Magnus stopped at the chair on the opposite side of the table. Ava was holding something in her hand. It took a second for it to register that the gleaming silver was actually the little piano jewelry box that Ava had gone back to that house to get.
“You had it cleaned?” Ava asked, looking at Magnus.
“Not me,” he admitted.
“I cleaned it,” Trey said, bringing a plate of chicken fried steak over, setting it in the center along with the cream gravy, green beans, and cornbread he’d already brought over. “It’s real silver. Just needed to be polished.”
“It’s beautiful,” Ava whispered.
Magnus looked at Trey. Sometimes he thought his heart would explode for the sheer amount of joy this man gave him.
Ava’s shocked squeal had Magnus’s gaze snapping over. “What?”
Her hand was trembling as she held the piano out, the lid lifted. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Trey.
“I wanted to make it official,” Trey said gruffly, as though speaking around a lump in his throat.
Magnus’s head snapped over again when Trey went down to one knee right there in their tiny kitchen.
“Will you both marry me?”
Magnus felt like his head was on a swivel, turning his attention back to the piano. That’s when he noticed two rings inside—a sparkling diamond engagement ring set in platinum and another platinum band, only larger and lacking diamonds.
Ava set the piano down, her hands shaking. Then she launched herself at Trey. He tumbled to the floor, grinning like a fool, and Magnus couldn’t help but do the same as he stared down at them.
“I’m hopin’ that’s a yes, girl,” Trey crooned.
“Absolutely, yes!”
Trey’s eyes shifted to him, and Magnus recognized the hint of fear in them.
It took a second for Magnus to get his voice to work, but he finally did. “What she said.”
As if there could ever be any other answer than that.
“Do I have to keep this a secret, too?” Ava grumped.
Trey laughed. “Nah. Just don’t show off the ring until Brantley says I do. After that, who cares.”
“Deal,” she said, planting a big, wet kiss on his face.
Magnus took a deep breath and held it in.
This.
This was so much more than he could’ve ever dreamed of.
He sent a silent thank you heavenward, hoping his mom, dad, and sister knew how grateful he was. After all, he fully suspected they’d played a hand in this.
