Fool Me Once

“I got into the master’s program,” Blakely says. I already know this since I saw the papers on her desk. I also already paid for her first semester. I saw the options she requested, such as working on campus and taking out loans. That’s not happening.

“Congratulations, Jailbird.” I pull her into my side and kiss her temple. “You’re going to make a great guidance counselor.”

“Look, there’s Auntie Sierra and Uncle Kolton!” Zane yells. Blakely moves away from my side to find them since she wasn’t aware our family would be here, and I use that moment to take the ring box out of my pocket.

“I didn’t know you’d be here!” Blakely hugs her sister. Kolton nods once and walks around the girls to stand beside me. I look around the women to make sure our parents are also here. They are, and my mom is recording on her phone.

Kolton and I each get down on one knee and wait for the girls to notice. Blakely turns around first to look for me, and when she sees what’s happening, her hands fly up to her face. Tears trickle down her beautiful cheeks. Sierra hears her sister sniffle and turns around as well, mimicking Blakely’s reaction.

“Jailbird,” I begin. “I knew from the moment my football knocked your book into the water right here on this beach you were the one for me.” She laughs at my words through her cries. “This has been four years in the making. The football, the faulty condom.” I wink and everyone laughs. “Losing your number. Running into you on campus. We’ve been through a lot to get here, but I believe everything we went through brought us to this moment, so I could ask you to become my wife and spend your life with me.”

I stop speaking, so Kolton can continue.

“Sierra,” he begins. “Unlike my brother, fate wasn’t what brought us together. It was you in that sexy outfit, refusing to give me the time of day at Orange Sunrise.”

Sierra cracks up laughing.

“I walked in to grab lunch and the moment I saw you I knew I had to have you. You blew me off several times, but I knew if I kept trying, you’d give in.” He smiles wide, making everyone laugh. “And you did.”

Sierra rolls her eyes, and Blakely giggles.

Kolton continues. “My brother and I are two of the luckiest fucking guys…”

“Ohhh, Uncle Kolton cursed!” Zane yells.

Kolton shakes his head. “Sorry, little man. We’re the luckiest guys in the world to have you two by our sides and we’d be fools not to make sure you’re ours forever. So, Sierra Jacobs, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Blakely Jacobs, will you marry me?” I ask Blakely right after Kolton finishes.

Both girls nod and screech at the same time. We open our ring boxes and stand. I slide Blakely’s on her ring finger and Kolton does the same.

“Yes,” Blakely whispers. “Yes, I will marry you. And it’s a good thing too because I’m pregnant.” I don’t think she means for everyone to hear, but Sierra gasps.

“You’re pregnant?” I glance down at her flat stomach.

“Yep, only a month along.”

“I am too!” Sierra admits out loud. “I’m a month along.”

The two girls throw themselves at each other, hugging and crying and laughing as my parents walk over and congratulate all of us on our engagements and baby news.

Eventually Blakely makes her way back over to me. She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine. “Thank you, Keegan. For loving me and finding your way back to me. For giving me a family. I love you.”

“It wasn’t me, Jailbird. It was fate.”

The End!