She and Paul had been discussing where they should live for the last few months. Carmen may not have wanted to marry him, but she was more than willing to shack up. Paul was a master of breakfast, and Carmen loved being the one sitting on the stool at the kitchen island for a change. Plus, there weren’t many things sexier than watching a man make a frittata.
Paul had been campaigning for them to move to a new home in the Milwaukee area. Carmen was torn. She loved the Lake Geneva home, but she could understand why Paul wanted to start fresh in a new house. And Paul had pointed out that if Carmen and Elizabeth were going to make a go of the new firm in Milwaukee, she would have to move anyway. Finally, Paul liked the idea of having some land, and the Texas girl in Carmen had a hard time arguing with him.
Paul had taken the day off work so that they could go look at houses. They were looking around Fredonia in Ozaukee County because there were a lot of properties there with substantial acreage, many of them backing up to the Milwaukee River.
They pulled up in his black truck to a property with a long, winding drive. In the distance, she could see a beautiful old farmhouse. Old, but very spacious and well-kept, at least from the outside. To the left of the main house was a riding complex and a neighboring field for the horses to graze.
It had been so long since she’d been on a horse, thought Carmen. She had grown up riding in Texas and had nothing but fond memories of those weekends with her dad and her horse, Trudy. City living had pretty much made riding impossible, and once Avery was born, she had never gotten back to it.
As they drove down the winding path, Carmen thought about what her life could be like here. Different, she thought. Very different. They keyed in the code on the realtor’s lock and started to explore the main house. It was exceptional, she had to admit. There wasn’t a lot she would have to change.
Paul was interested in taking a look at the woodshop that was supposed to be in the little shed neighboring the barns. Carmen decided to check out the stables.
She walked in to find a cream-colored dappled mare standing calmly in her stall. She looked like she could be Trudy’s foal. Carmen grabbed an apple from a nearby bushel and walked over to feed it to the lovely animal. As she fed the mare with her left hand, she reached up with her right to stroke the animal’s neck. The mare seemed to welcome Carmen’s caress. Carmen flashed back to the feeling she used to get as a child when she was on Trudy’s back, galloping through the Texas fields. Free and wild and full of life.
I used to be fearless, thought Carmen. What happened to me? Why am I willing to move, to live with Paul, but not marry him? It was a nonsensical boundary, really. Avery had been on her case about it ever since she had told her what happened in Coronado.
“Mom! Don’t be stupid. Paul loves you. You love him. What else is there?” she had said. “Just because you’re over forty doesn’t mean your life is over. Look at all the couples who got married after waiting decades for the laws to change. Appreciate your right to be with the person you love. And Mom, it will be different this time. Paul is not Daddy.”
Maybe her daughter was right. Carmen was finally finishing her education, and this time, she was the one with the dream job lined up. Not to mention that she didn’t have a newborn, which was definitely going to make things easier. Maybe it was time to finally let down her guard and let herself be happy. Maybe someday, she thought as she left to find Paul.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked when she met him outside the shed.
“About what?” Carmen responded.
“The house, what else?” said Paul with a laugh. “Are you thinking about the firm again? You’re going to need to learn to compartmentalize if you’re going to be a successful CFO, you know.”
“Actually, I was thinking we should get married someday. And we should definitely buy the house too.”
Paul stood there blinking slowly.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Did you just propose to me?” He laughed with delight.
Oh, crap, thought Carmen. Can’t turn back now.
“Yeah, I guess I did. Paul, will you marry me?” asked Carmen, softly smiling.
Paul grinned and said, “I thought you would never ask. Would you like your ring now?”
“Are you carrying it around in your pocket?” asked Carmen incredulously.
“Well, sort of. It’s in the truck. I didn’t want to let it go just yet.”
Paul jogged over to find the box.
As she watched him retreat, Carmen started to doubt herself. What if this was a horrible mistake? Maybe it was too soon. Why was she so impulsive?
As he walked slowly back over, Carmen tried to calm her nerves. He was soon standing in front of her holding a familiar box, the same one he had been holding in San Diego.
He handed it to her. She took a deep breath and opened it. She didn’t know what to expect. She had seen a lot of bad engagement rings in her days, and she hoped Paul had just gone simple and classic.
Nestled in the white satin was a ring that was most definitely not bad. It was stunning, in fact. It had a beautiful art deco design that was unique but still clean and elegant in its design. The ring looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. And then she knew. “This is my grandmother’s ring!” she said with surprise. “How did you . . .”
“I asked your father for permission back in March,” Paul explained quietly. “We had a long talk. He’s such a good man, Carmen. He loves you so much and wants you to be happy. And he wants you to have his mother’s ring. He said that he would have given it to Mark if he had thought to ask.”
Carmen was overcome with emotion. She couldn’t wait to show the girls. And Avery. Avery would love this. It was all too much. She started to cry despite her best efforts to hold it together.
“One thing,” said Paul. “Your mom wants to be part of planning the wedding this time. I said that was fine by me. I hope that’s acceptable.”
“Sure,” Carmen replied, laughing through her tears. “She’s certainly waited long enough. But we are having it in Milwaukee because Elizabeth will be too pregnant to travel.”
“I’ll let your mom down gently,” said Paul, joining in her laughter. “So we have another hour to tour the place. Let’s walk through the main house one more time. There’s one room I think we should pay particular attention to. We’re going to be spending a lot of time in there if I have my way.”
“Actually, I’m more a fan of the stables,” teased Carmen.
“Well, then,” said Paul, “let’s check out both.” He pulled Carmen into his arms for a kiss, and she felt the defenses she had so carefully crafted over the long years with Mark begin to melt away. She was ready to trust again.