When they pulled to a stop in front of the house, she asked. “Why are we stopping here?”
“It’s part of the surprise.” He got out of the truck and then lifted her out. They walked up the to the front door and he opened it with the key he’d gotten from Lauren that morning.
“What are you doing?”
“Showing you my new house?”
“What? But this is the house I fell in love with!” She walked inside still looking like she was in complete shock.
“I know.” He closed the door behind them.
“But wait, it was in escrow the day you got here? I thought you said you were going to be looking for houses.”
“I did.”
“But why would you look for a house if you already had one in escrow?”
“I wasn’t in escrow then. I actually bought it from the Sterns who were in escrow then.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Grace’s mouth dropped open. “How did you…”
“When we were working on the plans for the house, you kept talking about this house and how much you loved it and how you’d never felt so at home here. So, I called Lauren and asked her to send an offer to the new owners. She did.”
“How much was your offer?”
“Enough for them to sell me the house.”
“But, you don’t…why would you…”
“The house was just my safety net.”
“Your safety net?”
“Well, I figured if you turned down my proposal, I’d at least still have a good shot of you moving in with me if I owned your dream home.”
“You want me to move in with…wait…did you say proposal? What propos—”
“This proposal.” Easton lowered down on one knee and took Grace’s left hand in his. “From the moment I met you…I knew. I knew that you were it for me. I think I fell in love with you the second you rolled down your window. I thought I was coming home to spend time with my family, but I think what I was really coming home for was to find my family. You are my family, Grace. You are the hardest working, most talented, beautiful, smart, loving, brave, generous, adorable, woman I have ever met. You have no idea how amazing you are, but if you let me, I want to spend every day of my life showing you. Grace Noelle Wells, I love you. Will you marry me?”
Tears that had welled in Grace’s eyes slid down her cheeks. “But when Marty Spears asked if we saw wedding bells in our future, you didn’t answer.”
“I told you, I was never going to lie, even for the show. I had the ring in my pocket, but I didn’t think you would appreciate a proposal on Good Morning Sacramento.”
She laughed and her head fell back.
“So… is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”
He stood up and pulled her into his arms, lifting her feet off the ground. He buried his face in her neck. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She hugged him tighter.
“Meow.”
Grace lifted her head and gasped. “Cleo is here?”
He set her down and Grace picked Cleo up. “Of course she is. She couldn’t miss Mom and Dad’s proposal.”
Grace cringed. “Sorry, we are not her parents. She’s in love with you and so am I. We’ve decided to be sister-wives.”
As long as Grace was his wife, that was all that mattered to him.
THE END