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“What’s this small square box?” Jenny yelled.
I was going to kill her. I set down my hamburger and took a drink of Coke while I contemplated the best way to kill someone when there were a hundred witnesses.
Kylie’s family surrounded me. Despite my best efforts, I’d been forced into the family reunion. I never knew there were so many people that could be related. Mimi, the grandma I’d heard so much about, sat to my left. Page sat to my right, and Kylie was nowhere to be found. Maybe I could cut Jenny off before she showed the entire countryside the engagement ring I’d had specially made for Kylie.
“Excuse me, Mimi.” The black-haired woman smiled at me as I climbed out of the fifteen-foot picnic table that I had built specifically for the reunion. I’d made four in total, and we planned on leaving them at Mimi’s. Her place was where all the reunions and any major holiday happened. They needed more seating since having a hundred guests was considered a small crowd.
“Hey, Hagen!” Jenny yelled as I weaved past a group of small children. “There’s something in here, what is it?”
Just as Jenny was about to open the box, I snatched it out of her hand and put it in my pocket. “How’d you get that? I left it locked in my truck.”
Jenny grinned and shrugged. “Oh look, there’s Kylie. Why don’t you ask her if the box is hers?”
I gritted my teeth. “Someday, I’ll get even with you for this.”
She just smiled as I turned around to face Kylie, the suspiciously shaped ring box still in my pocket. The family that sat closest to us grew silent.
“Hagen, what’s going on?” Kylie asked as she looked between Jenny, me, and all the eyes on us. Then her gaze landed on my jeans pocket. It didn’t help that I had my hand in it as if I could hide the shape of the box.
“Do it,” Jenny urged quietly. I wondered if she would ever move away from Louisiana. I’d help pack her bags.
I swiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, then pulled out the ring box, and climbed down on one knee in front of Kylie, who wore one of her favorite jumpsuit things. It was bright yellow—my favorite color on her. She never failed to look amazing.
Her shocked face started to crack into a smile as I flipped open the box.
“Kylie Boone, I’m not looking for a girlfriend.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“But I am looking for a wife. There is no one else in the world that I can imagine spending the rest of my life with. I love you with all of my heart. I’m sorry I didn’t get to give you a romantic proposal at sunset on the beach like I’d planned. But here, you’re surrounded by the people you love, and who love you. Family who would do anything for you. I want to be that to you, too. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She leapt toward me. I barely had time to jump to my feet and catch her as she flew through the air.
And I knew, right then, what it felt like to hold the whole world in my arms.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to all everyone who helped with this book. My awesome critique partners who helped set the tone for the entire book. The beta readers that fine-tuned everything with me. Jenn, for being amazing and detailed.
Thank you to all of my ARC readers!
Thank you to my boys who have been my little cheerleaders and have told me they’re going to write a book someday–I hope they do.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. The same could be said about writing a book. This wouldn’t have been even half the story it is without all the help I had! I hope this book has made you smile or gulp your lemonade too fast. That would make me incredibly happy.