“And given another a new way to seeherself.”
Kelly waved shyly from the table on the frontrow.
“And showed countless others how to take the high road, even in difficult of situations, through yourexample.”
“Hear, hear!” cheeredMom.
“Daisy, I know we’ve officially been a couple for a short time. But I’ve known you my whole life and you’ve known me, and I know we fit.” He stepped to her side and knelt on one knee. Slowly, he opened his hand to reveal a diamondring.
Daisy closed her eyes. She’d been in a whole different place mentally than Beckett for the past month. While she’d been contemplating breaking things off, he’d been planning a proposal. “Beckett?” She had concerns and couldn’t take his ring until they wereresolved.
Beckett’s hands closed over the top of hers—his touch feeling right and calming the waves in her stomach. “I have options and I’d like to discuss them, but …” He tipped his head to the crowd. “Do you trustme?”
Daisy rubbed her over-glossed lips together. When it came right down to it, she trusted him. She had for as long as she could remember. “Yes.”
“To which question?” Beckettwhispered.
“Both.”
He was on his feet and she was in his arms in a flash. The crowd cheered, but Daisy wasn’t thinking about them. She framed Beckett’s face with her hands, loving the softness of his beard and the soap and mint smell ofhim.
“I love you, Daisy. I want you to be mywife.”
“I love you, too.” She kissed him once. “I want you to be myhusband.”
He set her on her feet and kissed her for thirty-two seconds. Daisy knew exactly how long because over a hundred people got it on video and posted it before the night wasover.
The video wentviral.
Epilogue
Daisy squintedat the camera screen. Her nose was pink despite the layers of foundation she’d applied. Because she was in the jungle, she’d been inspired to create a brown smoky eye with green liner. The look was sure to be a hit with brown-eyed women all over the world, because it had just the right amount of exotic. She clicked the red button and waited a beat beforespeaking.
“Hi, friends. We’re here in South America, where we’re checking in with the organic honey farmers who provide the beautiful honey and beeswax for the entireEveryDayGlam!skin careline.
“Did you know that pollen from the plants the bees pollinate makes it into the honey? These growers are deep in the jungle where healing plants abound.” She stepped over a tall tree root as she walked along the edge of the field of avocado plants. On the far side of the field, hives, stacked three to five boxes high, could be seen in thebackground.
“Down here, they don’t use chemical weed killers of fertilizers. Every plant is grown the same way their ancestors planted, tended, and harvested. Hey, Beck!” she called. “Show them your weedkiller.”
Beckett lifted his machete into the air. He’d spent the morning helping the farmers clear a new patch of land. The work was physical and demanding. His shirt stuck to his skin and sweat soaked the band tied around his forehead. He smiled that we’re-living-the-dream smile that melted Daisy’s heart before getting right back to taming thejungle.
“That’s a real man’s tool right there,” Daisy said for the camera. “What this means for you, friend, is that every cream, balm, and lotion fromEveryDayGlam!is made with certified 100% organic ingredients.” A feeling of deep gratitude swelled within her chest, even though her career hadn’t taken the path she’d mapped out. KPaka didn’t come back, begging her to sign a contract. They were quite happy with their new spokesperson. Brittany did a wonderful job of marketing their products on her channel and mainstream commercials. She had Daisy’s dream in her pocket—and she could keepit.
“In just a moment, I’ll show you how you can use honey to get rid of acne. That’s right, this golden substance has all sorts of antibiotic properties that will clean your pores, and it’s already in your pantry. And don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss out on a single episode. We’ve got so many amazing shows in store foryou!”
Her phone rang. She clicked off the camera and fished it out of her pocket. “Hey, Kelly. What’sup?”
“I just wanted to let you know that we finished shooting the anti-aging serum commercial with your momyesterday.”
“How’d itgo?”
“Wonderful. She’s a natural in front of thecamera.”
“I knew she would be.” Daisy grinned. When Mr. Combs had laid out his plan to launch an entirely new FreeWater program to establish small farms that would provide the ingredients for an all-natural beauty line inspired by Daisy’s channel, Daisy about fell out of her chair in shock. It didn’t take long for her to catch his vision and sign on the dottedline.
She thanked Kelly for the update and ended the call. Shielding her eyes from the hot sun, she took in theprogress.
The people who owned the avocado field worked hand in hand with the family who kept the bees. No one was given more work than they asked for, but everyone was given enough. FreeWater partnered with Christian churches who sent young adult groups to establish schools in the community. Children were allowed to work in the fields as apprentices in keeping with the local custom of parents passing their place in the clan to theirchildren.
