Unconditional Love (Journey of Love 1)

I gazed down at the only other girl who had changed my life. This precious little girl changed me forever the moment I held her in my arms. I couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like to hold my own child someday.

I moved and sat down on the small bench and watched her sleep. The small little sounds she made had my heart soaring.

I glanced over to the door when I saw it open. Jessie smiled and walked in. She peeked at Lauren and then sat down next to me on the bench.

“What are you doing in here?” she whispered.

I smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess she just captured my heart and I wanted to watch her sleep. I love watching Azurdee sleep. Even when her mouth hangs open and she drools and then snores really loud. Sexiest thing ever.”

Jessie giggled and hit my leg. “You’re going to ask her to marry you, aren’t you?”

I snapped my head and looked at her. “Scott tell you?”

She smiled bigger and said, “No. I can tell by the nervous way you’re acting.”

Shit.

I dropped my head and asked, “Do you think she knows?”

“Nope. She’s clueless.”

I grinned and said, “Good.”

“Do you need help?”

I looked at her and said, “I just need you to keep her busy right before sunset. I’m having someone come in and set up a picnic in your front yard. I’m going to ask her at sunset.”

She pulled her head back and asked, “Why in the hell are you asking her to marry you in our front yard?”

“It’s where we first met. It’s where I knew I would love her for the rest of my life. I just didn’t know I loved her then.”

I saw the tears build up in Jessie’s eyes. “Wow. Lark Williams. Romantic.” She shook her head as she stood up. “Never thought I’d see the day.” She leaned down and kissed my cheek as she reached for my hand and led me out of Lauren’s room.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with me checking my pocket every five minutes to make sure the ring was still there. Looking at the time on my phone and trying to act normal so Azurdee wouldn’t pick up on anything.

I looked at Jessie and winked.

She stood up and said, “Azurdee, how would you feel about going with me for a walk? I’d love to get out of this house for a bit. What do you say?”

Azurdee stood up and handed Lauren to Scott. “Just you and me?”

Jessie smiled and nodded her head. “Yes! Girl time!”

When they walked out the back door, I ran to the buzzer and waited.

“You know, a watched gate buzzer takes longer to go off than if you just walk away.”

I looked at Scott and said, “Fuck off dick. I’m sure you were just as nervous.”

He shook his head and said, “Nope.”

I made a mental note to ask Jessie.

The buzzer went off and I fumbled to hit answer.

“Yes! I’m here!”

“Hello, this is Hill Country Catering. Mr. Williams?”

“Yes. Come on up.” I hit the button to open the gate. I turned and looked at Scott and smiled. I clapped my hands and said, “Let’s do this!”

Scott started laughing and said, “I never thought I would see the day.” Scott’s mom walked up and took Lauren and laughed.

Thirty minutes later, me, Scott, Francis from Mason Florist, and Linda from Hill Country Catering all stood back and looked at our creation. A small table with two chairs had been set up under the giant elm tree in front of the house. Francis had hung lanterns down from the tree branches so that at sunset we would still have light. She also had one lantern set in the middle of the table with red rose petals spread on the table.

“Will she like it?” I asked as I looked over at Scott. He smiled and nodded his head.

“Dude, she is going to love it and be totally surprised.”

Linda let out a chuckle and said, “Mr. Williams, it looks perfect. We will be over in the trailer. Once you come out, just give us a wave when you are ready for us to start bringing out the food.”

I nodded my head and watched as Linda walked to the trailer. I looked at Scott and said, “Hell, I hope she can cook and Azurdee likes the food.”

Francis smiled and said, “I’ll be leaving now. Thank you so much, Mr. Williams.”

I shook her hand and said, “Thank you! Let me walk you to your van.”

As I walked back toward the front door, it opened and Jessie stepped outside and attempted at least four times to whistle.

“What in the hell are you doing?” I asked as Scott walked up to her and kissed her as he laughed.

“I was giving you a signal. You know, whistling. I told Azurdee to go change for dinner. Are you ready?”

I nodded and Jessie turned as we followed her into the house. We walked into the living room and Jessie looked over my shoulder and smiled. When I turned around, Azurdee was standing there in a pale pink sundress and cowboy boots.

“I’m ready. Are we all going out to eat?” she asked as she looked between the three of us.

Jessie grinned and said, “Nope. This is just dinner for two. Scott, Lauren and I are leaving and heading to his parents’ house and spending the night there.”

I looked at Scott and he winked and nodded his head. “The house is y’all’s tonight.”

I walked up to Azurdee and kissed her on the forehead as I took her hands and led her to the front door.

“Where are we going?” she asked with a confused look on her face.

I looked at her and said, “Dinner.”

She laughed and said, “On the front porch?”

I glanced at her and said, “Kind of. Close your eyes, mi amor.”

She tilted her head and gave me a questioning look as she closed her eyes. I opened the front door and guided her out the door, down the steps and to the side of the table.

“Can I open my eyes?” she asked with a giggle.

“Not yet,” I whispered as I pulled the ring box out of my pocket.

I knelt down on my knee and took a deep breath as I opened the box.

I slowly let out the breath I was holding and tried to talk, but my voice cracked. I cleared my throat and said a quick prayer.

“Open your eyes, mi amor.”

She opened her eyes and then looked down. She threw her hands up to her mouth and instantly started to cry.

“I’m really hoping that you don’t think I’m moving too fast. Something hit me the other night though. Do you want to know what it was?”

She nodded her head as tears flowed down her beautiful face. “I can’t ever live this life without you in it. It’s been over a year since I stood here and laid my eyes on the most beautiful woman ever. I felt something that day that scared me. Then you smiled at me and I knew in my heart I was going to love you for the rest of my life.”

She wiped her tears away as she whispered, “Lark.”

“You took me exactly how I was, faults and all. You never once judged my life or me. You made me feel worthy of your love. Your unconditional love brought me out of the darkness and into a light I never dreamed could be so amazing. You taught me how to open my heart again, Azurdee. You are the only person I want to give my heart to. The only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You’re my whole world…my entire life.”

She dropped to her knees and looked into my eyes like she was looking into my soul.

“Azurdee, will you please go on this journey with me? Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”

She began nodding her head as the most beautiful smile spread across her face.

“Will you marry me, Azurdee?”

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!”

She threw herself into my arms as we wrapped our arms around each other. I held her as she cried and I fought like hell not to be a pansy ass and cry. Scott and Jessie had already left so no chance of him seeing me if I did let a tear…or two…slip.

“Lark, I love you so much. I can’t wait to star

t my journey as Mrs. Michael Williams.”

And there are the tears. Shit. There goes my man card.

The moment I opened my eyes and saw Lark on his knee, my heart began pounding and my stomach had been doing a complete circus act.

Lark stood up and gently lifted me up with him. He took the ring out of the ring box and took my left hand as he slipped the ring onto my finger. I looked down at the most breathtaking ring I’d ever seen. It was an oval diamond framed by round diamonds. Ribbons of diamonds overlapped to form the band, which was white gold.

I sucked in a breath of air and said, “Oh Lark…it’s beautiful.”

His whole body seemed to relax as he asked, “You like it?”

I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Like it? I absolutely love it!”

“It was my grandmother’s ring.”

“Oh my! Oh…Lark…this is just…” I shook my head and attempted to hold back more tears.

Lark glanced over his shoulder and gave a thumbs-up, and that is when I noticed the small white table. I looked up and saw the lanterns and let out a small gasp.

“Lark. Oh my gosh. When did you do all of this?”