Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
I stopped as we reached the torches again, having walked down to the line where the property ended and back again. I could keep going, bringing her to the edge of the property on the other side, where the lake snaked up the hill and then washed back away again, heading toward another cabin, but I wouldn’t. This place was perfect. Not as perfect as Melanie, but perfect.
I pulled her in tight and kissed her softly, then took a single step back. Her breath hitched and I felt like she saw it coming. I smiled. I loved that she anticipated it. I loved that she knew how much I loved her and part of her expected this to happen.
I knelt down, placing one knee firmly in the sand and keeping one hand in mine. My other hand reached into my pocket and pulled out the box that I had gotten on the third day I was back in my old town. I knew what I wanted right then. There was no question, even that long ago, and it was torture to wait. But this was worth it. The heavy breathing, the eyes that were watering and the white dress, clinging to her body as the light breeze blew it tight to her skin.
“Melanie, I love you more madly, more passionately than a man should be allowed to love. I don’t ever want to spend that much time away from you again, and I want the whole world to know that I don’t ever intend to. Will you do me the privilege, the honor of allowing me to make you my wife?”
Her hand trembled as I took the ring out of the box and placed it at the tip of her finger. Her face was a mask of emotion, and she was beaming through the tears that now streamed down her face. These tears I would not wipe away. They were earned.
“Melanie, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, nearly breathlessly. “Yes, I will.”
I slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, embracing her again, but this time with the promise between us. The promise of a future that I could not wait to begin.
26
MELANIE
Iwas overwhelmed with happiness, unable to fully wrap my mind around this incredible life that was unfolding in front of me. Looking down at my hand, I watched the beautiful glow of the sunset sparkle on the ring Victor had just slipped onto my hand. It fit perfectly. I didn't know how he knew what size I wore, but it was exactly right. Everything about it was exactly right, like he'd designed it himself and had it crafted just for my hand. Something told me that was just what he did.
But as beautiful as the ring was, and as much as I knew I'd be staring at it constantly, it wasn't the most amazing thing about the moment. I couldn't believe how far Victor had gone to create this experience for me. Asking me to marry him would have been wonderful no matter how he had done it, but the fact that he had brought me out here to the lake to do it was beyond special.
He'd listened to everything I told him and knew what I valued the most throughout my life, and that was more meaningful to me than I could even begin to describe. When I was younger, and the girls around me were getting dreamy-eyed about their future boyfriends and the kind of man they'd like to marry, they all talked about the same things. They wanted a handsome man with a lot of money who would sweep them off their feet and carry them off to their fairy tale.
Of course, those things sounded nice. I liked the idea of the handsome man and the beautiful life. But I knew even then I wanted something more. I wanted a man who listened to me, who really knew me. When I thought about spending my life with someone, I knew it needed to be a man who was going to make me feel like he valued everything about me and was going to make sure I knew I was special to him because I was me.
It had seemed that was never going to happen—until now. Victor had not only listened when I told him about my childhood and how important my family was to me, but he’d found a way to make them a part of the most important moment in my life so far. Coming out here to the lake flooded me with memories and made me feel happy and content, and now our proposal was a part of it.
This was so much more than I could have imagined. He wrapped his arms around my waist and cuddled me close while we watched the sun dip down beneath the edge of the water and suddenly it became even more.