Opal smiled. “I don’t think that’s changed. I see the way she’s looking at you right now. Your wife is still pretty smitten.”
Chase looked at me. “I’m one hell of a lucky guy.”
“So you proposed in front of all your friends and family in the restaurant where you had your first date? That’s beautiful.” Opal said. “Henry wasn’t quite as romantic. He was about to get on the bus to go for his second tour in the army, and he asked me if I wanted to get hitched. Didn’t even have a ring.”
“Considering it’s been forty years, I’m thinking it all worked out pretty well anyway.” I looked up at Chase. “It’s not the proposal that’s important. It’s the man you spend the next forty years with. I would’ve been happy with any proposal from this crazy man.”
Chase grumbled, “Now you tell me.”
The hostess came to tell Opal and Henry their table was ready and said ours would be just a few more minutes.
“It was nice meeting you, Opal, Henry,” I told them. “I hope you have a great anniversary.”
“You too, dear.”
After they disappeared, Chase kissed me again.
“I missed you,” he groaned into my mouth.
“I missed you, too.”
“You should come back and work for me. I like having you in the office every day.”
“You like having me on your desk, you mean.”
“That, too. But the place isn’t the same without you.”
“I saw your new billboard on my way over. It came out great.”
A week after we got back together, Chase had painted over the existing Parker Industries ad that had been on the building across the street from his office for years. We’d never spoken about him changing it, but I knew it was monumental that he’d gotten rid of an ad featuring Peyton. This week, while I was away, an image from his new ad campaign had finally been put up over it.
Although I wasn’t the one who’d created the final ad, I’d been part of the ground-floor brainstorming on that campaign, and it warmed me to know a piece of me was up there now where he could see it from his office. He was truly moving on.
That’s why when we were cleaning out his place to make room for some of my stuff, and I noticed Peyton’s guitar had been packed away, I’d insisted he keep it out. She was part of his life, part of the man he was today. I didn’t want to replace those memories. I wanted to make new ones with him, be part of the dreams that freed him from the nightmares.
Eventually, the hostess came and told us our table was ready, and we followed her back to the dining room.
“Is this the right table?” she asked as we arrived at the same spot where we’d been seated a year ago tonight.
Chase looked to me. “It is. Right, Buttercup?”
I was touched he actually remembered. “You know it was exactly a year ago we sat here, right?”
“I do.”
He pulled out my chair before taking his seat. We both sat exactly where we had on that first night.
“Do you remember which table I was sitting at before I moved to yours?” Chase asked.
“I do.” My eyes searched across the restaurant, and I pointed, remembering that night. “You and your date were sitting right over…” I squinted, sure my eyes were playing tricks on me. “Right over—wait…is that? Oh my God. Is that, is that Owen?”
My brother smiled, held up a champagne glass, and tilted it in my direction with a nod.
Chase didn’t turn around. “It is.”
There was no surprise at all in his voice. I looked to him, confused.
He smiled mischievously. “See anyone else you know?”
For the first time, I looked around the room, and it was as if all the faces suddenly came into focus. There were my parents to the left. Chase’s sister, Anna, and her family to the right. In fact, the entire restaurant was filled with our family and friends.
My old boss, Josh, and his new wife, Elizabeth.
My best friend and business partner, Jules, and her boyfriend, Christian.
Travis, Lindsey, the entire Parker Industries marketing department.
Chase leaned in and whispered, “It really is my Aunt Opal and Uncle Henry’s anniversary. That part was just a coincidence.”
I was confused as hell.
Why was everyone here?
And why was everyone smiling and staring at me?
My mind was a muddled mess. I couldn’t even add two plus two and see that everyone was there four me.
Until…
Chase stood.
The restaurant, which had been a loud rumble, suddenly quieted.
Everything after that happened in slow motion. All of our family and friends faded away as the man I love got down on one knee. I heard and saw nothing but him.
“I had this whole thing to say planned out in my head, but the minute I saw your face, I completely forgot every word. So I’m just going to wing it here. Reese Elizabeth Annesley, since the first time I laid eyes on you on that bus in middle school, I’ve been crazy about you.”