Page 84 of Heart of Stone
“An idea?”
Lifting her hand to my mouth, I kissed the back of it. “Don’t worry about it now. I’ll tell you after I talk to him.”
“Okay. Then can I tell you how relieved I am they were happy about us?”
Laughter spilled out of me. “You can tell me anything you like.”
Natalia dove right in, talking nonstop the entire way back to Sandstone Heart. And when I drove a little slower and took the long way back just so I could listen to every word she had to say, I needed no more convincing that I had fallen hopelessly in love with her.
TWENTY-FOUR
Natalia
One look was all it took for me to know that something was different. Wrong, perhaps.
I was back at work, and it was lunchtime, just a few days after the Christmas holiday.
Unable to stand the wait, I demanded, “Tell me what’s going on, Danielle. I know there’s something you’re keeping from me.”
She let out a long breath, smiled, and held her left hand over the middle of the table between us. “He did it. Stephen proposed on Christmas.”
My eyes rounded as a smile crept onto my face. I reached for her hand to inspect the gorgeous rock on her finger. “Oh my gosh. Are you kidding me? This is stunning.”
“Thanks. I still haven’t gotten used to it.”
I lifted my chin to meet her happy gaze. “Congratulations, Danielle. Oh, I’m so happy for you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t believe it, Nat. I’m engaged!”
This was the best news; I was sure my face was going to start hurting from smiling so much. “Tell me how it happened.”
As I dove into my meal, she shared, “Well, even though I told Stephen I wasn’t ready to move in with him, I wasn’t against spending the night with him on Christmas Eve. I wanted us to wake up together, and I guess there was a part of me that thought maybe it would help nudge him in the right direction.”
“Apparently, he was a few steps ahead of you,” I murmured.
“More than a few,” she confirmed. “When we woke up on Christmas morning, he brought up the topic of me moving in with him, explaining how nice it was to wake up together. I was upset because I really didn’t want to get into it with him on the holiday. And when I moved to say as much, he told me that there was no longer anything standing in our way. That’s when he pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him.”
I beamed at her. “I bet you were shocked.”
“I still am.”
For a few beats, I studied her, noting the way she had almost completely transformed. She was so happy; her smile was brighter than the sun. “Do you know when you want to do it? I imagine you haven’t set a specific date just yet, but are there any thoughts about when you might want to make it official?”
“The spring.”
“This coming spring?”
She nodded. “Yes. I don’t want to wait, and Stephen doesn’t either.”
“Wow. Well, I know this planning is right up your alley, but you know that if you need my help with anything, I’m more than willing to lend a hand.”
“You’ll have no choice in the matter if you’re going to be my Maid of Honor.”
Suddenly, it was my turn to have tears clouding my vision. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. You’re my best friend, Nat. Please tell me you’ll take on the job.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I will. I’m so happy for you.”
