Josh held out his hand to Melissa. His heart pounded so hard against his ribs, he felt almost faint. But he was going to do it. Now. Finally.
With a tremulous smile, Melissa placed her slender fingers in his. The lines that had furrowed her pretty brow the past couple of weeks disappeared. His heart clenched as he realized he’d been to blame for her distress. Well, he wouldn’t delay a second longer. He promptly dropped to one knee.
“Melissa,” Josh began then stopped when his voice broke. He glanced around the table. All eyes were on him, but no one dared to speak. Abby and Greg offered encouraging smiles. His future in-laws nodded approvingly.
His girlfriend’s eyes never left his face. The love he saw shining in the emerald depths gave him courage to continue.
“When I first saw you at the office Christmas party, I was struck by your beauty. It wasn’t until we began dating that I realized you are as beautiful inside as out.”
Melissa blinked back tears. Josh hoped they were tears of happiness.
“This past year I’ve fallen deeper and deeper in love with you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I want your face to be the last I see at night and the first I see every morning. I want to have children with you. I want to grow old with you. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”
He was rambling. Speaking from the heart to be sure,
but rambling. For a second Josh wished he had the speech he’d tinkered with over the past couple of months with him now, the one with the pretty words and poetic phrases. But it was across the room in his jacket pocket and too late to be of help now.
Josh slipped a small box from his pocket and snapped open the lid. The diamond he’d seen circled in her bride’s magazine was nestled inside. The large stone caught the light and sparkled with an impressive brilliance. “I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone.”
He’d told himself he wasn’t going to say another word but surely a declaration of such magnitude couldn’t be considered rambling.
Her lips curved upward and she expelled a happy sigh. “I love you, too.”
Josh resisted the urge to jump to his feet and do a little home-plate dance. He reminded himself there would be plenty of time for celebration once the ring was on her finger.
With great care, Josh lifted the diamond from the black velvet. He was primed to slip it on when she pulled her hand back ever-so-slightly.
“Isn’t there something you want to ask me?” Melissa whispered.
At first Josh couldn’t figure out what she was referring to until he realized with sudden horror that he hadn’t actually popped the question. Heat rose up his neck. Thankfully he was still on one knee. “Melissa, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”
The words came out in one breath and were a bit garbled, but she didn’t appear to notice.
“Yes. Oh, yes.”
Relief flooded him. He slid the ring in place with trembling fingers. “If you don’t like it we can—”
“It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Tears slipped down her cheeks.
He stood and pulled her close, kissing her soundly. “I wanted this to be special—”
“It is special.” Melissa turned toward her family and smiled through happy tears. “I can’t imagine anything better than having my family here to celebrate with us.”
“This calls for a toast.” Flashing a smile that was almost as bright as his daughter’s, Frank picked up the nearest bottle of champagne. He filled Diana’s glass and then his own before passing the bottle around the table.
Greg filled his glass and those of Josh and Melissa’s but Abby, his wife, covered her glass with her hand and shook her head.
Frank stood and raised his glass high. “To Josh and Melissa. May you be as happy together as Diana and I have been for the past thirty years.”
Words of congratulations and the sound of clinking glasses filled the air.
Nestled in the crook of her future husband’s arm, Melissa giggled. Normally her mom knew everything before everyone else. Not this time.
“You thought I was pregnant because I wanted decaf coffee,” she said to her mother, “but yet you don’t find it odd that Abby hasn’t had a sip of alcohol tonight?”
For a woman like Diana who prided herself on being in the “know,” the comment was tantamount to waving a red flag in front of a bull. She whirled and fixed her gaze on her firstborn, who stood with her head resting against her husband’s shoulder. “Honey, is there something you and Greg want to tell us?”
Abby’s cheeks pinked. She straightened and exchanged a look with her husband. He gave a slight nod. She took one breath. And then another. “Greg and I, well, we’re…we’re pregnant.”