He came down the hall, and Spur turned toward the sound of his footsteps. “There you are. Did you get it?”
Olli squealed and leapt away from Spur. “Let me see. Let me see.”
“I never should’ve told you guys my plan.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Olli put her hands on her hips and cocked one eyebrow at him. “I came up with that amazing idea for the proposal, and you’re going to smell so great she’ll be saying yes before you even ask.” A smile softened her face as she held out her hand. “Now. Let me see it.”
Spur moved to her side, and she glanced at him. “He’s worried about the weather.”
“Good thing I have a back-up plan for the proposal.” Olli waggled her fingers at him. “Let me see the ring, and I’ll tell you Plan B.”
Blaine held up the off-white bag that held the engagement ring. Olli grinned and danced the final few steps to him to take it.
“I’m so excited,” she said, taking the ring to the kitchen counter and removing the box from the bag. She opened that and gasped. “Oh…dear…this isbeautiful.” She looked at Blaine and then Spur. “I wish I could be there.”
“No,” Blaine said with a smile. “No, I’m not doing a public proposal like Spur here.”
“It was just Mom and Dad,” Spur said.
“Yeah,” Blaine said. “You should hear Mom tell that story. It was like she was the one getting proposed to.” He rolled his eyes. “No, it’s just going to be me and Tam.” That way, if she said no, no one else would witness his humiliation.
“She’s not going to say no,” Spur said as if he could read Blaine’s mind.
Blaine took a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess we’ll see tomorrow night.”
Olli packed up the ring again and handed it back to Blaine. “You guys are going to have the greatest wedding and life together.” She flung herself at Blaine, who grunted as he caught her. “I’m so happy for you, Blaine.”
“Thanks, Olli,” he said, his eyes closing, the “greatest life” she’d just spoken of flashing through his mind. “I think you said something about a Plan B?”
“Right, yes.” She nearly deafened him as she squealed and stepped back. “Okay, so here’s what you’re going to do…”
* * *
Blaine thoughthe had a fifty-fifty chance of pulling off the best proposal in the world tonight. He walked steadily toward Tam’s house, refusing to think about the truck full of his brothers that had followed him.
“Twenty minutes,” he muttered to himself as he went up the steps, his folder clutched in his hand. He hoped by the end of the night, they’d be looking through a lot of folders. His with the porch sketches. Hers with the wedding plans.
She’d told him she had ideas not plans, and Blaine would do his best to contribute to the planning. Really, he just wanted her to have the wedding of her dreams. He’d never thought much about the particulars of his wedding, and she had. She might as well get what she wanted.
What she wanted was for him to contribute, so he would.
He knocked on the door and waited, remembering that her doorbell needed to be fixed. “You’re not changing everything about this house,” he told himself as Tam opened the door.
“Hey, cowboy,” she said in a flirty voice. Her eyes dropped to the folder in his hand. “Are those the sketches?”
He tightened his grip on them. “After we eat, sweetheart. I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” she teased. Stepping back, she added, “Come in then.”
He did, and the scent of browned and delicious meat met his nose. “Something smells good.”
“It’s my granny’s pot roast,” she said. “I know what you like.”
“Yes, you do.” He grinned at her and swept her into his arms. “You must know what I want now.”
“Mm, I think I have an idea.” She smiled up at him and kissed him, making most of Blaine’s dreams come true. She didn’t let him enjoy it for long, though, before she ducked her head and added, “I want to see what’s in that folder.”
“I’ll bet you do.” Blaine stepped away from her and looked toward the kitchen. “After dinner.”