I'm nervous. Really nervous.

Something's up.

First, my parents called this morning.

Then both my nieces called, "just to see how things are going."

Even my sister called asking for copies of some pictures she said she doesn't have.

I was already suspicious but then Bear came home and told me he was flying me down to Anchorage for the weekend-- and that I should bring a nice dress.

It's been a long time since I put on high heels and fussed with my hair and makeup beyond the everyday stuff.

"Wow."

I can't help it, the first time I see him is a shock. He's trimmed his beard, less mountain man, more respectable banker. I'm glad he didn't shave it off, it took me a little getting used to, but I really like it. And it suits him.

He's wearing a nice button down shirt and slacks that show off his broad shoulders and trim waist and for a second an irrational surge of possessiveness grips me. As much as I love the idea of being seen around town with the handsome man standing nervously in front of me, I don't like the idea of other women looking at him the way I'm looking at him right now.

"Wow, yourself," he says and whistles as his eyes travel down my body appreciatively. "You ready?"

I nod and take his arm.

The restaurant is beautiful, the food is delicious-- what I eat since I'm so distracted. I'm trying not to expect Bear to propose to me tonight...but I can't help it. Which means I'm constantly on the look out for any little hint that it's about to happen.

We've been talking about the wedding more in the last couple of weeks, narrowing it down to next June, back home.

I expected Barrett to start asking me what kind of ring I'd like or even take me shopping but he hasn't said anything and I haven't had anyone else asking me either so now I'm not sure. Still, with the entire family managing to call me at some point earlier and a fancy dinner in the city-- I expected something big tonight.

Our dessert plates are cleared and so far it's been an excellent dinner with the perfect date, but nothing more.

Still, Bear looks almost as nervous as I've been feeling and it's making me think he's got something up his sleeve after all.

Leaving the restaurant, it's still very much light outside. It's getting closer to the summer solstice and even this far south it's light till 11 at night. Right now it's still early in the evening and the air is warm. Bear takes my hand and leads me in the direction of the water.

"You know," Barrett has my hand in his, keeping his pace slow so I don't have to work to keep up with him, "I'm glad we got things worked out."

He tells me this almost every day.

I squeeze his hand as best as I can considering how small my hand is in his, "Me too, Barrett."

"I didn't know what to expect from Raven's services," he adds.

The woman who runs the service we both used to find each other also contacted me recently. Asking how things were going and if the match was working out for me. She seems like such a lovely person, and I hope to get a chance to meet her in person some day.

"Me either, really," I agree with him.

A modern day match maker, an arranged marriage, it all seems so surreal and far away now. I still can't believe I went through with it. And that it worked.

I look up at Barrett and enjoy getting to study his profile as he looks ahead, down the street and toward the waterfront as we walk hand in hand. His jaw is set in a determined way and his eyes appear to be scanning the distance as if he's looking for something in particular.

At this point, I've stopped expecting anything. Maybe this is just a nice weekend out of town for a couple that's been busy falling in love for the last few weeks. A chance to show each other off out public. We don't get to do much of that back home.

The sound of a plane approaching from a ways off attracts my attention.

Bear is a bush pilot and Rogue owns the air taxi service. I've been down to the strip a million times by now. Flown in and out a few times.

I know the sound of the planes. I can tell Rogue's Beaver from Joe's Beechcraft, and I know my Barrett's Cessnas from the other two Cessna's that sometimes fly over the same airspace.

Barrett has schooled me on all the different planes used for flying bush and which ones are local.

The sound I hear now is the deep hum of a Beaver. The Beaver has a specific engine sound to it and every time Rogue flies in or out of the airport when I'm there, I can't help but be amused at the way the other pilots stop to listen to it.

Bear tells me the Beaver is the envy of all the other pilots there. Yet, it's not what he bought himself when he bought his second Cessna.

I'll never understand the boys and their planes.

As the sound grows nearer I'm not at all surprised that we stop in our tracks so that Bear's head can search the sky for the plane.

What else can I do? I let Bear's hand drop mine so he can wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me close to him as I join him in searching the sky.

I don't think much of it when the yellow prop plane comes into view pulling a banner.

"Ahhh," I coo when the banner makes its way past us and I can read the message that says, "Make me the happiest man alive..." but when the plane circles around crosses the sky in the other direction I'm so stunned I barely notice that Bear's arm is no longer wrapped around me.

I do hear him clearing his throat to get my attention and even though I shouldn't be at all surprised to find him kneeling on the sidewalk in front of me, it still takes me completely off guard.

"I wanted to make it official," he tells me with a sheepish grin as he opens the little ring box and holds it up to me, "What do you say?"

It's adorable how nervous he is, like he seriously thinks I might say no.

I look back up at the plane that is circling back again and re-read the "Marry me, Dorthy" written on the other side of the banner. It's only when I see the plane dip its wing and Melissa waving frantically from the front that I realize it really is Rogue's plane.

The plane makes another pass and then disappears from sight and I hear the signature sound of the engine fading into the distance.

Looking down at Bear, still on his knee and almost at eye level to me, I'm utterly speechless. This isn't at all what I was expecting.

And I absolutely love it!

My hand is shaking like a leaf as I hold it out for him to slip the gorgeous ring on my finger and somehow I manage to squeak out a "yes."