Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Hunter gets to his feet. “Okay, let me get your attention for a minute.”
The table falls silent, and everybody turns to Hunter. He looks at me with a wide smile and the unmistakable light of love and pride in his eyes.
“First of all, I wanted to thank you all for coming,” Hunter says. “Today is a big day in Harlow’s life. Maybe the biggest. She’s worked hard to make this dream a reality, and today, we get to share her joy in finally making it happen.”
Cheers and applause ripple around the table, and my parents look at me like they’re so proud, they could burst. The fact that Hunter put this all together for me, to celebrate me, puts a smile on my face I don’t know I’ll ever be able to get off. In all the many, different ways he makes me feel special, this ranks right near the top. Probably because Hunter isn’t normally very outwardly sentimental and isn’t prone to big displays of emotion—privately with me, he’s much different of course—so, to have him fussing and gushing over me this way means a lot.
“Harlow, I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. Your courage, strength, and fortitude are amazing and inspire me every day. Congratulations on finishing your program and becoming an official, full-fledged RN. You are going to do great things and save a lot of lives,” he says.
Thunderous applause erupts around the table as people cheer and congratulate me. My face grows warm, and I look down, embarrassed at the attention I’m receiving. I know I should be basking in the spotlight for a change, if only for a day, but I’ve never been good with being the center of attention. Unless it’s Hunter’s attention, of course. The applause and cheering taper off, and all eyes turn to Hunter who obviously isn’t done speaking yet.
“On a personal level, your impact on my life can’t be measured. You’ve changed me in more ways than I can count,” he says. “You continue to change me every single day. More than that, you make me want to be a better man. And for that, I am forever grateful to you.”
“And you’ve changed me too, baby. I’m more than grateful to you as well,” I say, my voice breathy and trembling.
Hunter looks at my dad, who gives him a nod and a smile with a strange glint in his eye. My mom’s eyes well with tears, and she looks at me with a strange sense of nostalgia on her face. I turn back to Hunter to find him down on one knee with an open box in his hand. As the light sparkles off the diamond ring, I clamp my hands over my mouth, stifling a gasp. I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my face.
“Harlow White, you have made me happier than I ever thought I could be,” he says. “But it would make me even happier if you did me the honor of becoming my wife.”
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I turn to my parents, both of whom have tears in their eyes as well. With a trembling hand, I wipe away my tears and draw a deep, shuddering breath.
“Did you know about this?” I ask.
My dad nods. “Hunter stopped by the house a week ago to ask permission.”
I turn back to Hunter. “That seems kind of old-fashioned.”
He shrugs. “I respect tradition. And it seemed like the right thing to do.”
“It definitely was the right thing to do. I like a man who respects tradition,” my dad chimes in. “But uh… honey? Are you going to give the man an answer?”
I spin back around, eyes wide, to find Hunter still down on a knee, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I’m so sorry,” I exclaim. “Yes. Of course, I’ll marry you. Yes!”
As the room erupts with more applause and cheering, Hunter scoops me up and spins me around as he kisses me. We laugh together as he sets me back down and slips the ring on my finger. After that, everybody files over to give us hugs and to congratulate us. It’s then that I see Micah slip into the room with a tall, willowy redhead on his arm. He gives me a wave and a smile as he makes his way over to us.
“Micah made it,” I say.
Hunter smiles. “Good. I was hoping he would.”
For six months after Hunter confronted Micah in his apartment, they didn’t speak. True to his word, though, Hunter went to that restaurant, Dotello’s, at 7 PM every Friday and sat for an hour, just waiting. For six months, he sat alone for that hour. He was hurt, and I hated to see him in pain, but he never let himself get discouraged, and he never gave up. And then one night, Micah showed up. And they’ve spent the past six months working on their relationship.