“M-Mason?”
“What I’m trying to say is—”
“No!” she screamed.
“What?”
“I-I can’t do this. I can’t pretend like this. I love you. I’m in love with you. Maybe I always was. I can’t turn it on and off. I’m sorry. I know this screws everything up.”
He cupped her face and pulled her to him, silencing her rambling with his mouth as he tried to convey everything he’d been holding on the tip of his tongue into the kiss.
She pushed him away. “This isn’t going to fix anything.”
“I love you, too, Petunia. I want forever. Nothing else is going to do.”
“You … what?” She shook her head.
“I am so in love with you, little flower. I’ve been trying to show you the best I could over the past few months. I know this wasn’t part of our agreement. But it’s bigger than me and you. This is destiny. From the minute we came into the world minutes apart, I think our story was set into motion.” He lowered to one knee and took the velvet case out of his pocket with shaking hands. “So I’m asking, will you, Mildred Faith Lambert, do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she nodded her head yes.
“Yes?” he croaked.
“Yes.”
He slid the four-carat platinum ring with diamonds strategically placed to form a rose with petals onto her finger and kissed it. Mine.
She gasped, “It’s beauti
ful.”
“Not half as beautiful as you are,” he whispered as he stood, took her in his arms, and kissed his future wife. The click of camera shutters drew their attention to the photographer.
“Please tell me he’s with you,” she whispered against his lips.
He laughed. “Yeah, he’s with me. He’s been following us from afar all day at every stop. Bryce and Olive helped, and Willow is waiting for us with champagne at Bunch-A-Blooms.”
“You were pretty confident.”
“Actually, I was terrified.”
“Why?”
“The only thing I really fear in this life is losing you, little flower. You’re my other half.”
She gave him a shaky smile. “And you’re mine.”
“No more tears?” He wiped away her tears, and she covered his hand.
“No more tears,” she agreed.
He rubbed his nose against hers. “Let’s go celebrate with our families, yeah?”
She nodded her head in agreement, and he turned to the photographer, Bryan. “Thank you for this.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’ll see you at Bunch-A-Blooms?”
“Yes, sir.”