Page 144 of My All American Girl

“What’s up? You’re supposed to move your ass now.”

I took a deep breath, reached into my flight suit pocket, and pulled out the ring box. Her eyes widened as I popped it open, revealing a beautiful diamond ring nestled inside.

“Dean?”

“Sarah,” I said, removing my helmet so she could see my face. “I love you more than words can express. Being up here with you, seeing you in your element, it’s clear to me that this is where we belong. Together. The last year and a half with you has been the best of my life. I’m ready to follow you around the world. Will you marry me?”

For a moment, everything seemed to stand still. She stared at me like she thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. But I knew from that first night we were together this was what I wanted for my future. Hell, I might have known before that. I was just a little slow to figure it out.

Down on the ground, I noticed a few fellow pilots had stopped what they were doing to watch. This was going to be really embarrassing if she shot me down. Suddenly, a smile broke across Sarah’s face. She nodded vigorously.

“Yes! Yes, Dean, of course, I’ll marry you!”

Applause erupted from below as she practically launched herself into my lap, showering me with kisses. It was a struggle to get the ring on her finger with her wriggling around, but we managed it amid laughter and tears of joy.

“You’re clumsy,” she teased, holding out her hand to admire the ring in the sunlight.

“And you’re like a puppy let loose for the first time,” I shot back, grinning.

She kissed me again, her eyes shining with happiness. “You’ve just made me the happiest girl alive, Dean. But you know, the wedding will be huge with all my dad’s Air Force friends, our friends, and my extended family. We’ll need a big venue.”

I grimaced, already picturing the logistical nightmare. “Uh oh. How about Vegas?”

Her face lit up with an idea. “What about an airport hangar?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “You know what? It’s perfect.”

“Can we get out of here now?” she asked. “This is a little too cramped for me to properly kiss you. And we have an audience. I’d like to go somewhere private and properly celebrate.”

My head was still spinning when we finally made our way back to my apartment that evening. Sarah had barely taken her eye off the ring the whole day. Every time she looked at it, she broke out into a cheesy grin, as if she couldn’t quite believe it was real. I couldn’t either.

“I want to celebrate,” Sarah declared.

“Oh?”

“I’m going to call Kylee,” she said. “I want to call everyone, and I want to show off this ring.”

“The bar?” I asked with a smile.

“Is there anywhere else?” She giggled. “Besides, we leave next month. We need to enjoy it while we can.”

I nodded, knowing it was time to move on from Columbus. It was wild we had been able to spend as much time here as we did. I was looking forward to moving on.

We found ourselves at the Fly Trap. The place was packed. Some were new faces from the newest UPT program, along with a few familiar faces.

“I said yes!” Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs, holding her hand in the air.

The bar immediately burst into a round of cheers. Jude looked at me and shook his head. “You stupid son of a bitch.” He laughed.

I grinned. “Thanks.”

“Congratulations! Drinks are on the house!” Jude declared. The crowd roared in approval.

Sarah laughed, her face flushed with exhilaration. She weaved her way through people, showing off her ring to everyone who wanted to see it. I was content to lean against the bar, watching her joyfully accept hugs and congratulations from our friends.

She eventually made her way back to me, pulling me into a kiss that made my head spin. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered against my lips.

“Believe it,” I whispered back. “I’m going to be the best damn husband you’ve ever seen.”