Page 72 of Trails of Temptation

“Shut the fuck up.”

I snorted with laughter, tears welling in my eyes as I held George’s gaze. He looked… nervous. Nervous, with a boyish, almost pleading grin.

“Will you marry me, Keely?”

“Oh, my God, yes!” I shouted, and noise broke out around us as everyone cheered and hollered. My hand shook as George slid the ring on my finger, the gold band and diamond set between rubies glistening in the sunset. I barely had a chance to process what had just happened before George lunged at me and tackled me against the picnic blanket. I took his face between my hands and kissed him deeply.

“Alright, alright.” Pete laughed. “Day, close your eyes, you little pervert.”

“Hey!” Day chided someone in the distance. “I wasn’t even looking!”

Laughs filled the air, followed the sound of champagne bottles popping and drinks being poured. George sat behind me, his legs splayed as I sat between his knees and leaned against him. We sipped champagne until well after the sun had set over the horizon and the sky filled with stars. God, it was beautiful. I’d never been happier. I’d never felt like everything in my little world had ever been so, so right.

Later that night we sat out on the front porch looking up at the star-filled sky. George took my hand in his, his thumb absently stroking the ring as he peered up, his eyes following the perfectly clear constellations overhead.

“I’m never taking it off,” I said after a moment.

He looked down at me, smiling. “My mom never did.”

“This was—This was her ring?”

“Yeah, it was. She uh—she gave it to me the day before she died, actually. I told her about you, how I’d found the girl I was going to spend the rest of my life with. If you don’t like it, I have another one—”

“You have two rings?”

“Well,” he admitted, chuckling nervously. “I bought you a ring last summer a few weeks after you took that job working for Grant and Moira,” he admitted.

“You did?”

“Yeah, I did. So, you have two to choose from—”

“Why’d you wait so long to propose to me?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Did you think I was going to say no?”

“No.” He smiled softly, shaking his head. “But I was nervous as hell. I wanted to last summer but I was also just… Happy, Keely. I loved that we were working toward something together and that we had time to grow into ourselves, too. Watching you get that teaching position was just… one of the best days of my life, honestly. I loved you more and more every day. I am sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”

“Why are you sorry?” I laughed, leaning against him. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. God, I am so happy right now, George.”

“Me too,” he replied, roping an arm over my shoulder.

“I would have said yes last summer,” I mused.

“I know you would’ve.” He chuckled. “Maybe I just wanted to make you wait.”

“Don’t tease me, George,” I teased. “What did you do with the other ring?”

“Had it made into a wedding band for you, lowered the setting, you know.”

“You really planned this all out, didn’t you?”

“You have no idea,” he breathed, resting his cheek against the top of my head. “We could get married at Edgewater, if you want. Sometime this summer when I have the pasture looking nice and the new barns are done being built.”

“Then we can take that trip to Hawaii afterward,” I added, nestled against him.

The future was so bright.

I couldn’t wait.

And I honestly couldn’t believe my luck.

“We gotta find your brother a wedding date, Keely.”

* * *

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