At this point, two enormous Labradors came bounding out of the surf in their direction, shook joyfully, completely, and extremely messily, and fairly drenched both of them, although Zane did his best to throw his body between thedogs and Skylar. The owner, a bloke with one of those throwing sticks for tennis balls, said, “Sorry. Dogs, eh.”
“No worries,” Zane said.
Skylar said, “All right, that was a fairly romantic move. Shielding me from Dog Spray.” She was laughing. How could you not? “Also, I’m not sure I’m exactly made for romantic scenes. When I see some couple running toward each other in slow motion across a field of flowers, I mostly think about stickers in your socks, and possibly hay fever.”
“Let’s sit,” Zane said. “There’s a log in the shade over there, and you’ve probably had enough sun for one day anyway.” Skylar was, in fact, wearing a straw hat with a huge brim, because there wasn’t enough sunscreen in the world to shade a ginger from the Southern Hemisphere sun.
They sat, and he was silent a minute, looking out to sea. She said, “I’m getting nervous again. So you know.”
“Cut a man a bit of slack,” he said. “I’m working out how to begin.”
“Oh. OK. Should I look at my phone or something while you work it out?” Why did he always make her laugh?
“No, you shouldn’t. OK. Here we go. Scarlett said I’m meant to kneel down. She seemed to think it was important, so I’m doing it. I feel stupid, but I want it to be a good memory, so …” He stood up, got on one knee before her, and took her hands. “This seems to be the way. Although I was right. I feel stupid. But here we are, so … What d’you think about getting married?”
“Zane.You’re kidding.”
“Not the answer I was looking for.”
“Come sit up here and talk about it,” she said.“Ifeel stupid with you down there.”
He did it, but said, “You might give a fella a hint. I’m nervous as hell.”
“You’renervous?I’vebeen nervous since we started walking!I thought, ‘He can’t want to break up with me. I can’t be reading thisthatbadly, and he must know I’m crazy about him. But what on earth is going on?’ That was my thought process. So you know.”
“This,” he said. “This is what’s going on. Although I clearly don’t know how to do it. I guess I tell you that I love you—even though you should already know that, it seems to me, from how many times I’ve told you—and I want to marry you. And be your kids’ stepfather and so forth, and have you be my kids’ stepmother, though that part isn’t generally included in the tender moment. Still—important.”
“Definitely.” Her heart was trying to float away with her. “Of course, some people would say we haven’t had enough time together. You’re meant to be together three years, so you know each other better. I can see that, but I?—”
“Right, then,” he said. “If you want it to be three years, we’ll do three years.Withus all in the same house, and with a plan. And an engagement. That’s what I want. Is it what you want?”
“Yes,” she said. “Of course it is.Zane.Yes. Although I don’t know if I can wait three years.”
“As Geoffrey’s mentioned,” he said, “nobody’s getting any younger here. Got to seize our moment while we can. Want to plan for a wedding next summer, then?”
“I would definitely like to plan for that.” She was laughing now, and holding his face in her hands to kiss him. “And the answer to your question is ‘yes.’ See why this position is better? I get to kiss you and hold your face.”
He let out a long breath, then held her tight and kept doing it. Nobody cuddled like Zane. It was the size of him, and the strength. And it was the best feeling in the world. Like you weren’t alone anymore. Like you were loved. “Good,” he said, his voice quiet, her head tucked under his chin. “Good. Because I couldn’t go another day without asking.”
She didn’t want to pull back. She did anyway. “How d’you think the kids will take it?”
“I only know about two of them. Scarlett and Finlay are pretty keen, though.”
“Youtoldthem?”
“They guessed. Well, Scarlett did. That’s how I know about the kneeling down and so forth. Scarlett also said I had to have the ring, and I don’t, for the very good reason also suggested by Scarlett, that I don’t have good taste. Well, other than wanting to marry you. I reckoned, buy the ring together. But if you’d rather I chose it and surprised you, I’ll do that.”
“Nope. I wouldn’t rather. That one, we need to do together.”
“But no telling me it’s too expensive. If you don’t like it, that’s one thing. But if you’re going to wear the thing for the next sixty years, I’d like to get it right.”
“Hmm. How do you feel about aquamarines?”
“Fine, I’m sure, if I knew what they were.”
“That other pendant we looked at in London, with the pale-blue stone. My second choice. So pretty, and more … more delicate than diamonds. It always looks like a flower, it’s unusual, and I love it. Are you OK if the solitaire’s an aquamarine? Fair warning, it’ll be quite a bit cheaper than a diamond.”
“I’m OK if the solitaire comes out of a gumball machine. As long as it isn’ttoocheap.”
