Holding out a black velvet box, I gaze up at her. She looks around wildly, taking in that everyone seems to know what’s going on but her.
“Abby,” I say to get her attention. “Eyes on me.”
She covers her mouth with her hand, but she can’t hide her huge smile. “Oh my God,” she breathes out. “What are you doing?”
“Proposing.” Simple answer to a simple question. I open the box and show her the ring. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, but I knew this show was coming up and it would be more special to have your family involved. Mine, too, for that matter.”
Abby looks toward my parents and moves her hand to her heart to indicate that it is, indeed, special.
I pluck the ring from the box but don’t dare slide it on her finger just yet. “Abby… I think I fell a little in love with you the day we met. Seeing how passionate you were about saving dogs and standing up to Hellman. You were dazzling then, just as you are now. I’m so damn lucky to have met you, I’m blessed that you love me, and you will make all my dreams come true if you agree to be my wife. I want you by my side always. I want to build a family with you. And I want to devote my life to making you happy. Say you’ll be mine. Tell me to put this ring on your finger, and let’s start our forever together.”
I barely get the words out before Abby’s nodding her head and shoving her shaking hand in front of me. Laughing, I slip on the diamond ring, and it’s a perfect fit, thanks to Kat’s help.
Abby throws her arms around me, and I swing her in a wide arc. We’re both laughing and kissing and then everyone’s crowding around. The women pull her off to look at her ring, and the brothers and her dad surround me to issue warnings about taking care of her and if I don’t, they’ll kill me and bury me in the back pasture.
All in good fun, but it’s not long before Abby is making her way to me.
She embraces my shoulders and hops into my arms, legs around my waist. Abby gives me a deliciously long kiss, which makes me want to cart her off to an empty stall.
When she lifts her mouth, her eyes shine with emotion. She presses her forehead to mine. “I love you so much, Kellen. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m never going to take you for granted as long as I live.”
“I’m the lucky one,” I assure her. “Doing life with you is going to be my greatest accomplishment.”
“It will be my greatest honor,” she counters.
“My greatest joy,” I say with a grin.
“My greatest endeavor.”
I laugh and kiss her again. “How about we just agree it’s going to be the greatest thing either of us will ever do?”
Abby’s eyes sparkle, and my chest aches from her devotion. “I can get on board with that,” she says.
Yeah… I can get on board with that too.