38
KEITH
“How was your visit to Cherrywood?” Mere asks, looking between Clem and me.
Clementine’s guilt-laden gaze as it lands on me cracks my heart. I grab her hand in mine before replying to Mere, “All went well.”
“Does that mean we can plan the wedding?” Mere doesn’t wait for an answer and takes her phone out. “I’m making a to-do list. A wedding dress, champagne fountain, chocolate-dipped strawberries.” My daughter describes a quintessential wedding from a bridal magazine.
Clementine removes her hand from my grip and peeks over Mere’s shoulder with a giant smile.
“You’re watching too much Martha Stewart.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I extend my leg under the dinner table.
I watch as the smile on Clementine’s lips disappears at what must seem like my lack of interest.
Fuck!
The return of the heartbroken expression that has been on her face since our return from Cherrywood makes the decision for me.
I get up and leave for my bedroom. Opening the gun vault under my nightstand, I take out the ring box I put there just three days ago.
I was searching for a right time and place.
A smile curls on my lips.
This girl. Still shaking all my plans.
I hadn’t planned on falling in love with her. I hadn’t planned on proposing to her in our living room, in front of my daughter.
I place the ring box on the table before Clementine.
“You have a ring?” I have a hard time hearing her gasp of surprise over Mere’s squeals.
My insides shiver like a fifteen-year-old standing at the door of his prom date when I get down on one knee. I glance at Clem, her hands resting by her sides, clutching her yellow skirt.
“Clementine, I never thought I would be doing this again in my life. By this I mean smiling, laughing, and…living. You came into my life, my home, and started trespassing into forbidden places. My kitchen, my daughter’s bedroom, our lives, and…my heart. But now I want you to stay there, be in all those places.” My heart beats hard in my chest as I say the words I’ve been practicing. Her eyes shine and as always, it brightens my whole word. She is about to say something when I interrupt her. “Before you say yes, know this, there’s no going back. This is for life.”
“I’m counting on it, Keith,” she whispers, before throwing her arms around me.
“Say yes, Clem.” Mere holds her phone toward us. I’m sure she’s already taken several shots.
“Oh. Yes. Yes. Always a yes,” Clementine screams as I place the ring on her finger.
“Thanks a lot, Keith. I love it. It’s beautiful.” Clem appraises her ring from where she is perched on the bed. “I didn’t know you had a ring,”
I smile hearing the hitch of surprise in her voice. After getting out of my day clothes and putting on my sweatpants, I saunter toward her. “As always, you and Mere stole my thunder.”
“What do you mean?” She looks at me incredulously when I gaze into those beautiful mocha eyes.
“I hadn’t planned on proposing to you at the dinner table, next to leftover food,” I tell her with a touch of irritation. I was slowly working toward my plan.
“What did you have in mind?” Her whole face beams with excitement, and I know I can never say no to this woman.
“I was supposed to take you out on a date. Something we have never done.” I settle next to her, playing with one of her loose curls. “I’d planned to order Bollinger 1999, our drink. There were some thoughts of flowers.” My heart tugs watching her smile.
I was really looking forward to all that. The day she returned from Italy, I’d pledged to not take her for granted. I want her to have every experience of life with me.
“Wow. I’d have loved to go on a date with you, Keith Adams.” She climbs on my lap. “But I kind of liked our proposal better. We had Mere, and I’m not sure if you’d have said all that in a restaurant. To top it all, I immediately get you shirtless in bed,” she says, the pitch of her voice getting slightly higher as always whenever she’s turned on.