Danny flipped the lid open on the box and revealed the charm bracelet Mason had had made for her. “A horse for all the rides we took together. A diamond for all the nights we spent staring up at the stars and talking. Whether it was in the back of my truck, out in the pasture, or right here, those are some of my best memories.”
Sierra’s eyes misted with tears. “Oh, Mason.”
“And a daisy.”
She laughed. “For all the times you picked a wildflower and plucked the petals off in exactly the right order to land on he loves me not for whatever boy I had a crush on.”
“Even back then, I wanted to keep you all to myself. I was just too stupid and focused on other things to see that what I really wanted was right in front of me.”
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Oliver drew his surprise out from behind his back.
Mason held Sierra’s questioning gaze. “The bracelet is for the past. This one is for the present.”
Oliver pulled the lid off the white box and revealed the set of keys on a heart-shaped key chain.
“Keys to our house.”
She smiled and pressed her lips together as her eyes glassed over again. “I can’t wait to make it our home.”
“Tonight will be the first night of the rest of our lives where we go to sleep and wake up together.”
Both boys heads turned up to him.
He glanced at both of them. “Did I forget to tell you you’re moving in today?”
The boys looked to their mom for confirmation. She nodded. “That’s right. We are.”
“Yes!” the boys said in unison, their big smiles conveying their excitement.
Mason squeezed Sierra’s hands to draw her full attention back to him. “Before you do and I show you the surprises I have for you at the house, there’s one more thing I want to give you.” He slipped his hand in his front pocket but didn’t draw it back out just yet. “This one is for our future.” He pulled out the wood ring case, used his thumb to open the lid, and held it out in his palm as he sank to one knee.
Sierra gasped, put her fingertips to her lips, and stared from the ring to him to the ring and back again. “Mason.”
“I love you. So much that it fills me up and I feel like I can’t possibly feel this much for one person. Then you smile at me and that feeling gets bigger and my whole world gets brighter. I want to build a life with you. I want a lifetime of memories filled with you and our children.”
Her head was already bobbing up and down, but he kept going because she deserved to hear it all and have him ask the question.
“I want you to be my one and only. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
She kept nodding, tears falling down her soft cheeks, her lips trembling when she said, “Yes!” She leaned down and kissed him. “Yes.” She kissed him again. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” She kissed him for one long moment.
He stood, pulling her into his arms and kissing her more deeply.
The boys cheered and gave them bear hugs, their little arms around his and Sierra’s legs.
Mason managed to step back, take her hand, and put the diamond engagement ring on her finger.
“Where’s the rest?” Oliver checked the box in his hand.
“The other part is for the wedding day.” Mason took Sierra’s hand and kissed her knuckle right above the ring. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” She stared at the diamond.
“The boys helped me pick it out.”
Her gaze shot to his. “Really?”
“I got their permission to ask you, then we went shopping.”
She chuckled under her breath. “That’s really sweet.”
“We’re going to be a family,” Oliver announced.
Danny took his mom’s hand and checked out the ring again. “It looks really good. Wait ’til you see the rest. It’s awesome.”
Relief hit Mason in a wave. Sierra said yes. The kids were excited about them getting married, and Sierra looked happy that he’d pulled off the proposal and included the kids.
“When are we getting married?” Oliver asked.
“Not we,” Danny scolded Oliver. “They are getting married.”
Mason ruffled Danny’s hair. “It’s definitely we. My commitment to your mom is a commitment I make to you, too. We will be family.” He hugged the boys to his sides. “I, for one, can’t wait.”
Sierra kissed him again. “Me, either.”
Oliver wriggled away and handed Sierra the box with the keys in it. He ran off to the picnic. “It’s time for cake!”
Danny handed over the bracelet and ran to catch up to Oliver.
Sierra raised an eyebrow. “I thought you brought lunch.”
“I was told that a celebration required cake.” He tilted his head to the boys pulling the cake out of the cooler.
Sierra laughed. “Absolutely.”
Mason took the bracelet out of the box and fastened it around Sierra’s wrist. He brushed his fingers over her skin and stared deeply into her eyes. “Were you surprised?”
“In the best way.” She linked her fingers with his. “I knew we’d get here, I just didn’t expect it to be today.”
“Why not today? You’re moving in. I wanted you to know I want it to be forever.”
She turned into him. “I never doubted you wanted me.”
He looked into her eyes. “Always.”
He kissed her softly, then she backed away, pulling him along with her. “I can’t wait to show you how much I love you tonight. In our bed.” She shook the keys in the box.
Mason suddenly had second thoughts about bringing the boys with them for the proposal. He’d love to lay her out on that blanket and make love to her under the tree.
But the boys smiled at them and he decided this was good, too.
This would be a memory all of them cherished.
* * *
Sierra held her hand out to her mom to show off the gorgeous engagement ring. Mason had really outdone himself. She couldn’t wait to see the wedding bands the boys kept talking about while they ate cake and drank sparkling cider by the creek.
It truly had been a wonderful proposal, filled with poignant moments. Mason had put a lot of thought into it and her gifts.
Her mom touched the charms on the bracelet. “This is lovely, Sierra.”
“Mason wanted to remind me of the past we share. It was really beautiful.”
Her mom looked from her to Mason, standing right behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.”
“Thank you, Dede.”
Sierra touched her fingers to Mason’s hands on her shoulders. “Mom. If you don’t mind watching the boys for just half an hour before we take them to Mason’s—”
“Our house,” Mason corrected.
An uncontrollable smile spread across her face. “Yes. Our house. I wanted to show Mason something out by the pond.”
“Sure, honey. Take your time.”
“Thank you.” She took Mason’s hand and tugged him toward the back door.
“Why are we going to the pond?” A sparkle in his eyes hinted at what he hoped they’d be doing by the pond.
“It’s not what you think.”