“Okay,” Dawson said from behind her, his voicealmost stuck down in his throat. He coughed, and Caroline thought he’d maybe swallowed too fast.
Down the steps, she approached the crow, but he was a wild bird, and Rocks hopped away from her. He wasn’t as verbal as Nugget—in fact, she’d never heard him make a sound. Nugget cawed again, and Caroline crouched down.
“Come on, bud,” she said. “Are those beads stuck, or can you drop them?”
He hopped toward her, and she held still, her hands loose and nonmoving. Rocks came closer, and he lifted up his foot. He clearly had the string of gold beads clenched there, and she grinned at him.
“Yeah, you’ve found something awesome,” she said. “You’re so smart.”
He dropped them, took flight, and landed on the railing next to Nugget. Caroline reached out and picked up the string of gold beads before she straightened. Something heavier hung down, and she moved her fingers to lift it up, to see what it was.
She sucked in a breath and couldn’t look away from the shiny gold ring with a great big diamond on top.
“Caroline,” Dawson said, and she spun to face him. He knelt on the porch and gestured to her. “Come here, darlin’.”
Her legs felt like logs as she moved, but she somehow climbed the stairs until she stood at the same height as him, though he was down on both knees.
“I’m in love with you,” he said. “It’s been a year now, and we had an amazing road trip over the summer. And it sure looks like someone put this ring out there for Rocks to find especially for you.”
He gently took the string of beads from her and expertly removed the ring from it, as if he’d put it there.
Of course he put it there, she thought as he looked up at her again. “We’re building a house to raise our family in together. I know I’m not perfect, but I think we’re perfect together, and I think we will make the best ‘we’ and the best ‘us’ there could ever be.”
He held up the diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”
Caroline started to nod, her neck feeling like she’d lost all her bones. “Yes,” she said, her voice scratchy and low. She cleared her throat, her smile widening. “Yes,” she said again. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She laughed, enjoying Dawson’s giddy grin. He tried to straighten it but couldn’t quite do it as he slid the diamond onto her ring finger. They both stared at it for several long seconds, and then Caroline lifted her eyes to his.
She had another powerful moment of love, the way she had when Dawson had come to pick her up for their road-boat trip. She took his face in her hands and said, “I love you so much. Thank you for being so patient with me.”
“We made it a whole year,” he said. “It’s not like you’ve never had to be patient with me.”
“Yeah, the harvest was pretty rough.”
He grinned and leaned in a touch more to kiss her. She would never get enough of Dawson, of kissing him, of being his best friend, of being his.
“I love you, Caroline.” He smiled at her and then reached out to use the post to help himself stand up. “And let me tell you, I was really worried that Rocks wouldn’t find those beads.” He exhaled and turned back to their breakfast.
“You planted those beads.”
Dawson laughed as he sat down, and he didn’t let her go by him to her seat. Instead, he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her again. “Of course I planted those beads,” he said right before he slid his lips along her neck. “I can’t wait for you to be my wife.”
Caroline let her fingers slink through his hair, enjoying the way he held her and loved her.
“When can we get married?” he asked.
“I’ve talked to my mom and sister about it,” she said. “I don’t think we need anything extravagant.”
He lifted his head and looked at her. “No?”
She shook her head. “How do you feel about maybe…March?”
“Sweetheart, I’d marry you tomorrow,” he said. “Our house will be done by the end of February, so March sounds about perfect.”
“I think so too,” she said, pure joy spreading through her.
“Great,” he said. “So we’ll get married in March.”