“I didn’t think about that. I guess we should hand it to him for trying.” Luke removes a bottle of expensive Champagne and two glasses from the cooler.
“You bought the good stuff. What’re we celebrating?”
“Us.” He pops the cork and fills two glasses, handing one to her.
Clinking her glass to his, she says, “To us.”
Luke sets his glass on the table and removes his saxophone from its case. “I wrote a new song for you.” He brings the mouthpiece to his lips and beautiful music fills the forest around them.
Luke has written plenty of songs for her. But this one is slow and smooth, more soulful than the others. By the time the song ends, her eyes are brimming with tears.
“That was lovely,” she says, dragging her fingers under her eyes. “What’s it called?”
“Marry me, Casey,” he says, returning the saxophone to its case.
She laughs. “Is that the name of the song or a question?”
“Both.” He removes a ring box from his pocket. “I’m legitimately proposing this time.” He opens the ring box to reveal a stunning diamond encased in a halo of smaller diamonds.
Casey’s pale olive eyes widen as she presses her hand to her mouth. “It’s gorgeous, Luke.”
“The diamond belonged to my mother. I had it reset for you.” He places the ring box on the table. “Before I ask you to marry me, I need to tell you something about that big news I mentioned this morning.”
Casey furrows her brow. “Are you imposing conditions on your proposal?”
“Something like that. Let’s sit down,” he says, pulling a chair out for her. Once she’s seated, he removes a bag of celery sticks and a container of hummus from the picnic basket before taking the chair opposite her.
She picks up the black velvet box and examines the ring. “Can I try it on?”
“Not yet!” He snatches the box from her and snaps it shut. “I don’t want to see it on your finger unless you’re planning to keep it.”
Her neck hairs stand to attention. “You’re scaring me, Luke. What’s going on?”
“I’ve been offered a job on the legal staff at the EPA.”
Casey shakes her head, unsure she heard him correctly. “You mean the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC?”
Luke’s demeanor changes, and his body goes rigid. “What do you think? I’m an environmental attorney. This is my dream job, Casey. I can’t turn it down.”
Her stomach sours, and she slides her Champagne glass away. “Why would you look for a job in DC without talking to me first?”
“I didn’t go looking for it. A recruiter approached me. I thought you’d be excited about us starting a new life in DC as a young married couple. You’re a graphic designer. You can get a job anywhere.”
Casey lets out a grunt. “I’m not just a graphic designer, Luke. I’m part owner in Love-Struck Vineyards.”
“But I thought you wanted to get away from Daniel.”
“You’re the one who has a problem with Daniel. He and I may have had our differences in the past, but I’m not ready to give up on him yet. I grew up an only child of a single mother. Why would I leave my father and siblings when I just found them?”
Luke slumps as he deflates. “We can work this out, Casey. I’ll commute on the weekends if I have to.”
“Meanwhile, I’ll be living in your parents’ house alone, Monday through Friday. What happens when we have children?”
“I’ll be able to work remotely some,” Luke offers.
“What does some mean? A couple of days a month? Washington is nearly three hours away. That commute will get old fast.”
Luke looks away from her hostile glare. “It’s a career maker. After five years with the EPA, I can write my ticket anywhere.”
“Your ticket to another big city. I grew up in New York, Luke. One of the many things I’ve realized about myself since coming to Virginia is that I’m not a city girl.” Casey jumps to her feet, dumps her Champagne into the stream, and returns the vegetables and hummus to the cooler.
Luke scrambles out of his chair. “What’re you doing?”
“Packing up. I wanna go home. To my condo.”
He grabs her arm. “Come on, Casey. Don’t be like this. Let’s talk this through. I want you to be my wife. I asked you to marry me.”
“Correction. You told me the name of your song. You didn’t officially pop the question.”
“You’re being difficult, but whatever.” He drops to one knee. “Will you marry me, Casey?”
Casey stares down at him. She hears fear and uncertainty in his voice, but no sincerity. Anger and sorrow collide, and she is too emotionally wrecked to respond. Jerking her arm free, she gathers up the cooler and picnic basket and storms off down the wooded path to the truck.
Luke follows a few minutes later with the folded table and chairs, his saxophone dangling from one shoulder. She fights back tears. What has she done? What if she never again hears him play his lovely instrument?
He slides into the driver’s seat, and they head back toward town. “I’m sorry, Casey. I didn’t realize you’d be so upset. I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“Then I guess we don’t know each other as well as we thought, because I have no interest in living in a city filled with crime and corrupt politicians.”
“You’re being melodramatic. DC has much to offer.”
Casey tosses up her hands. “So now I’m being melodramatic. I’m not your puppet. I’m a real girl with genuine feelings.”
He tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
When they reach his house, Casey gets out of the truck and marches over to her convertible. Luke catches up with her, preventing her from opening the driver’s door. “Come inside with me. We’ll drink some wine and have a civilized conversation.”
“I’m sorry, but I need to be alone right now.” Shoving him out of the way, she gets in her car and speeds off, fighting back tears during the short drive through town.
Casey hasn’t been to her condo in weeks, and the air inside smells musty. She’d been beyond excited when she purchased the third-floor unit last summer. But then she’d started dating Luke and spending all her time at his vineyard. As she wanders around the rooms, she feels like a guest visiting a stranger’s home. The refrigerator shelves are empty, and there’s no toothbrush in the holder in the bathroom. She bought the condo with high hopes of being a young professional woman living on her own. If Luke moves to Washington, that’s exactly what she’ll be. All alone and starting over.
She can’t be here right now. She leaves the condo and drives out to Love-Struck Vineyard. She passes through the stone columns and parks in front of the main building, which houses administrative offices on the second floor and their swanky new bistro on the first.
Casey skirts the new stone terrace with its clusters of fire pits and crosses the lawn into her father’s backyard. She pauses in the rose garden to inhale the sweet fragrance of the season’s new blooms before continuing on to the fly-fishing stream. A sense of calm settles over her as she leans against the railing of the old wooden footbridge.