Page 286 of The Heart You Kept

I think for a moment. “I would like that one, please,” I whisper.

His nostrils flare and I know that it means a lot to him. “Good choice.” He digs a red ring box from his pocket and opens it to reveal the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. It’s an Edwardian antique style, a large European-cut center diamond with diamonds around it, all encased in filigree rose gold.

“Oh my god.” My hands fly over my mouth.

He takes my hand and slides it onto my finger and once again my vision blurs. “Oh…Edward. It’s so perfect,” I whisper as I hold my hand out to look at it. “It looks like a diamond flower.”

“It does.”

I laugh out loud. “What the hell just happened?” and he laughs too.

“We got….” He shrugs as if unable to believe it himself. “Engaged.”

“Are you sure?” I ask as I continue to stare at my hand, I can’t take my eyes off it for even a second. “This is very soon, we can wait if you want.”

“It took me thirty-six years to find you, Alora, and I’m not wasting another minute.”

My eyes search his. “We’re really going to do this?”

“Yes…. To forever.” He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. “Mrs. Prescott.”

“Ha.” I laugh against his lips. “It sounds so grown up.”

He chuckles and pulls me to my feet and we kiss again, our lips lingering over each other’s in a perfect moment of tenderness. “I love you so much,” I whisper.

“And I love you.”

“When are we telling everyone?”

“Right now.”

I turn and run across the field, unable to control my excitement. “I’ll race you back to the house.”

He takes off after me and we laugh as we run and as we get to the top of the hill I see Harold, Charlotte and Spencer waiting for us with a small table set up on the grass. There’s a silver ice bucket, a bottle of champagne and five flutes.

“They knew?” I laugh as I gasp for air.

“They knew.” He smiles as he catches up to me. “From the minute they met you, they knew.”

“What happened if I had said no?” I pant.

“Then I would have killed you and buried you in the field so that nobody ever found out.” He takes my hand in his and holds it up in the air as if he just won a title fight and they all cheer and jump around in excitement.

“FaceTime your father and brother and sister,” he says. “I want them to celebrate with us.”

“I hope my dad answers.” I take out my phone.

“They’re expecting your call.”

“You called already?” I get a lump in my throat.

“Of course I called them.”

Oh….

“I love you,” I whisper through tears, he grabs me and takes me into his arms and to the sound of cheering in the distance, he kisses me with everything that he is.

A moment so perfect that it will forever be burned in time.