Southern Devotion (Southern Heart 4)

I slide the round diamond solitaire, surrounded by smaller round diamonds with rows of them on the band as well, onto her finger, and I swear her smile sparkles just as much as the ring.

“Good surprise?” I ask her.

“The best.” She wraps her arms around me in a hug, and I gently fall back on the blanket, bringing her with me. We get lost in each other, kissing like teenagers, neither one of us willing to or wanting to break our connection. We kiss until the sun has finally set beyond the trees, the stars and the moon our only light.

When we finally come up for air, she rests her head on my chest, and I hold her tightly. This moment is one I will never forget in my lifetime. Every detail will forever be etched into my memory.

“This was perfect,” she whispers. “Definitely a story to tell our kids one day.”

“You think so?” I ask her.

“Most definitely.”

“I don’t know, I was kinda thinking I still need to step up my game a little.”

“You can’t be serious.” She raises her head to look at me. “This was the most romantic proposal ever. In my favorite spot with my favorite person. What more could a girl ask for?”

Here goes nothing. “Well, I have one more surprise for you.”

“What else could there possibly be?” she asks.

I run my fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her eyes. “There’s still something,” I admit. “However, I’m more nervous about this one than I was to propose.”

“You were nervous?”

“Hell yes, I was nervous. I don’t know how I would’ve handled it if you had said no.”

She laughs. “Like there was ever a chance for that.”

“A man never knows until he hears that three-letter word.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes,” she says, kissing my chest between each one.

“So, are you ready for your next surprise?” My heart is beating double time, and she has to hear it, feel it as she’s still resting on my chest. I took a gamble with her next surprise, and I hope it was a good one.

“Yes,” she says again.

Standing, I lace my fingers through hers. “Let’s take a walk.”

“It’s dark. Do we need a flashlight?” she asks.

“Nah, it’s fine.”

She nuzzles into my chest as we walk through the wildflowers. There’s a small path that’s cut large enough for the Gator to get through, a trail we use not only for the Gator but for the horses to get down beside the big pond that’s nestled in the back corner of the field.

“Where is that light coming from?” she asks, staring straight ahead.

“That’s part of your other surprise.”

“What did you do?” she asks, her voice full of happiness.

I can’t help but feel like I should be standing a little taller knowing I’m the reason for her happiness. “I had an idea, and well, I hope I didn’t go too far.”

At the top of the hill, there’s no hiding the lights or where they’re coming from.

“Is

that a gazebo?” she asks.