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“Oh, uh…” Abbi smiles, but I can see the uncertainty in her eyes as she looks up at Brady, who is blushing. I’ve never seen that man blush before. “You don’t have to?—”
“Yes, he does,” Daisy insists. “He said he would.”
“I’m happy to go,” Brady says and smiles sweetly at the little girl. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to wear a pretty dress.”
“I can’t wait.” Brady winks at her and then smiles at Abbi, who looks a little flummoxed. I swear, they’ve been dancing around each other for months.
I wish they’d just go out on a date, for fuck’s sake.
“Hey, Polly, do you mind coming outside for just a minute?” Ryan asks me, and suddenly, everyone in the room is smiling. He wraps a coat around my shoulders, leading me to the glass doors off of the kitchen.
“What’s…going on?”
“I just have to speak to you alone really quick,” he says, taking my hand and leading me outside.
It’s already been a snowy season. We must have three feet on the ground, and it’s not even officially winter quite yet.
Ryan closes the door behind us, takes my hand, and guides me on a freshly shoveled path that leads to a clearing under a big evergreen tree, where candles hang in glass mason jars from the limbs above, casting everything in a pretty, yellow glow.
When we get closer, I see that there are pink rose petals on the ground, and my heart starts to pick up speed.
“Ryan.”
“I’m excited to finally tell our families and friends about our little secret,” he begins as we slowly walk closer to the candles. “But first, I have to admit that we’ve been keeping a secret from you. I’ve wanted to do this since that night on the roof when I told you that I loved you for the first time.”
I turn and gaze up at him, my heart already so full I’m surprised it can hold all the love I feel for this amazing man.
“I worried that it might scare you off, so I decided to wait. I feel like saying the words I love you just isn’t enough to fully convey how I feel about you. It’s not big enough. Not bold enough. I thought I had everything I needed before you came into my life. I’m a wealthy man, and I have a gorgeous kid and a great family, and then you came into the picture and knocked me on my ass.”
I grin, loving this beautiful speech. I wish I was recording it because I’m full of so much excitement right now that I’m afraid I’ll forget something.
“You are funny and sweet and so fucking smart. Much smarter than me.”
“Well, yeah.”
He grins down at me. “Nothing’s better than being with you. You make me a better person. You make me want to be a better person, Polly. I am committed to making sure that every day is the best day of your life. We will have adventures and fights and fun and struggles.”
“And makeup sex.”
“That’s a given.” He clears his throat and lowers to one knee, pulling something out of his pocket as he does.
In his fingers is a beautiful oval diamond the size of a baby’s fist, glinting in the candlelight.
“I love you, and I’m asking you here and now if you’ll do me the honor of being my wife. Marry me, babe.”
I sit on his knee so I can kiss the hell out of him, and then I tip my forehead to his.
“Yes. A million times, yes.”
He slips the ring onto my finger, and I stare down at it in awe.
“I’m going to be terrified to wear this in public. I’ll probably get mugged for it.”
“We have security,” he says before kissing me again.
When we walk into the house, everyone stands and cheers, and someone offers me a flute of champagne, but I shake my head and look up at my fiancé.
