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The exclamation of my girl’s favorite guy makes me smile. I walked in from one of the town business meetings earlier this summer to Harlan and his brother’s teaching Audra to call Harlan da-da.
“Hey, there, sweet pea. Still nothing?” he asks me, eyeing our walking shy daughter.
It’s not official yet, but Harlan is Audra’s dad in every way that matters. When she started saying da-da to him – to his delight – every time he came through the door at night and holding her chubby arms up for a cuddle, I lost another part of my heart to him. Staying up with her through a nasty stomach bug that took both of us out at the end of summer, and poof, another piece of something that used to be just mine was gone. But it was a happy kind of sad. The right kind of sad. If there was anyone in the world that I’d want to share Audra with… it’s him.
He squats down, dropping to one knee, just out of reach of Audra whose excitement at seeing her favorite guy makes her a little less steady than normal.
“She just needs the right incentive.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.
Holy shit.
The air in my lung evaporates. Just dries up, and I can’t catch my breath.
“Har…” I gasp not sure if I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing.
Flipping the top open, fire dances through the afternoon sunshine. A vintage-style gold band nestles diamonds in its curlicues.
Oh my god. My heart feels like it’s going to explode right out of my chest and plop at his feet on the porch deck.
Oh my holy shit.
“Harlan,” I gasp.
“Come on, pretty girl. Come get it.” He smirks at me and waves the box so the light catches on all the shiny gems.
Audra’s face scrunches up, and she turns her body, using the chair to stay steady and like she’s been doing it for months she toddles the three steps between her and Harlan, hands outstretched for the ring in the box.
The ring forgotten, I watch my baby take her first steps toward the man I love. “Oh my god. She did it! She walked.” Tears pour down my cheeks in happiness for my girl and the fact that I think Harlan’s proposing.
Harlan scoops her up in his arms, smacking a kiss against her cheek. “Of course you did. You’re so smart. You can do anything.” He jiggles her in his arms until she’s giggling.
He turns to me, the box still open between us. “Maisie. Sunshine. Your daughter is a lot like you, she gets the best parts of her from you, you’re strong and brave and the best thing to ever crash into my life. I’d be stupid if I didn’t want you to be my wife. And I’m not stupid.”
My eyes fill with tears even as a watery laugh bursts from me.
“Marry me. Be mine. Keep crashing through life with me.”
I’m nodding before he finishes.
“Yes. Of course, yes. I love you.” I step into him, our daughter pressed between us and kiss him. Pouring the love I have for him into it.
He pulls back and swipes a thumb over my cheek, catching the happy tear.
“I’m sorry.”
I pull back, confused. “What?”
“She said yes!” The excited yell comes from Rhett, and I look over Harlan’s shoulder to see the Calhoun clan converging on us.
“I couldn’t keep the idiots away,” he explains with a wince.
He shoots an irritable glance over his shoulder at his brothers as they surround us in a giant group hug. Everyone talks at once.
“I told you idiots that she’d say yes,” Jedd crows.
“We didn’t think she was going to say no. And the ring didn’t hurt his chances either,” Duke says.
They continue to talk and bullshit around us, and I’m wrapped up in six different hugs, passed around his brothers as they congratulate me on becoming an official part of the family.
