Benjamin
Page 9
He handed her the rose, and she took a sniff before passing it off to her mother to put in water. Then he held out his arm and escorted her down the steps of her porch. She was expecting that they’d just climb in the truck and drive away, but instead, she saw Benjamin’s six boys lined up on the lawn, dressed in suits and ties, each holding a piece of cardboard.
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking up and down the row of grinning faces.
Benjamin took her hand and went down on one knee, and she gasped. Was he really . . .? So soon?
“Melissa Daniels, I’ve known you for ten days, and they’ve been the most amazing ten days of my entire life. You’ve shown me everything I could ever want in a friend, a companion, a partner, a wife. You make me laugh, and you make me check my gut—both things I badly need. And you make my stomach flip when I think about you—but in a good way.”
The boys behind Melissa laughed, and she couldn’t help but smile too.
“I believe that when something’s right, it’s right, and sitting around talking about it forever won’t change that. I don’t want to sit around forever waiting for you—I want to start our lives together as soon as possible. And so . . .” He motioned to the boys, and they each flipped over their cardboard. From left to right, she read the words, “Melissa, will you marry me?” The question mark was on the last piece of cardboard, probably because he ran out of words and didn’t want the sixth boy to feel left out.
She didn’t know what to say. Her heart was pounding almost painfully, and she remembered how she felt when he’d kissed her, but she also remembered how angry she’d been at him. She couldn’t extend her forgiveness and then bring it all back up, though—if she meant that forgiveness, it meant being willing to move forward, and she knew it had all been a misunderstanding anyway.
He squeezed her hand. “I came over earlier and spoke with your father,” he said. “He’s still not sure if he likes me, but he’s at least willing to admit that I’m not a con man, so I think we’re good.”
She glanced up to the porch, where her parents were standing to watch the whole scene. Her father’s arms were crossed over his chest, but he gave her a nod, and her mother’s cheeks were covered with happy tears.
She pulled in a deep breath. She had to push aside the romance of the moment and the desires of everyone around her and think for herself, what she wanted, what her heart and brain and liver and possibly even her kidneys wanted. And what it all came down to was that she wanted Benjamin McClain.
“Yes,” she said, and he leaped to his feet and caught her up in a hug, lifting her off the ground and twirling her in a circle.
“I love you so much,” he said in her ear as he put her back down. “I guess I should have made that part of the proposal, huh?”
She laughed. “It was implied. And I love you too, Benjamin.” It felt so very, very good to say those words, and she said them again as six boys and two parents cheered.
About Amelia C. Adams
Amelia C. Adams is a wife, a mother, an eater of chocolate, and a taker of naps. She spends her days thinking up stories and her nights writing them down. Her biggest hero is her husband, and you just might see bits and pieces of him as you read her novels.
You can reach her at ameliaadamsauthor@gmail.com.
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The Kansas Crossroads Series:
A New Beginning (free!)
A Free Heart
The Dark and the Dawn
A Clean Slate
A Clear Hope
The Whisper of Morning
A Careless Wind
A Narrow Road
The Bitter and the Sweet
The Calm of Night
A Begrudging Bride
A Broken Wing (A Kansas Crossroads novella)
A Twisted Fate
An Unspoken Dream
A Joyful Noise
The Nurses of New York series:
Sea of Strangers (free!)
Cause of Conflict
Touch of Tenderness
Heart of Hearts
Test of Time
The American Mail-Order Brides series:
Hope: Bride of New Jersey
Tabitha: Bride of Missouri
The Hearts of Nashville series:
Whiskey and Women
Records and Rebels
As part of the Brides of Beckham series by Kirsten Osbourne:
Mail Order Molly
As part of the River’s End Ranch series:
Accidental Agent
Rugged Rockclimber
Welcome Wagon
Santa’s Shopkeeper
Delivering Destiny
Lucky Lifeguard
As part of the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series:
Meredith’s Mistake
As part of the Magnolias and Moonshine series:
Sweet Georgia Peach
As part of the Burnt River series:
Ashley’s Hope
Phoebe’s Fate
As part of the Rocky Mountain Romances series:
Utah Sunrise
As part of the Mail Order Mounties series:
Bride for Joel
Bride for Jonathan