Page 71 of Let Me

“I love you, too, Judah.”

Our eyes burn and fuse together for seconds that feels like an eternity until we both smile.

He says, “I want you to be my wife.”

“What?”

He smiles.“I want you to be my wife, Autumn.”

I narrow my eyes and study him.Is he actually asking me or just telling me?I ask, “You do?”

“Yes, I do.I already asked your father for his blessing and now I feel I can properly ask you.”

“Judah,” I say and gasp.

When he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring, I think I stop breathing.“Judah, what are you doing?”

Ignoring my question, he moves to his knees while I’m still sitting on the blanket and says, “I brought you out here because we both share a love of nature.We also share love, deep love, that I’ve never felt for anyone else nor will I ever feel again.You are the woman I thought I didn’t need only because I wanted to live this life without love.Without burdening someone with all my issues and problems.I wanted to be free of influencing someone else’s feelings.I thought I was being selfless, but I found out quickly that I was being selfish.I have a lot to give.You’ve already given me so much and I want to love you in return for the rest of our days, no matter how long that might be, so Autumn Pemberton, will you marry me?”

My eyes are so flooded, I can’t see him clearly.He wants to marry me.This is crazy.It’s happened so fast, and I’m not complaining.I’m just astounded by his three-sixty.To go from a man who didn’t want love to a man who wants to marry me is mind-blowing.I’m grateful.I’m at a loss for words.

“Will you marry me, Autumn?”

“Are you for real?”

“I am.I love you, and I want you to be my wife.”

I wipe my eyes and say, “Yes, Judah!Yes, I will marry you a million times over.”

I’m not thinking about a picnic any longer.My arms are wrapped so tightly around him, he probably can’t breathe.I’m marrying this man – the man my dreams are made of.I have never felt this level of elation in all my days.Finally, I have my person – the man God wanted me to have, and I’m never letting him go.

Chapter 28

“Man, I cannot believe you’re getting married, Big Dawg.I mean, you were adamant about not dating anybody.Now, look at you.”

“I know,” I say, looking in the mirror, fixing my bowtie.We’re having what they call a ‘green’ wedding – one where we’re environmentally conscious and more focused on us and nature than on something lavish and showy.It’s an intimate setting at the North Carolina Arboretum.With our collective love of nature, there’s no better place for us to get married.

“I’m proud of you for taking the leap.”

“Thanks.”

“Ay, is your pops gon’ make it?”

“Not sure.I haven’t spoken a word to him since he fired me.”

“You still salty about that?”

“I was never upset about it.It’s the fact that he doesn’t understand my life choices.He’s more interested in the way things makehimlook to be concerned about me.”

“But this is your wedding day, man.”

“I can’t make him come here, Nico.He—”

A tap on the door interrupts us.We both look there when it opens to see the very person we were discussing – Presly Westinghouse – my father.

Nico turns to me and says, “Looks like you don’t have to.”

He leaves, speaks to my father on the way out and then my father closes the door.

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