Nothing.
“Don’t take the mask off,” he tells me as the car comes slowly to a stop. “I’ll help you out, okay?”
I grin. “Beau, what is going on? Where are we?”
I hear the smile in his voice. “You’ll see.”
A whisk of a cool breeze swirls around the car as he pushes open the door. It shuts moments later, and I hear his boots crunching down on gravel as he rounds the car.
My heart begins to race, and my stomach feels like it’s in a blender.
The door clicks open, and I let in a sharp intake of breath.
I’m not sure why I’m so nervous, why my heart feels like it will beat out of my chest.
He reaches for my hand, linking our fingers together. “Breathe. I’m not going to kill you,” he teases. “This is a good surprise.”
I let out a breath. “Sorry, I’m just nervous. It’s hard not to be when I don’t know what’s going on.”
“All will be revealed in a few moments,” he assures me. I step out of the car, smelling nothing but earth. He lets out an ear-piercing whistle. “Boys, come on.”
I hear the locks on the car lock before he takes my arm, guiding me forward. The ground beneath me is uneven, giving nothing away as to where we are.
He steps up behind me, bending until his breath is at my ear. “Now you can pull the mask off.”
I hesitate for a moment, a little nervous as to what this is about.
Slowly, I lift up the silk eye mask until it’s off. The minute I lay my eyes on a house I know far too well, I become puzzled.
It’s a house on a farm I’ve been wanting to purchase for a while, and although it started off out of my price range, I saved enough for the deposit. However, the owner refused any offer I made.
On the stone stairs leading up to the front door are lit lanterns, and rose petals are scattered over each step.
“Beau, I-I don’t understand; why are we here?”
He takes me by the hips, slowly moving around until he’s in front of me. The house behind is still my main focus, but when he puts pressure at my hips, I pull my attention to him. “Not long ago you told me this place was your dream.”
“Yes, I’ve wanted it for nearly two years now,” I remind him, having already told him about this place. Which is why I’m confused as to why we are here. “I want to start my own animal shelter and this land is perfect. It’s beautiful.”
He smiles. “I know. I also found the owner.”
“You did?” I ask, stumped. I have been begging the estate agents to let me meet with him for years, but they would never divulge his information. I thought maybe if I could get him to listen to me, he wouldn’t be so hesitant to sell to me.
“I did. I also spoke to him. He and his wife owned this property for years before she passed away and he became sick. His parents owned it before them and so on and so on. The reason he hasn’t accepted your offer is because he has wanted it to go to a couple, one who will eventually start a family. He wants children to grow up in it, and since he never got to have any children, he never got to pass it down.”
My heart aches for the man. “Oh no. No wonder he’s been so hesitant to sell it.”
He tucks me against his chest. “I told him about you. I told him your story. I told him about your crazy family and how we met. I told him about how much I love you and how much you love animals.”
I melt against him. “You did?”
“Yeah, but before I tell you the rest, I want you to take a look around. What would you envision if this was yours?”
I already know what I want. I’ve been dreaming of this house, of this land, for so many years. I’ve worked countless hours to save for this place, praying no one would snatch it before I got enough money together.
I point to where the old barn used to be. “Well, for starters, that is where I will put the dog kennels. Over there is where I will eventually put an emergency practice. I’m hoping eventually I can get a vet who is trained in farm animals to work here. I’ll be keeping the work shed at the side of the house. And over by that tree, I would have a swing.”
“What about the house?”
“It needs work, but I wouldn’t want to change much of it, but this is pointless, Beau. He will never sell. He’s made it clear on multiple occasions,” I explain softly. “And let’s not forget, you’ve bought us a house, one close to here.”
He links his fingers through mine and pulls me towards the house, not saying a word, just wearing that smirk I’m beginning to find infuriating.
We walk up the steps to the front door, and he pushes it open like he owns the place. I tug on his arm, stopping him before he gets us arrested. Maybe. He is a police officer so he might get us out of it. “Beau, we can’t just go inside.”
“I have the key,” he tells me, shocking me.
He pulls me into the foyer and immediately takes the first left, like he knows exactly where he’s going.
I suck in a breath at the picnic blanket set up in the middle of the empty room. A basket of food with a vase filled with red roses are in the centre and scattered around them are lit lanterns like the ones outside.
The rest of the room is bare. There is no wallpaper, no light fixtures, or even carpet. It’s the bare bones of the house, which is what made me fall in love with it to begin with. I could imagine everything without having someone’s furniture in front of me to distract me.
This place is more beautiful than I remembered.
“I don’t understand; what is this?” I ask, and as I turn, Beau kneels down on one knee. My heart hammers in my chest, and my eyes well up with tears. My voice cracks. “Beau.”
“Since the day I met you, you captivated me. I fell so hard, so quick, it scared me. I was scared I was going to push you away by wanting it all. And I want it all with you,” he tells me, taking my hand. I sniffle as he continues. “When I told the owner how much I love you, how much you have dreamt of this house, and the future you have envisioned here, he asked me why we weren’t married. And the words ‘It’s too soon’ never even crossed my mind. All I could think was: why aren’t we?
“I love you, Faith. I love you with everything that is me. And if you say no today, I will ask you tomorrow. And I’ll ask you every day until you say yes. I’ll ask you on the days you are mad at me, on the days you are sad, and on the days you are happy. But I’m hoping today, you’ll say yes. I’m hoping you’ll say yes because our love is like no other. I’m hoping you’ll say yes, so I get to love you for the rest of my life. And I’m hoping you’ll say yes because I don’t want to spend my life without you as mine in every way possible.”
Beau slides his hand into his back pocket, pulling out a ring. “Will you, Faith Carter, do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
I can’t breathe.
I drop to my knees, collapsing into his arms as the world around us stops.
I don’t even need to think of my answer. I already know it.
“Yes, Beau. Yes, I’ll marry you,” I choke out.
His lips press against my neck, peppering kisses until he reaches my mouth. The kiss is hot, frenzied, and butterflies erupt in my stomach.
He pulls back, his eyes glazed over as he looks down, sliding the diamond cut ring on my finger.