“Doing what?” she asked. She was starting to feel sleepy. Not enough sleep last night and too much stressing were catching up with her.
“I wanted it to be special. I had the whole thing planned out. Ice skating, a home-cooked dinner in our new home, the gazebo out the back all strung up with fairy lights. I'd take you out there after dessert, and …”
She drew in a sharp breath and quickly straightened. Was Chance talking about what she thought he was talking about? “And what?” she asked.
“I really wanted to make this the most perfect night of your life, but I can't wait. Getting that phone call yesterday telling me that you had almost been shot changed everything. You could have been killed. I don’t want to wait. Ican'twait.”
Chance released her, pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, and got down on one knee.
Hope gasped, tears welled up in her eyes, but this time they were happy tears.
“Hope Ann Frasier, will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks now and she nodded. “Yes.” She laughed through her tears. “Yes.”
Chance took her hand and slid a beautiful diamond ring onto her finger. Then he stood and wrapped his arms around her waist lifting her feet off the floor and spinning around in circles.
This might not have been how she imagined Chance proposing, but it was perfect. It was exactly what she had needed. And now they were officially beginning their lives together. They were engaged, had a home, and had their whole lives ahead of them.
She took Chance’s face between her hands and kissed him.
This was her reason for living.
This was her reason for everything.
“I love you, Chance.”
“I love you more.”
* * * * *
5:25 P.M.
“You should sit down, get your leg up,” Luke told Summer as he unlocked and opened her front door.
“I'm fine,” she said as she hobbled inside.
“No, you’ve pushed yourself too hard today. Your doctor said you should take it easy for the next few days and keep off your leg as much as possible,” he reminded her.
“You are much bossier than you seem at first,” she grumbled, but headed straight for the couch in her family room. She sank down onto it, and he plumped up some pillows and set them behind her, then gently lifted her leg and propped it on another pillow.
“Need some more painkillers?”
“No, I'm all right. Really,” she added when he was going to tell her not to be a martyr and take the pills.
“Okay, I’ll grab you something to eat then.”
“I'm not hungry, we ate a lot at Hope and Chance’s engagement celebration, but I’d love some coffee.”
“Coffee it is.” He had just set the coffee maker on when he saw Summer attempting to struggle to her feet. “Whoa,” he said as he hurried toward her. “What do you think you're doing?”
“I'm cold, I was going to go upstairs and grab a warmer sweater,” she replied.
“What part of taking it easy and staying off your leg did you miss?”
Her pretty face creased into a frown. “I'm cold. My knee is feeling much better today, I see no reason why I can't go grab a sweater.”
“Stay, sit, rest, I’ll grab your sweater.”