Drew got out the cold cuts and the jar of mayo and set them on the counter in the beach rental. He checked out the huge wall of windows that faced the water just to make sure Dixie and Gretchen were still knee-deep in the ocean.

Of course they were. He’d been in the house for less than sixty seconds. He could count on Dixie to beg and whine to stay in the water until Gretchen dragged her in to eat. So he had plenty of time to get the diamond out, get it set right in the middle of the table, right where Gretchen couldn’t miss it.

But he wasn’t sure if he should.

Gretchen had expressly said she didn’t want to even talk about engagement rings. He hadn’t told her he’d gone to Wedding Row and bought her a ring. Hadn’t told her that he’d talked to Mabel about a spring wedding. Hadn’t told her that he’d called her granddad and asked for her hand in marriage.

And what a conversation that had been. Drew smiled at the way Will Ryder had said, “You should definitely marry her, Drew. You actually know lavender from a daisy.”

Drew had chuckled, glad he did—now. Gretchen still hadn’t shown him her cross-pollinated indigo daisies. She claimed they weren’t ready to show to anyone yet, and though Drew had helped her cut the flowers she’d needed for a couple of months, he’d never seen the indigo daisies in her garden.

The doorbell rang, and Drew nearly jumped out of his skin. He hurried to answer it, taking the vase full of yellow and white daisies from the man on the doorstep. He couldn’t speak much more than “Thanks,” and the glass and water and flowers felt so heavy in his hands.

He turned slowly, trying to decide what to do. He could say the owner of the cottage had dropped them by. He didn’t have to get out the ring this weekend.

Dixie’s voice filtered to him and his muscles seized. They’d come in already? He ducked around the corner and sure enough, they’d come in already.

“Drew?” Gretchen called, and her eyes locked onto him a moment later. He had no choice but to continue into the kitchen, and set the vase of daisies on the counter.

“What are those?” She eyed the flowers as she toweled her hair.

“Daisies,” he said as if she didn’t know.

“What’s this?” Dixie held the ring box in her hand, her eyes round. She looked up at Drew, and he wasn’t sure if he should lunge for the box and hide it behind his back or drop to one knee.

Gretchen had frozen too, and Dixie danced between them. The black velvet box seemed like a spotlight, and Drew didn’t know how to turn it off.

“Drew,” Gretchen said, drawing out his name in a way that said, Tell me what’s going on right now.

“Can I have that, please?” Drew glanced at Dixie. And then the flowers. And finally that velvet box. Everything inside him settled, even though all his plans hadn’t worked out.

“Drew,” Gretchen said again, this time with more snap to her tone.

“Okay, so I know you didn’t want to talk about anything serious this weekend. But I’d sort of already made a few plans, and well, I was trying to decide what to do about them.”

Gretchen reached out and trailed her fingers along the petals of one of the white daisies. She didn’t say anything, and Drew’s emotions surged up his throat.

“So I got these daisies, and I was going to have everything all set out…I don’t know. Nicely.” He set the ring box on the counter and got out a stack of plates. He got out the cheese, the head of lettuce, and a bottle of mustard. He kept talking as he worked.

“So I was going to have everything out.” He spun and grabbed the macaroni salad she’d made that morning. “And set this right here.” He put the ring box on the plates. “Where you’d see it. And then wait for you on the deck, and I don’t know…”

Drew stopped talking and moving, realizing that both Dixie and Gretchen were frozen.

“So what’s in the box?” Dixie finally asked.

“Dix.” Gretchen drew her into her side. “It’s a ring.”

“How do you know that?” Dixie looked up at her mother.

She giggled and looked down at her. “I just do. Rings come in boxes like that, Dix. Expensive rings.” She met Drew’s eyes again, and he was struck breathless. “Expensive rings from Engagements.” She cocked her eyebrow.

Drew shrugged. “I told you I’d stopped by.” He shook his head, none of this going how he’d planned. He wasn’t sure what the next step was, because so much depended on her reaction.

He grabbed the ring box, cracked it open, and dropped to one knee. “I love you, Gretchen Samuels. Will you marry me?”

Dixie squealed, and Gretchen gasped.

“Mom!” Dixie danced in front of her. “You’re going to say yes, right?”

“Yes,” Gretchen said, a smile blooming on her beautiful face. She looked at Dixie and then right into Drew’s eyes. “Yes.”