All the emotions whirled inside her, expectations about the day dashed over and over, until she succumbed to her present reality: Nothing was predictable.
Just go with the flow.
Kell laughed as he kissed her and people began clapping in rhythm, chanting, “WHERE’S THAT RING! WHERE’S THAT RING?” as if this were an old home-makeover show and they were chanting “Move that bus!”
When Kell pulled back, looking down at her with more love in his eyes than she had ever seen there before, her heart melted and her legs went weak. His dark hair curled a bit over his ears, wet at the tips from sweat, and his beard, neatly trimmed, glistened in the sunlight.
Gray eyes surrounded by love, the smile he gave her shone like a thousand stars as he bent down on one knee.
“Oh!” she gasped, the reality hitting her suddenly, heart pounding hard, fingers and toes tingling. He was really doing this. They were really doing this.
He wanted her forever.
And then suddenly, she was above him, standing taller than her big, strong lumberjack. The man she met in D.C. seven years ago, who wore suits and loved to talk policy, had turned into a tree climber, a poison ivy puller, and now–oh, now he was about to become her fiancé.
And next, her husband.
“Rachel Jordan Hart, you stole my heart the moment we first met. I just didn’t know it. All those years ago, you became my friend. You believed in me, even when we were young and just starting out. You gave me confidence and support, friendship and acceptance. And then we hit a few bumps along the way.”
A few laughs from the people around them made it clear they knew the whole story.
“I was the biggest bump, though–”
She cut him off. “We were each other’s biggest obstacles, Kell. You don’t get to take all the credit for being a clueless idiot in our relationship. I bear some of the responsibility.”
“Fine. You caused half of it, I caused half of it.”
“Hold on there, big guy. I’m not sure I caused half…”
The crowd roared.
His eyebrows shot up, mirth filling those gorgeous eyes as he grinned at her.
“We’ll negotiate the proper apportioning of responsibility after I get this ring on your finger, Ms. Hart. Or, can I say, the future Mrs. Luview? Nothing would make me happier than to make you my wife, Rachel. I’m a fool in a lemur costume, who learned all the chords for the “I Will Always Love You” song, down on one knee here on the common of the town I love more than anyplace on Earth, proposing to the woman I love more than anything in the cosmos.”
He opened the velvet box and held it up.
She gasped.
Inside was a custom-designed engagement ring, a perfect round diamond with a smaller heart-shaped diamond set on either side, tapering down to the platinum band. She knew instantly that Moore Mottin must have had it made, and that it represented their own two hearts, now joined forever. Had Kell sat with his friend, sketching the perfect ring for her, ruminating over how it would look on her hand?
Details mattered.
And she knew she mattered, too, more than anyone else. Kell always made her feel that way, and he had just proclaimed it in front of everyone assembled there. There was nothing more precious to her.
Because she felt the same way about him.
“Take me, Rachel? Will you take me as your husband, and let me take you as my wife, and give me the honor of spending the rest of my life loving you as hard as I possibly can?”
Deanna gasped. Portia dabbed at her bottom eyelids with the pads of her fingertips, then waved her hands frantically as Stan wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed. Tim let out a whistle that pierced the air, earning approval from Luke, who decided to join in.
Soon, they were nothing but red, white, pink, whistles, and grins.
Which was a damn fine way to live.
“Yes,” she gasped, her voice filled with laughter and joy. Rachel wanted to hit the pause button on life and marinate in this moment for a few months.
Finally, finally, she wasn’t almost. Not close enough. Not nearly there.
She was everything.
Everything to Kell Luview, and he was everything for her.
“Yes!” she said louder as Kell’s grin blocked the sun, his knees flexing as he lifted up enough to take the ring out of the box and slide it slowly, achingly, up her finger. The cool sensation of precious metal on her skin felt like a full-body kiss.
And then she got one of those, too.
Kell’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her to her tiptoes as he kissed her with abandon, full and happy, his whole self embracing her whole self, every part of them fully present. Everyone surrounding them began to cheer and even scream, the pandemonium a muted backdrop for the soaring of her heart.
Kell Luview loved her.
Loved her enough to rescue her from that pedicab seven years ago.
Loved her enough to help her when she came to Luview, Maine, two years ago.
Loved her enough to break through his own stubbornness and give their relationship a chance.
Loved her enough to move in with her.
And now–loved her enough to stand before her in a silly lemur costume, on the common of the town where everyone knew him, and kiss her silly, the sun shining on her new engagement ring like it was smiling, too.
Selena Martinez’s voice, bursting with excitement, crackled through on the town’s speakers:
A huge congratulations to lovebirds Rachel Hart and Kell Luview, who just got engaged in the middle of the I Will Always Love You festival! If you weren’t here to see it, you’re in luck, because everyone with a phone got it on video. And now, from WLUV to Kell and Rachel, here’s Bruno Mars singing a song just for you.
Kell broke the kiss, then looked over at his mom and dad, her mom and dad, and–were Luke and Kylie bringing Harriet over to Deanna and Dean? What was Colleen doing? Why were she and Moore suddenly lining up? The whole crew began pouring out onto the lawn in front of the stage, and then – Stella? Joe Kendrill? Why were townspeople moving like ants in formation?
“Stay here,” Kell said.
“What are you doing?”
He squeezed her elbow. “It’s all insanely out of order, but I’m not missing my chance!”
Skylar was suddenly there, standing next to Nadine, and Annabeth, with Rusty and Joaquin, Luke’s fellow police officers standing next to her, whispering furiously.
As Portia, Stan, and–goodness, no, not Tim, too!–all began to form something that resembled a dance line, a flood of pure shock rippled through her.
They were flashmobbing her. Half the town was in on this. They were flashmobbing Rachel.
To the most clichéd song ever.
Kell cleared his throat, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted:
I think of you while climbing a tree
You’re the woman whose love sets me free
There’s no one above you
Let me make you a Luview
Rachel Hart, thanks for marrying me!
The opening line of “Marry You” began, Kell doing a silly dance in a lemur costume, for heaven’s sake, and suddenly, something in her melted.
Relaxed.
Gave way.
Annabeth Khouri broke ranks and walked over to Rachel and gave her a big hug, the two watching her family, her fiancé’s family, and half the town dancing and pointing to her. Dotty Chen ran to the edge and stood next to Nadine, staring at her feet, finding the rhythm quickly.