I knew I caught him off guard, as he blinked at me in surprise. I’d gotten to know Mr. Scott well through watching football together. He was a good man and a good dad to June. He’d turned into someone I could lean on too and, not having a father around, that meant everything to me. I was pretty sure this visit would go okay, but now that I was standing here, it didn’t matter that I only had weeks to live—I was the same as any man asking for their daughter’s hand.
I walked into their suite and sat down. My legs ached just from the walk over from the ranch house. I was breathless and had broken out into a pretty good sweat. Mr. Scott placed a glass of water before me.
“Take your time, son,” he said, and sat beside me.
I took several sips of water, then, looking Mr. Scott straight in the eye, said, “Can I please have your permission to marry June?”
Mr. Scott’s eyebrows rose in shock, then he glanced away. My heart slammed against my ribs. I couldn’t get a read on what he was going to say. Then he faced me again, his eyes glassy. “I never thought I’d get a chance to walk my daughter down the aisle.”
His answer made my heart ache.
He leaned toward me. “Jesse, you have my permission. Of course you do, son. You have made my daughter happier than I ever thought she could be.”
I fought to swallow the lump in my throat.
“I wish this were happening differently for y’all. I wish you were asking me and you’d go on to have your forever.”
“We will,” I said, recalling my talk with Pastor Noel. “Our forever is there; it just looks a little different to most people’s.”
Mr. Scott turned away as he choked on a sob, then took a few deep breaths. Facing me again, he said, “It would be my honor to have you as a son-in-law, Jesse. And thank you for the gift you’re given me of walking my baby down the aisle. I’ve dreamed of that moment since the day she was born.”
I gave a nervous laugh. “She has to say yes first, sir.”
“It’s gonna be a yes, son. My baby loves you more than I’ve ever seen her love anyone before.”
“You look smart,” Mr. Scott said just as my mom and Mrs. Scott turned on the twinkle lights. It was sunset, and the orange glow of the Texas sun was shining its beams through the rec room’s windows. With the strings lights everywhere inside, it looked incredible.
“June is on her way back,” Neenee said, coming into the room.
I took a deep breath. Mr. Scott gave me a hug. Mrs. Scott followed suit. Then, my mom was last. “I’m so happy for you, baby. You both deserve this and more.” Mom had been given time off work to come here for my final weeks. And in the typical fashion of coming from a small town, the close-knit community had raised enough money for her to be here, so she wouldn’t struggle financially being here and so she could take time away from work…afterwards.
I’d never loved my hometown more. People often couldn’t wait to leave their rural hometowns for the bright lights of abig city. But June and I agreed that, if we’d gotten to live our happily ever after, we would have eventually settled in a town full of people who knew our names, who greeted us each day with happy faces.
I moved into the center of the room. I wore a linen button-down and cargo shorts. I’d lost so much weight now that they hung off my frame, but June wouldn’t mind. She just loved me, not how I looked. And of course, I had to wear my baseball cap. It was my lucky charm.
The clicking of the door to outside sounded, and I heard my little sisters running. We’d distracted June by asking her to show my sisters Ginger and the other horses. Bailey had joined her, now that it was a bit far for her to travel on her own and she needed support.
Then, June walked through the door and instantly took my breath away. She was dressed in her sage-green dress, the one that I adored. Her matching headscarf brought out her deep-brown eyes and her face was flushed from being outside in the fresh air.
“Jesse?” she said, looking around the room in confusion. It no longer looked like the rec room; it looked like something from a movie, with lights glittering in every corner and a carpet of rose petals on the ground.
June froze, eyes wide. “Jesse?” she said again, but I saw her swallow a nervously.
Walking to her, I took hold of her hands and said, “Junebug.” Her breathing hitched as I squeezed them. Looking her straight in the eyes, I said, “June Scott, I love you more than I ever knew I could love someone.” I’d hoped my voice would stay strong, but the minute June’s hands were in mine and her attention was all on me, it broke. “Meeting you has been the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” Tears began to fall down her face. “I hoped that we would have had more time. I prayed to anyonewho would listen for us to be able to continue this love story out in the big, wide world.” I cleared my throat, so I could keep going. “But in the end, all we have is now. And I couldn’t wait one more minute to ask you a very important question.”
June held her breath as I got down on one knee. My joints screamed as I did, and it wasn’t a pretty descent—the aches and pains were almost too much to bear. But when I looked up at June and her hand was over her mouth in happiness, all the pain washed away.
“June Scott, my Junebug, would you please do me the honor of a lifetime and become my wife?”
A sob tore from June’s mouth. “Yes,” she whispered. “It willalwaysbe yes, Jesse.”
I pulled the ring from my pocket. Mr. Scott had given it to me; it had belonged to June’s grandma. It was a simple gold band with a small diamond in the center. It was understated but beautiful, exactly like the girl who would wear it from now on.
I slid the ring on her finger. It was a little big, but June looked down at it like I’d gifted her a star from the sky. I made a move to get up, but my leg screamed in agony.
June stared at me adoringly, and I said, “I should be kissing you right now, Junebug, but I might need some help in getting up.”
Her lips twitched and then she filled the room with her beautiful laughter, only making the twinkling setting more magical.
