Rusty was speechless.
He couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“You’re proposing to me?” he asked.
“Yeah, and I was kind of hoping you’d look a little more excited. Everyone’s here. No pressure.”
He glanced around the town as someone handed him a mic.
“What do you say, Rusty? You want to give this crazy girl a chance?”
“No one has ever proposed to me before,” he said. His voice broke up a little. This wasn’t exactly how he pictured proposing. For him, he’d be the one down on one knee, staring at her, wanting her. Loving her.
“I’ve never proposed to anyone before. I’m kind of hoping this will be my first and last time. What do you say?”
“I say … I love you, Casey, more than anything else in the world, and I want to marry you more than anything.” He handed the mic back to whoever was waiting and rushed toward the stage. He had to hold her.
Casey stood up as he approached, and she held out a ring. “I bought it for you.”
He cupped her face, and in front of the entire town, kissed her with a passion no one would ever doubt.
She wrapped her arms around him. He felt her shake within his arms.
“You were scared?” he asked.
“You still haven’t said yes, and I was terrified. I’ve never done anything like this, and with how I’ve been, I wanted to make it up to you. I know I’ve been a bitch and at times really cold, but it’s … I’m crazy. There. I don’t know what I’m doing half of the time. It scares me and I feel sick, but I know I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world, and I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Showing you that I do love you, even if I’ve made it hard showing you how I feel.”
He stroked her cheek.
“Still no answer,” she said.
“Yes, Casey. Didn’t you get it from ‘I want to marry you more than anything else in the world’?” he asked.
“You said that? I didn’t hear. You want to marry me?”
“Yes. The kiss, it was another yes. Yes, yes, yes, I want to marry you.”
She burst out laughing, and he kissed her again. This had to be the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for him. The crowd was going wild, clapping their hands, whistling, howling, and the noise just added to the most incredible moment of his life.
“I really do love you,” she said. “And I totally proved it today. You know, proposing in front of the entire town, and complete strangers.”
“I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. You’re not even tempted to go back to the city?”
“Nope. No city. No nothing. Just you and me, and whatever babies we make. I have also moved out of my parents’ place. I’ve taken the entire free space of your closet with my things, and I’d like us to start making more memories.”
“Oh, we will.”
He was going to cherish Casey for the rest of his life.
Epilogue
Thirty years later
“And that is exactly what I’ve done,” Rusty said, looking at his three grandchildren.
“Is that what made you the most romantic couple?” June asked. She was their oldest grandchild at twelve.
“Yes, we took over from your great-grandparents in that regard. Not that they minded at all,” Casey said, coming into the room carrying a tray of drinks.
They had been married for twenty-nine years.
During that time, they’d had five kids, one of which still lived with them. They also had four grandchildren of their own.
Their life, it had truly been magical so far.
Casey finally got to finish her book, and it was published. She never became an international bestselling author, but she did make a living out of her writing, and he set her up a permanent desk at the garage. They spent every single available second together.
Some people in town thought they spent a little too much time together, but their love had only gotten stronger.
The garage he’d handed to his second son as his first decided he wanted to become a lawyer. Rusty didn’t care if his children wanted different things out of life, just so long as they were happy with what they wanted.
Two of his kids had moved away and worked in the city. Three stayed in town, but for Christmas, birthdays, or any special event, they came home, and he got to have his big family back together.
Casey handed out the drinks and sat on his knee, passing him a drink.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, which had thickened over thirty years together and five kids. He loved her more now than ever before. Age had only brought them closer together.
“Can I go play outside?” Luke asked.
“Yes, of course. Dinner will be in an hour,” Casey said.