Sally bought a cheetah-designed journal at the nearby gift shop. Then, they walked past the sundial to the Geological Garden to have their picnic. Dominick laid a blanket for them in the green grass of the concert lawn under a shade tree with a view of the concert stage in the distance. Colorful birds twittered and chirped in the surrounding green trees.
“I haven’t been on a picnic in a long time,” admitted Sally. She loved Dominick’s romantic side, how he tried hard to pay special attention to her.
“Well, wait until you see what is inside this basket,” beamed Dominick. “I imagine you’ll be keen on the contents.” He opened it up and pulled out a cornucopia of finger foods including nuts, dried fruit, pickles, and olives. Mini-French baguettes accompanied by butter and hummus and red pepper dip offered to tantalize their taste buds followed by homemade chocolate profiteroles.
“Mmm,” Sally kept repeating as she nibbled on the various goodies. The various crunchy nuts paired well with the dried apricots and banana chips. She imagined how much Kimmie would approve of the olive selection. She missed Kimmie.
Sally and Dominick drank a bottle of red wine and listened to the hundreds of different bird species chirp about them. “Look at that lovely bird with the blue head,” said Sally as she pointed to a bird that had flown unto the concert lawn.
“Lovely, like you,” said Dominick. “We have more goodies in this basket than I imagined. Here we have some salami and a cheeseboard,” offered Dominick.
“How much food did they pack in there?” asked Sally, surprised at how much the basket held.
“I suppose they call it the Secret Kitchen for a reason,” figured Dominick.
“And here is an absolutely delicious roasted vegetable pasta salad,” Dominick said as he pulled out the container from the basket. The pasta salad had a wonderful mix of squash, eggplant, and zucchini.
“Oh, and one more thing,” said Dominick as he pulled out a black box from the bottom of the basket.
Sally stopped herself from taking another bite of chocolate. She placed her profiterole back on her plastic plate and watched as Dominick opened the box. Inside shined a sparkling three-carat, emerald-cut yellow diamond.
“Sally, I have something I have been meaning to ask you,” said Dominick as he presented her with the box.
Sally took a deep breath and looked into Dominick’s loving blue eyes staring intently at her. She felt her whole body feel lightweight as if the world stopped spinning. “I love you, Sally. And everything I am and have is yours if you accept.”
Sally gasped. She was speechless and had never seen a diamond so bright. She thought she might faint from utter joy.
“From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. Sally Rubino, will you marry me?” asked Dominick. He saw Sally’s amber eyes light up and smiled.
Sally beamed with happiness. How many times had she dreamed and written about a moment like this? “Yes!” she exclaimed. She could not believe how happy she felt from her head to her toes.
Dominick gave a look of relief and slid the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. “It’s so beautiful,” admired Sally, as the yellow gem sparkled in the sunlight. She briefly thought of how she should have been the one to catch Kimmie’s bouquet.
“You are beautiful,” declared Dominick. And he kissed Sally ever so tenderly. Sally admired the ring on her finger again. “I love you, Sally.”
“I love you, too, Dominick,” replied Sally.
“I was going to ask you on safari,” Dominick admitted. “And I know you want to live in Boston. I want to assure you, Sally, I’m keen on moving to Beacon Hill. Gabe has already agreed to help me with the diamond business. We could even swap homes and escape to South Africa during the cold Boston winters. How does that sound?”
“Sounds wonderful, Dominic!” Sally exclaimed. “You are willing to do all that?” asked Sally.
“Yes,” Dominick nodded. “For me, anywhere with you is khaya, darling. Anywhere is home,” said Dominick as he sealed their future with a kiss.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Denise Hereford works online during the day. At night, after fulfilling her mommy duties, she enjoys reading and writing about love.
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Beacon Hill Beauties (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 12
