Page 54 of Last First Date
“Aunt Opal,” I say to her. “That’s my hand you’re patting.”
She giggles a little, then squeezes me once before she lets go. “In that case, I better offer up my congratulations to Darcy. Lucky girl.”
Darcy makes a choking cough-laugh next to me. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you really do. Don’t act all shy now.”
Next to me, Darcy huffs out a sigh. “Well, hand size doesn’t matter you know.”
I fake cough the word “bullshit” into my hand.
Then I reach for the woman I love, and I kiss the hell out of her. I’ve got a big question to ask her. And I’m hoping that I’m not wrong when I think she’s going to tell me yes.
Because I know she’s the one for me. And I’m going to marry her as soon as she says the word I need to hear.
“Are you ready for my pictures now?” I ask Lily, still blinking to clear the blinding dots from my eyes.
She smiles at me, tapping the side of her nose with one finger. Sheesh. These people are all using the same crappy secret code gestures.
I stand up and stretch, then turn to Darcy and get down on one knee, facing her.
“Abernathy, you’re supposed to look at the camera, aren’t you?”
Lily smiles. “No, he’s doing it right.” The flash goes off a few more times, but I know what she’s doing.
I reach into my pocket and pull out the small jewelry box. “Darcy Albrecht, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I’m waiting under the hot lights, completely self-conscious about the amount of time it’s taking her to answer the most important question I’ve ever asked anyone in my entire life.
She’s stuck there, as still as a statue. A beautiful, tough, sarcastic talking statue, but why isn’t she doing something? Her eyes are big and as dark as tea and her hand is lifted to her mouth but she might not even be breathing right now. Isn’t this the part where the woman of my dreams is supposed to possibly happy cry a little bit and then say yes?
And I swear everybody in the entire room is staring at us, but for whatever reason, she’s still not saying anything. Especially not what I need to hear.
“Darcy. Please. You have to answer me, okay?”
She cries out then, throws herself at me and knocks me to the ground. Then she kisses me over and over again, quick and sweet. “You big idiot. Yes. Did you really think I’d say anything to you other than yes?”
Oh crap. She’s crying a little bit. I seem to keep having this effect on her, but this time, I don’t have any regrets about getting her to show her feelings in front of everybody.
My own heart is beating like crazy, and I can’t stop the smile that’s overtaking my entire face.
Even with this as perfect as it can be, I know that our lives will only get better for us now that we’re really together.
Epilogue - Darcy
Itold Abernathy we could go ahead and get married at the fire station, but he laughed at me. Actually laughed. And I was naked with him at the time, so that didn't end well for him.
So instead, here we are, holding hands and staring at each other near one of the docks in Dallas Lake Park, along with around fifty-ish of our friends and family.
I know my mother was initially disappointed that we vetoed her suggested location of the Country Club, but neither one of us is a member there, and we're just not the country club wedding type.
Instead, we’re standing by a beautiful sunset over the lake and making promises to take care of one another forever. And Abernathy looks fine as hell in his new tuxedo too. I can't believe I get to be this man's wife.
I suppose I'd better get used to the idea though, because we're holding hands in front of the minister and we're just a few minutes away from being married to one another.
The flow of words stops and there's a long pause, then Abernathy squeezes my hand. Well, crap. I haven’t been paying attention to what’s being said at all. "I do?"
The guests burst into light, surprised laughter. Nope, we must not be at that part yet.
