Page 132 of Perfect Harmony

He pulled her up against him and kissed herhard on the mouth before raining kisses across the rest of her face. “Thank God.I love you, Grace.”

“I love you too, Gideon.”

* * *

“Gideon, we’re going to be late, if you don’tget your butt down here, right now.”

“Almost ready!” Gideon hollered from upstairs.

Grace grabbed the potato salad from the fridgeand slid it into the grocery bag. “Your sister has texted me like seventeentimes already. Everyone’s at the barbeque but us. What the heck are you doingup there?”

She stared out the window above the sink asthe heavy thud of Tank’s paws entered the kitchen. His tail whacked againsther ass and she rubbed her stinging skin. “Owch. God, Tank, watch the damntail. My ass is already sore and… ow! What is that?”

She turned around and studied the big dog.He had a large piece of cardboard around his neck. The ribbon threaded throughtwo holes at the top of the cardboard had twisted and she turned the cardboardover to read the words on the other side.

“Gracie, my dad loves you lots. Will youmarry him?”

She dropped the cardboard, staring blanklyat Tank as he gave her his big goofy dog grin.

“Gracie?”

She glanced up, her breath catching in herthroat when she saw Gideon on one knee. He was holding a small velvet box inhis hand and she studied the diamond ring that sat in the middle of it.

“I love you, Grace. Will you marry – shit,ow! Tank!”

The dog’s tail smacked Gideon a couple moretimes in the face as Gideon tried to push the giant dog out of the way.

Grace burst into laughter and grabbed Gideon’shand. “Oh my God, stand up before Tank breaks your nose with his tail.”

Gideon stood and glared at Tank. “Bad dog.”

“Best dog,” she said. “Ask me again.”

“Will you marry me, Grace Larken?” Gideonsaid.

She smiled. “Yes, Gideon Walker, I’ll marryyou.”

* * *

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