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When I hung up with Knox, she asked, “Can I pick out the ring?”
“How else will I know which one to choose?” I asked her, and she clasped her hands together in excitement.
We drove the short distance into town, finding a parking spot near the jewelry store in town. I didn’t have a family heirloom to offer Hanna, but it would still be special.
“Do you have to ask her dad’s permission?” Ember asked when we’d parked.
Her uncles routinely teased her about dating, and how I’d never grant any guy dating her permission to marry her.
“Shit,” I said as I threw the truck into park. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“Language,” Ember reminded me from the backseat.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” I was screwing this up. I couldn’t show up at Hanna’s house, not when she was staying there. I’d ask Knox what he thought. I’d never thought about proposing to anyone before. Not even when Brandy told me she was pregnant. I always thought of marriage as this huge commitment I wasn’t ready for.
But now, it seemed like the next logical step. I didn’t need to think about it or consider the possible ramifications. I was in love with Hanna, and that’s all that mattered.
I wanted to show her what she meant to me and my intentions for the future.
A knock sounded on my window.
I rolled down the window.
Knox raised a brow. “Are you having second thoughts?”
I got out of the truck as Knox moved to the rear door and helped Ember down. “Should I talk to Hanna’s father first? Get his blessing? I’ve never thought about proposing to anyone before. I don’t know what the rules are.”
We headed toward the jewelry store on the corner. “There are no rules for this sort of thing. You can do whatever feels right. Do you feel like you need to ask his permission?”
“I don’t feel like I need to, but I think it would be nice to talk to him first.”
Knox opened the door. “Let’s look at rings. Then you can tackle Hanna’s dad.”
When the worker asked if she could help us, I said, “I’d like to look at engagement rings.”
“We have a room where you’ll be more comfortable.” She led us to a back room and brought out an extra seat for Ember.
“My name is Denise,” she said, and we introduced ourselves.
“What kind of ring were you thinking of?”
“I don’t know.”
Denise showed us images of the popular cuts, and I pointed out the ones I liked.
Then she brought back options for us, and I appreciated that she didn’t overwhelm us with a ton of them at once. We narrowed down the carat, clarity, and then finally, the specific cut. My hunch was that Hanna wanted something simple. She worked with kids all day, doing arts and crafts. I didn’t think she’d want something huge that got in the way.
When I showed Ember and Knox the one that I was drawn to, they both smiled and said they loved it.
“This is the one?” the woman asked.
“That’s the ring.” I felt that deep in my soul. Hanna was the one for me, and this was the ring I could envision on her finger.
“She’ll love it,” Knox said as the woman left.
“I hope so.” Suddenly, I was nervous. I never made impulsive decisions like this.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” Knox asked.
