Jenna stepped back and smiled through the tears. She let her hands slip down from his shoulders and rested them on his forearms. “I know I can be.”
“So, now,” Chet lifted her left hand, “am I putting this on you or not?”
She looked down at the amazing ring. It was beautiful and caught the light, reflecting a rainbow of prisms. “You didn’t need to get something so extravagant.”
“Yes, I did, darlin’. Jenna, look at me.”
She raised her gaze to his. Love for this wonderful man swelled inside her until it stole her breath. “Chet.” Her word was barely above a whisper.
“Will you stay and share the rest of your life with me? As my wife?” His voice was gentle, low, and sent ripples of delight coursing through her veins.
She nodded and this time she didn’t cry. She smiled and leaned into him, wanting to feel his lips mesh with hers. He met her and she curled the fingers of her right hand through his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Their tongues tangled and her belly trembled with desire and her heart nearly burst with love. Jenna broke away from him. “Oh yes, Chet. I’ll stay. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
His lips curved into a brilliant smile and he slipped the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Just as they did together. She held her hand up and gazed at the flashing sparks from the stones.
“Just like you, darlin’, all fire.”
6
Jenna couldn’t stop looking at the ring. It was magnificent and fit her perfectly. She hadn’t expected the proposal, but when he’d asked her, she realized just how much she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
He held her hand on the console, his thumb gently rubbing her ring finger. She glanced at him, and she couldn’t stop smiling. They were almost home when she gasped.
He looked at her, alarmed. “What’s wrong?”
“Tonight. With your parents and the kids. What are we going to say? Should I take the ring off so they don’t notice –
“No, keep it on. I’m excited to share the news with them.” He squeezed her fingers.
“Oh, I hope so. But, what if they don’t respond well? Then what will we do?” She began to fret his family wouldn’t take the news well.
“Jenna, darlin’, it will be fine. Believe me, my family is very important to me, and I would never bring anyone into the fold that I wasn’t sure would be the perfect fit. And you are. I know it to the core of my being.”
She let out a breath and nodded. “I know you’d be careful. And I do love your kids, and getting to know your parents is very important to me.”
“Good. It will all be perfect, I know it.” He stopped the truck. “Now, shall we get that mass of groceries we bought into the house? We have about an hour before they arrive.”
“Yes, yes! I want to get the roses into a vase and put out some of the cheeses and bread we got. Hurry.” She hopped out of the truck and helped unload everything into the kitchen, every now and then kept peeking at her ring.
An hour later, with a variety of food set out, the wine breathing, a fire in the grand fireplace, and candles lit, they waited for their guests.
“Jenna, come and sit by me; bring your glass of wine,” he told her, and she did. He put his arm around her. “There’s no need to be nervous.”
“But I am. I can’t help it.”
The crunch of tires on the drive announced the arrival. “Here we go.” Chet rose and held her hand, his fingers wrapped around hers.
With Belle’s loud welcoming bark, his parents’ dog barreling onto the back deck and into the kitchen, and greetings all around, the house was full of noise and happiness. Chet was thrilled. He loved it when the kids came home.
He hugged Taylee and grabbed Tytan as he walked by, pulling him into a bear hug.
“You guys. I need to see you more,” he told them.
“Dad, we’re here now,” Tytan told him as he extricated himself from Chet’s fierce grip.
Taylee lingered a little longer in her father’s embrace.
Chet looked at Jenna and the smile of joy on her face warmed his heart. She held her hands under her chin, and her ring flashed in the waning sunlight streaming in through the windows.
