I frown, confused. “Derrick …?”
He turns to me, and my breath catches. He looks nervous. Shaking. Like I looked an hour ago.
Oh my god.
“Charlie,” he says softly, just loud enough for everyone to hear, “I need to say something.”
Christian gasps dramatically.
He takes a slow breath. “Tonight, you gave me the most beautiful moment of my life. You gave me something I didn’t even know I could have.” My heart stutters. “You asked me to marry you.” He swallows. “And you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear those words from you.”
I blink fast.
No.
He wouldn’t …
“But,” he continues, voice shaking, “I remember a moment where you told me that there was no way in the world I was proposing to you, that it was your job to do it. Well, there’s something you don’t know.” The crowd collectively leansforward with me. “I had a plan that whenever you proposed, I would too.”
Gasps everywhere.
Derrick reaches into his pocket. “I’ve been hiding it in my sock drawer.” I can’t breathe. He steps closer. Right back into the center of the fairy lights where I knelt earlier.
“Charlie,” he whispers, eyes shining. Derrick drops to one knee. A collective explosion of screaming hits the backyard. I cover my mouth, shaking. Tears instantly burn my eyes. “Charlie Nash,” he says, looking up at me like I’m his whole damn universe. “You are the love of my life. You are fierce and soft and ridiculous and perfect. You made me believe I was worthy of being loved like this. And I want to love you, loudly and proudly, for the rest of my life.” Derrick opens the ring box. My vision blurs.
“So,” he says, voice cracking completely, “will you marry me, too?”
“Yes,” I choke out. “Yes, God, Derrick, YES.” He laughs, breathless relief pouring out of him, and slides the ring onto my shaking hand.
The backyard erupts again.
Kids cheering.
Adults screaming.
Champagne bottles popping.
I kiss the ever-loving hell out of my man. My fiancé. Derrick pulls me into his arms, both of us crying and laughing as our friends congratulate us all over again.
Two proposals.
Two rings.
One night.
One future.
93
DERRICK
Months later
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about this town, it’s that Moonlight Falls does not know how to do anything halfway. Case in point, our joint bachelor party at the Midnight Moose, which is being held the day before Thanksgiving and a couple of days before our wedding day.
Christian is in charge of tonight, and honestly, I’m scared. That one is on me. I should have seen it coming. The moose is packed. Even though technically we’ve booked the whole place out, the“whole place”in a town like this includes half the locals anyway, because everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows we’re getting married. Outside, snow swirls under the old neon sign. Inside, it’s hot enough that I’ve already rolled my sleeves up.
“Okay, this is insane,” I say, watching as yet another group filters in. “How many people did you invite?”
