Chapter 22
Andy
Three months ago, if you told me I’d be moving to North Carolina and proposing to a country musician, I’d have doubled over in laughter. However, today I’m in a big open room decked out in balloons, crepe paper, and long folding tables covered with potluck.
I tug at my tie and scratch at my trimmed beard. “Hey Mom, you sure everything is ready?”
In a new flowered dress and short hairdo, she grins and kisses my cheek. “That’s the third time you’ve asked in about that many minutes. Relax, son.”
I hope Sienna will like the old firehouse. I could’ve flown her to Paris or any place in the world but deep in my heart, I know she’ll love this best.
“She’s here, she’s here.” My three-year-old niece runs across the floor and into my arms. After swinging her in circles, I place her in the kitchen with the other giggling children.
Hopefully, me and Sienna will have one of our own soon. The thought of my lady ripe with my child makes me grin as I race to the front window. Melanie’s job was to pick up Sienna, supposedly for a Sunday School Puppet show. It was damned hard to keep a whole town of busy-bodies from spilling the beans.
I smile at Mrs. Wilson, my third-grade teacher and Mrs. Martin, the woman who tried to teach me to play the trumpet. “Cross your fingers, pretty ladies. It’s almost time.”
Blushing, they show me their hands, and duck behind a table.
Outside, heels sound on the old wooden stairs, two women laugh, and my sister-in-law says, “The children are so excited to do this for you.”
“That is so sweet.” Sienna has no idea what’s about to go down.
The door rattles, opens, and…
“SURPRISE!” Almost a hundred people shout at once.
I rush over to my love and kiss her open mouth, closed.
“What? What is this, Andy?” When her shock lessons, a grin spreads across her face. She waves to CJ, Mel, Jack, and all the rest.
Before I lose my nerve, I drop onto one knee in front of everyone. My hand shakes a little as I pull the fuzzy box from my pocket. Holding my breath, I place it in her hand and pray I got it right.
“Luv.” I stop to clear my throat and find the right words. “I love you more than anything. Hell, I’d even take another bullet for you.”
“Please don’t.” She giggles, cheeks all red and beautiful as hell which gives me courage to go on.
“Promise to keep me mindful of what really matters for the rest of my life. Will you marry me? Have my children? Grow old together?”
Her smile brightens up the whole room, maybe the whole state of North Carolina, as she pulls me to my feet. “Of course, I will.”
The room explodes with applause and when she opens the box, she gasps. A huge translucent opal sparkles under the florescent lights.
As she slides it on her finger, adoring eyes stay glued to mine. “Baby, it’s perfect.”
Behind my back, I give Mel a thumbs-up. At first, I was going to buy a flashy diamond but when my sister-in-law pointed out other options, I saw the light. Sienna isn’t impressed by money.
While the ladies gather around to ooh and ahh over the ring, I find the cooler and crack open a beer. They’ll be champagne later but after those harrowing moments, I figure I deserve something right now.
The guys slap me on the back and CJ clinks his beer bottle to mine. “Congrats, bro. You did it.”
I think back to when he told me about that video of Sienna singing on Facebook and how it made me realize she loved me. “I would’ve blown it without you.”
“Damn right you would’ve.” He takes a gulp of beer and grins. “Why an opal?”
“All about the money.”
“What? We’re in trouble?” His brows shoot up and I shake my head, laughing. He should know me better.
