“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Sawyer said, coming out of the back room.
Piper almost burst into tears. No one had ever made this kind of grand gesture for her before. “You did this for me?”
“I certainly didn’t do it for your dad,” he said with a wink.
Piper turned around and noticed her dad and Lana had not followed her onto the bus. After everything that had happened today, this was the perfect way to end the night. She ran into his arms.
“Was my dad in on this?”
“Just Lana. She sure knows a lot about you. She’s my go-to person if I need to find out what your favorite color, food, animal, flower or television show is.”
“I’m not going to want to sleep in the hotel tonight!”
“We can hang out here all night if you want.”
She hugged him tightly around the neck until she got a whiff of herself. She pulled back. “On second thought, I think we better go to the hotel so I can shower.”
“There’s one thing I need to do before we let your dad back on the bus.” Sawyer stepped back. “I know I said a lot of things today about not being sure and not wanting to rush things. I know I hurt you by being so indecisive. I need to prove to you that I’m not going to run out on you and the baby. Ever.”
He bent down on one knee. Piper was positively choked by emotion. He took her hand.
“Marry me.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“YOU DID WHAT?” Faith stood in the farmhouse kitchen with an apron tied around her waist.
Sawyer grabbed a peanut butter–bourbon cookie off the cooling rack. He’d gotten home too late last night to tell her the news. Scout looked up at him as if to say, “Feel free to drop one of those on the ground. I’ll pick it up.”
“I asked her to marry me, and we want to do it while we’re on break. We went to the county clerk’s office in Nashville before our second show yesterday and got a marriage license.”
He had done it. He had jumped all in and Piper had said yes. Heath wasn’t ecstatic, but Sawyer didn’t care. Their parents could call them reckless. They could say they were making a huge mistake. Sawyer didn’t care one bit. Piper had said yes even though her dad didn’t want her to go through with it. That had to count for something.
“You were the one who said there was no reason to rush into this. What could have possibly changed your mind?” She didn’t let him answer before answering herself. “Mom.”
“I couldn’t care less what Gretchen thinks. I am marrying Piper because it’s the right thing to do.”
Faith threw her hands up. “It’s the right thing to do? That’s a terrible answer! You’re supposed to marry someone because you’re in love with her.”
“And…that,” Sawyer said, fumbling his words. “That’s a given.”
“Love is a given? You’ve told her you love her? You feel it in your heart that you love her?” Faith pressed.
He wasn’t going to answer that. “I need to know if you’re all right with us getting married here on the farm. I’ll call Pastor Kline and see if he’ll officiate. I want to do it outside with family only.”
“Sawyer…” Faith moved toward him.
“Faith, yes or no? Can we get married here this week?”
“I would never tell you no. This is your home, but I’m not going to lie, I think this is too much, too fast.”
Maybe it was, but Sawyer couldn’t stop now. Piper had already told her mother and was happier than he’d ever seen her. It would all work out in the end.
“Thank you for your concern. I am going to check with Pastor Kline and visit Harriet to see what she can do on short notice for flowers.” He grabbed one more cookie. “Oh, and Gretchen is not invited. Don’t even ask.”
He took off and ran outside. Piper’s bus was parked in the lot. Instead of going home, she’d come with him to make arrangements.
“We’re all clear to have the wedding here,” he said when he got on the bus.
“My dad has sent me thirty-seven texts and called me fifteen times.” Her phone beeped. “Thirty-eight texts.”