Page 160 of Love Unavoidable
“To putting a ring on your finger,” he says.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I say. We smile at each other and sip the Champagne, the bubbles tickle my throat and warm my insides. He looks at me with such love in his eyes, it takes my breath away. Throwing me off balance. It’s still hard to accept being happy.
“So, where are we going?” I ask, clearing my throat.
“Do you know what today is?” he asks.
“It’s the day you put a huge honking diamond on my finger,” I say holding my hand up and admiring the sparkle.
“It’s a year from the day I told you I would marry you.”
I spin to look at him, almost spilling my Champagne. He takes my glass from me and sets both of ours down on the little built-in side table. Then holds both of my hands in his, bringing each one to his lips and kissing them.
“It’s a year from the day you said we could discuss it in a year,” he says.
Tears form in my eyes. I don’t normally consider myself to be an emotional person, but somehow Ethan brings it out in me.
“So, now that we’re engaged, I want to know if you’ll do me the honor of becoming the woman legally required to wake up next to me every day?”
I giggle through my tears. “Isn’t that backwards?”
“Okay,” he says. “I want to know if you’ll do me the honor of becoming the woman legally required to go to sleep next to me every night?”
I giggle again. “No, silly, isn’t that how we become engaged? Don’t you ask and then give me the ring?”
“Nah,” he says, wrinkling his nose slightly. “I would give you the ring anyway, so that’s not really the point.”
I laugh this time. “I already go to sleep next you every night and wake up next to you every morning. Well, when you aren’t at the fire station, that is.”
“True,” he says. “But you aren’t legally required to be there.”
“Isn’t the fact I choose to be there every day enough?” I ask.
“No,” he says. “Not for me. I need to marry you, my gorgeous Grace. I need to publicly claim you. And have the world know you are mine and I am yours.”
“Okay,” I say. “I will do you the honor of becoming legally required. Yes. Ethan. I will marry you.”
He leans in and kisses me. Another long lingering kiss that is so soul-stirring, it leaves me breathless from the sheer feeling.
Ethan sits back in the seat, holding my hand tight. He hits a button that rolls down the privacy window between us and the driver about half way. “We can hit stop number one now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ethan rolls the window back up.
“What is stop number one?” I ask.
“You’ll see.”
The car slows a moment later, we must have been close. Ethan waits for the driver to open the door this time before getting out. He leans back in and gives me his hand to help me out. We’re in downtown San Soloman. I look around trying to figure out where we are going. Ethan puts his hand at the small of my back and directs me into a store. I look up at the sign,Franklin King Jewelers.
“Mister Stone,” the gentleman behind the counter says. “I’m so happy you could make it.”
“As am I, Timothy,” Ethan says, then he turns. “Sadie, this is our jeweler, Timothy. Timothy, this is my fiancée, Sadie Mason.”
“Miz Mason, a pleasure,” Timothy says with a slight bow. I adore Timothy at sight. He’s tall, well built, and bald with pale skin and bright blue eyes that twinkle. “I have a selection over here for you to peruse.” Timothy gestures to a desk off to the side with two chairs in front. We head in that direction, Ethan pulls my chair out for me and I sit, he takes the chair next to me.
Laid out in front of us are a selection of wedding bands. I look at Ethan, eyebrows raised.
