“Did you have something to do with this?” he asked.
She shrugged, her expression innocent. “Read the banner.”
He sighed as he thought of all those rose petals going to waste, but this was definitely better. If she was taking the initiative, it had to mean they were finally making real progress.
He leaned out of the car and tried to read the banner as she’d requested. He really did try, but it was pitch-dark except for those tiny twinkling lights and the plane was circling so fast it was making him dizzy. He had a hunch, though, he could figure out the gist of it. If he was right, it wasn’t a message he wanted to get from a banner. He wanted to hear the words from the woman next to him.
“I can’t quite read it,” he said. “Maybe you’d better spell it out for me.”
“You can’t read it?” she asked, craning her neck out the window on her side to see for herself. When she pulled back into the car, her expression reflected pure disappointment. “Well, damn.”
Duke reached over and forced her to face him. “What’s it say, darlin’?”
She swallowed hard and tried to evade his gaze. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she looked him square in the eyes. She began to speak, cleared her throat and tried again.
“It says ‘Will You Marry Me?’” she said in a nervous whisper.
A rush of pure joy swept over him. He barely managed to contain a triumphant shout.
“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
She scowled at him. “Will you marry me or not?” she demanded testily.
Duke figured he’d pressed his luck just about as far as he could. “I’m not like you. If you were hoping I’d turn all wishy-washy now that the shoe was on the other foot, it’s just plain too bad, because the answer’s yes. I’ll marry you tonight, if that’s what you want?”
“You will?” She seemed startled by the response and more than a little intrigued. “Tonight?”
To hell with Jordan’s warning about an elopement. “If that’s what you want,” he said.
“I do. I mean, yes. Please. Right this minute.”
“Any particular reason you’re in such a rush?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have second thoughts,” she admitted candidly.
“About loving me?”
“No,” she said at once. “Never that.”
“Then what?”
“About taking such a huge risk on the future.”
“Darlin’, life is all about taking risks. If you don’t take a few, you’re not really living at all.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Besides, there’s no risk involved here at all. Nobody’s ever going to love you the way I do. This is forever. You have my guarantee.”
“You love me?” She sounded dazed.
“Took me long enough to figure it out, but yes, I love you, Danielle Adams. Always will. I promise.”
“Forever’s a long time,” she said, but she was smiling at last.
“Not half long enough for the two of us.”
“Don’t you mean the four of us,” she teased.
“Or five or six,” he amended. “There’s not enough trouble in the world that you and I together can’t handle it. Agreed?”
She stared into his eyes, then slowly nodded, a smile on her lips. “Agreed.”
Just then Duke noticed the first rose petal flutter down against the windshield. It was followed by another and then another. He postponed the kiss he’d had in mind and gestured outside.
“What on earth?” Dani murmured, poking a hand out to catch one of the petals. Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d captured. “Rose petals? Red rose petals?”
“Everybody said I needed to do something dramatic to capture your heart,” he said. “This was my last shot.”
“You planned to propose to me again tonight?” she asked. “I did all this for nothing?”
“Not for nothing,” he assured her. “It just proved what an incredible pair we’ll be. We both came out here tonight with the same idea.”
She regarded him intently. “If you were planning this, where’s the ring?”
“Who says I have one?”
“Forget it, Duke. You’re too arrogant not to have one tucked away somewhere. Where is it?”
He winked. “In my pocket,” he taunted.
A grin spread slowly across her face. “You know, there’s nothing I enjoy more than an old-fashioned treasure hunt.”
“And as I recall, you’re very, very good.”
She smiled. “Yes, I am, aren’t I?” And then her clever hands went in search of that diamond.
Duke figured what happened next was the part of the engagement celebration they would keep to themselves. Some family legends just weren’t meant to be shared.
* * * * *
#1 New York Times bestselling author
SHERRYL WOODS
tests the strength of the beloved O’Briens and proves that love and family can always triumph!
“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”
—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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ISBN-13: 9781460380345
NATURAL BORN TROUBLE
Copyright © 2015 by Sherryl Woods
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