like… ever," Teagan said, rolling his eyes. "You two need to quit messing around and go get married."

When it became clear that Amy was going to protest again, Jared took her by the shoulders and turned her until she was facing him. Her face was flushed with embarrassment and he thought he understood. She didn't want him to feel pressured into marrying her because it was what her siblings wanted. But Jared suspected that Amy wanted the same thing as her brother and sisters, the exact same thing that he wanted too.

Jared sank to his knee in front of her, holding onto her hand as though it was a lifeline. She was so much shorter than him that his head nearly reached her shoulders. He was reminded of the first time they spoke to each other, in his driveway, when she came over for a cup of sugar.

"Amy, they aren't saying anything that isn't true. I love you, with every fiber of my being. I love your siblings. I want to marry you." He thought about it for second and then added, "I already have the ring. I was just waiting for the perfect moment, but these guys picked it for me. Will you marry me?"

Amy didn't even hesitate before she flung her arms around him, nearly knocking him off his feet, and shouted, "Yes, please, I want to marry you!"

Millie and Sarah joined them, throwing their arms around them in a group hug. Teagan sidled up to them and joined the hug when Amy flung an arm out to catch him around the neck and pull him in. After the group hug dissipated, Jenna and Vince gave their congratulations and invited everyone over to their house for a big barbecue celebration. Apparently, the entire thing had been set up mostly by Teagan, with some help from Vince and Jenna.

Vince and Jenna took the children, while Jared and Amy followed in their SUV. Amy couldn't keep her hands off Jared and the feeling was mutual. As they drove, Jared wrapped his hand around her knee, and she ran her fingers up and down his arm.

"I can't believe this all started with a cup of sugar."

Jared gave her a wink before returning his gaze to the road. "Now you can have all the sugar you want, baby."

Amy leaned across and kissed him on the jaw. "No, now you can have all the sugar you want. You can have a lifetime of it."

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