Southern Devotion (Southern Heart 4)

So far, so good. “Give me a minute to get everything set up.”

“I can help.”

“Just sit tight.

” I kiss her lips, just a quick peck before getting to work setting up our spot for the night. I spread out a king-size quilt, which gives us plenty of room, keeping the extra blanket folded in one corner with our sweatshirts on top of it. Then I unpack the picnic basket, setting it off to the side as well. I stopped by earlier today and mowed this area, just outside of the wildflowers, for this very reason. I’m surprised she hasn’t commented on the fact. Hopefully she’s too busy with the view to notice, at least not yet. I need to get through my surprise for her first. Both of them.

Once everything is set up, I go to her side of the Gator and offer my hand. “Ready?”

She smiles up at me and nods. As soon as she climbs out, I bend down and pick her up bridal style, carrying her to the blanket.

“I can walk,” she tells me, but her smile tells me more. She likes this, and that helps to relieve my nerves just a little. Setting her feet on the blanket, I cup her face in my hands and kiss her. I try to show her with the gentle glide of my tongue against hers everything I’m about to say, or at least I hope to. I’ve practiced this a million and one times. I just hope I don’t fuck it up with as nervous as I am.

“I know you can,” I say, breaking our kiss. “However, I like you in my arms better.”

“It is a nice place to be.”

“Let’s sit,” I suggest, and she drops to her knees.

“What is all of this?”

“Well, we have chicken salad sandwiches, cool ranch Doritos, and peanut butter pie for dessert. Water to drink.” I keep the bottle of champagne in the basket with the two fancy plastic flutes I picked up a week ago.

“All my favorites. Are you trying to get lucky?”

“I’m hoping that if I play my cards right, tonight will most certainly be my lucky night.” I lean in and kiss her again, just because I want to, just because I can. It might also be so I don’t blurt the words out right here, right now. I was expecting to see a gleam in her eyes, one that tells me that she knows what I’m up to, but so far, if she does know, she hasn’t let on. Then again, maybe I’m just too damn nervous to pick up on it.

We eat our dinner, talking about anything and everything. That’s how it is with us; it’s always been so damn easy. Loving her is easy.

“What are your plans this weekend?” I ask her.

“I’ve got nothing, unless you do. I texted the girls earlier this week asking if they needed anything with the new babies and pregnancies, but they assure me they’re all good. They plan on just having a quiet weekend in, so I figured maybe we could do the same.”

“Any time with you is time well spent.” Packing up our leftovers in the picnic basket, I lean back and open my legs, patting the spot between them. “Come here.” She doesn’t hesitate to crawl over to me, her back against my chest. I wrap my arms around her as we watch the sunset over the trees.

“I really love this place,” she says softly.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I hope my parents never sell. If they do, do you think we could consider buying it?”

“Babe, you have nothing to worry about. This is their home and will be for years to come. You’ll be able to bring our kids here.”

“Yeah, and I can tell them how their dad made me a romantic picnic dinner in my favorite spot, and we watched the sunset together.”

“I don’t know. If this is a story for our kids one day, I need to step up my game.” I nuzzle her neck before whispering in her ear, “Stand up.”

She doesn’t even question me, just climbs to her feet. I follow after her, pulling my phone out of my pocket and turning on some music. Brantley Gilbert’s “Fall Into Me” croons from my phone’s speaker as I toss it to the blanket and pull her into my arms. I hold her tightly as we barely sway to the music.

Just as the song ends, I pull back and drop to my knees. I can see the confusion on her face, then clarity as I reach into my pocket and pull out a ring. Not just any ring, her ring, the one I hope she agrees to wear for the rest of her life.

“Olivia,” I say, my voice cracking. I swallow hard. “I’ve loved you longer than I can remember. I want to grow old with you. I want to sit on the back porch and watch our kids and our grandkids grow. I want to hold you when times are tough and laugh with you when they’re not. I want your name attached to mine. I want you to fall into me.” A tear slides down her cheek, and I ache to brush it away with my thumb, but I have yet to ask her that one important question. “Livy, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

She’s nodding before I even have the question out. “Yes,” she murmurs through her tears. “A thousand times yes.” She drops to her knees and crushes her mouth against mine.

“Baby, as much as I love this,” I say against her lips, “can I give you your ring?”

She laughs, a beautiful sound that soothes my soul. “I love you.” She kisses me one more time, then pulls away and holds out her hand.