“I did, actually.”
“Why!?”
“Because.” His lips curved in a fond smile. “You were being you.”
I sank onto my knees on the patio in front of him, which was absolutely painful in these heels. “I love you, you ridiculous man! Of course I’ll marry you!” I was full-on crying, already.
He slid the ring onto my finger.
I threw myself on him, hugging the shit out of him. “You’re so beautiful! I love you!”
“That’s my line.” He kissed my face, many times, as I cried, then smoothed the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. He held my face and kissed me over and over, just letting my emotions run free.
“Good God, you get me,” I wept.
“I love you, Angeline,” he said softly.
“My knees and ankles hurt so bad right now.”
He got up, pulling me to my feet. I sagged against him, melting down with emotions.
“You’re the best,” I sobbed. “I can’t believe you did all this for me…”
“Are you kidding?” He gazed into my eyes, searching. “I’ve taken too much and not given enough back. It’s what I always do, but I have to stop, or I know one day I’ll lose you. And I won’t lose you.”
“You won’t lose me.”
“I’ve been working too hard.”
“You’ve been working hard on something you love,” I corrected him.
Johnny shook his head at me, like he still couldn’t understand how I stood by him so unfailingly.
“You know, when I was playing that showcase, a year ago…” he said, “and I could see you there, listening so intently, crying along to my songs… it struck me so hard, that if I didn’t ask you to marry me, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
Oh my God. He was killing me dead. “So what took you so long?” I sobbed.
“I had to be sure you’d say yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. I needed to prove to you that I’m not running anymore. I already had a failed marriage. I needed you to trust me that I’m here to stay.” He took a breath. “Amber said, when I went to apologize to her, that the thing that hurt her the most was that she felt like I regretted rushing into things with her. And I did regret it, with her. I never wantedyouto feel that way. I never wanted you to worry that we rushed into things. I never wanted you to have any regrets about us, because I know I don’t. I just know it would’ve haunted me, though, if I didn’t do this right. If I didn’t ask you to marry me, and know that if you said yes, you meant it with every piece of your heart. And that I’d make good on my vows to you.”
“I say yes.”
He looked deep into my eyes. “Don’t say yes unless you mean it.”
“Yes,” I promised him, with every piece of my heart. I gave him a wet, tearful kiss.
Then I looked down at the ring he’d put on my finger, which I’d barely been able to get a glimpse of, what with all the emotions and the tears. I wiped my eyes. “Jesus, Johnny. This is… gorgeous.”
“It’s got the diamond from my mom’s engagement ring.”
I looked up at him in awe.
“See this?” He nodded toward the ring. I looked down, and he touched his finger to one of the off-center stones. “This was Mom’s. I had a bigger one set in the middle for you, and some others around it. I wanted you to have something really special. And just so you know…” He looked into my eyes again. “Amber never wore this ring. It didn’t even exist when I married her.”
“Well… thank you. I’m glad to hear that.”
