With the gray clouds hanging low in the sky and the trees still barren of most their leaves, it felt more like a fall day than a spring one. But it suited her mood since her thoughts and emotions were once again in upheaval.
She heard the footsteps behind her just moments before strong arms slipped around her waist. Makayla rested her hands on Ethan’s and let out a soft sigh as contentment momentarily soothed her. It was hard to believe that it had been just over a year since they’d first met. And if she’d had any doubts that Ethan was right for her, the months since that night in her parents’ backyard had dispelled them. He, more than anyone else, including Tami, had been able to calm her when her thoughts and emotions threatened to overwhelm her.
It wasn’t even that he understood what went through her mind all the time, but rather that he was willing to accept that it was part of who she was and he did what he could to help her out. And that help had ranged from listening to her talk, to just holding her as she let her mind work, to offering her pieces of her favorite candy. And sometimes, it was all three.
Today, it was his arms around her that she needed most. And he didn’t need for her to talk in order to know what was wrong because it was the same thing that he and each member of her family and close friends were dealing with.
The heartbreak of their darling Gracie.
Makayla turned in Ethan’s arms and pressed her face into that spot she loved so much between his neck and his shoulder. She inhaled deeply, relishing the familiar scent that was a unique blend of cologne and Ethan. The first time she’d done that, he’d hesitantly asked her if she was actually sniffing him. After she’d assured him that yes, she was, he’d laughed and asked why. Now, he just accepted that it was another way she connected herself to him, and he’d promised to never change his cologne.
Standing there together, Makayla finally felt warm and a bit more at peace than she had been when she’d first wandered out onto the deck. When one of Ethan’s arms moved from around her, Makayla murmured a protest.
“Sweets for my sweet?” Ethan asked.
Makayla smiled at the familiar phrase. It was kind of funny how they’d fallen into so many little habits and patterns with each other. And she knew that it would never get old. Some might say that too much of the same old thing would get boring, but for her it brought comfort. And that would never get old.
She looked down to see his hand, palm up, with two Hershey’s Kisses resting in the center of it. A smile played at the corners of her lips. Though she’d found out that the candy on her desk had actually been left as a joint effort between Danica, Sierra and Grace, Ethan had picked up the habit of giving her some at odd times. He couldn’t exactly carry it around in his pockets, but he seemed to have some whenever she needed it. Chocolate couldn’t solve the problems of the world, but for a few short minutes, they could make her world just a little brighter, mainly because of who was offering it to her.
Feeling Ethan’s arm tighten around her, Makayla reached out and took the two candies then paused when he didn’t withdraw his hand. She stared at the item that the kisses had been hiding. The candies fell to the ground when she reached out to press her palm to his, sandwiching the ring between them as she looked up, tears blurring her sight.
“I know that this isn’t the most romantic proposal and maybe not even the best time,” Ethan said. “But if this past month has taught me anything, it’s that life is short. Tomorrow isn’t promised to us. We only have today. And today I want you to know that I love you, and nothing would make me happier than to know that we will be spending whatever days we have left—whether they be few or many—together. Will you marry me, Makayla?”
There had never been any doubt in Makayla’s mind for months now that when Ethan asked her to marry him, she would say yes, so she nodded her head vigorously since her vocal chords suddenly seemed frozen with emotion. Even though he moved his arm from around her waist, Makayla still stayed close to him as he took her left hand and slipped the ring on. She spared a quick glance at it before wrapping her arms around Ethan’s neck.
“I love you,” she whispered as he drew her close. “And I pray that we have many, many days together.”
Watch for Bennett’s story,
For the Love of Grace,
coming in
March 2017.
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A Change of Heart: A Christian Romance (The Callaghans & McFaddens Book 1) Page 25
