Three months later.

~Ben~

“It’s such a pretty day,” Van says as she tilts her head back and soaks in the sunshine. I have the top down on my new car as we drive to the Inn, the wind and sunshine on our faces.

Every time I look at her it’s like a punch in the gut. Is it possible that she is more beautiful every day?

“Why are we going to the inn?” she asks.

“I thought we might have another picnic,” I reply, only lying by omission. I think this is one lie that she’ll easily forgive.

“Fun,” she says happily. The past few months have been the best of my life. My mother has fully recovered from the medication fiasco, and is doing well with Sally’s company. My business is healthy again.

And Van is by my side.

Life doesn’t get much better than that.

I pull up to the inn and take Van’s hand in mine. Rather than go up to the door to talk to Gabby, I immediately lead her around the house toward her tree.

“You’re in a hurry,” she says with a laugh. “Are you hungry?”

“Something like that.”

“You’ve been acting weird all day. Are you feeling okay?”

Aside from the ball of nerves in my stomach, I’m peachy.

“I’m just hungry,” I reply and kiss her hand. The sun has begun to set, setting the sky into a riot of color. We walk around a bend in the trail and Van stops in her tracks.

“Oh my,” she breathes. “Not just a picnic after all.”

“Maybe a fancy picnic,” I reply. Gabby and Charly did an amazing job of setting up a table and chairs with a pretty cloth over it. There’s a bouquet of flowers, and twinkle lights hanging from the branches of the tree overhead.

“It’s something out of a fairytale,” she says and begins to walk slowly toward it. “Did you come up with this?”

“I might have had some help,” I admit. “But the place was my idea. I just thought you’d enjoy a pretty picnic in your favorite place.”

“You thought right,” she replies and sits when I hold her chair out for her. “This is really lovely.”

I pour us each a glass of wine and take a long sip to bolster my confidence. Not that I’m having any second thoughts.

I just want it to be perfect. She deserves nothing less.

She’s staring up into the tree, at the lights and the lightning bugs floating overhead. I’d originally planned to wait until after we’d eaten for the big moment, but I don’t think I can.

I need this.

So, I take Savannah’s hand, kiss her knuckles, and completely toss the speech I’d prepared out the window.

I need to just speak from the heart.

“You’re a special woman, Savannah Boudreaux. I’ve known that since we were young. I don’t feel like the time we didn’t have together was wasted because it made us both into who we are today, and without that, we might not be together now.”

I swallow and keep going.

“That being said, the thought of spending even one day without you from now until my dying day is a torture I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I don’t want to know a day that doesn’t have you in it. You’re the best part of every day.”

I move out of my seat and kneel next to her and watch as her eyes fill with tears.

Please, God, let them be happy tears.

“So, I’m going to ask you, in this special place, to be mine always. Marry me, Savannah. Spend your life with me.”

“Oh, Ben,” she says and watches as I slide the ring on her finger. Then she’s in my arms, hugging me tightly. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

“Right now.”

“What?” She pulls back and stares at me in surprise, then glances about and her jaw drops. Our family and friends have gathered around us, smiling.

“Why is she just sitting there?” Sam asks his mom, making me laugh.

“Yeah, are you just going to sit here?” I ask her.

“You want to get married right now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We don’t have a marriage license.”

“A technicality.” I laugh when she scowls at me. “I want to have this moment with you, with the people closest to us, to make this promise to each other.”

“Let’s do it,” she says and jumps up. “You’ve all been keeping this a secret?”

“He might have threatened us with violence if we told,” Callie says with a grin. “Plus, this was a fun secret.”

Charly, Gabby, and the rest of the girls come to stand at Van’s side, while all of the men stand by mine. Our mothers are holding babies and grinning from ear to ear as they look on.

“I’ll start,” I say and clear my throat. “Savannah Boudreaux, I’m here to make you a promise. A solemn vow that I will be true to you, love you, protect and encourage you every day of my life. I will forsake all others—”

“Yeah, you will,” she says.

“and never betray you. You will have my respect, and my heart, forever.”

She takes a deep breath and smiles as she begins to speak.

“Benjamin Preston, I never thought this day would arrive. I dreamt of it, often, as a young woman and then as a grown woman. You are everything I’ve ever needed. I promise you, here in this special place, that I will love you, be true to you, protect and respect you all of the days of my life. I will probably not obey, but I will keep you on your toes.”

Our family laughs, and she smiles up at me before she continues.

“I will forsake all others, and lift you up in love and encouragement. You will have my heart, forever.”

I lean in and kiss her, softly at first, and then dip her back, earning applause.

I tip my forehead against hers. “Thank you,” she says.

“This is entirely my pleasure, Angel.”