She’d sold all their excess lumber this month for almost four thousand dollars. Twenty-five flats of strawberries at eight dollars each would be another two hundred, and she made about two-twenty-five on monthly egg sales. That money was enough to supplement their diet with meat they didn’t harvest here on the homestead, though Lenny’s long-term plans were to add a dairy cow, beef cattle, horses, and sheep to the homestead.
Not only that, but Brandon had started learning to hunt with a bow and arrow, because if he could harvest a deer even twice a year, that would feed them for a long time. So he didn’t need much money, and he’d never been happier working the land—because it felt like his own.
He went inside while Lenny started portioning out the strawberries into the quart containers she’d bought at the IFA.
Since he was back in the habit of taking a hot shower every day, Brandon didn’t feel the need to stand in the stream for a half-hour. He did stay in a little bit longer, simply so he could practice his proposal one last time without Lenny overhearing him. He’d gone over all the things he wanted to say to her, including how much he admired her and how happy he’d been since coming to the homestead.
When he’d been in long enough to arouse suspicion, he got out, took a deep breath, and toweled himself dry. He redressed in clean clothes right there in the bathroom and took a fewminutes to clean up his beard and towel-dry his hair. Lenny claimed to be able to cut it, and he was getting close to the time when that needed to be done again.
He opened the top drawer in her bathroom vanity and reached way into the back for the deep burgundy, velvet box he’d stored there a couple of weeks ago. To his great relief, Lenny had not found it, or if she had, she hadn’t said anything. He snapped open the lid to look at the simple diamond inside.
It was a princess cut, according to Arizona, and it had been set in a white gold band with Moissanite gems surrounding it. It looked ultra expensive with all the shiny extra facets, but that was one of the major perks of a man-made diamond.
He’d been praying Lenny would like it, though he didn’t doubt for a moment that she would say yes. He looked at himself in the mirror and released one of his award-worthy sighs.
“Go on, cowboy,” he told himself, as much of a pep talk as he ever gave to his reflection. “You know what to do.”
He wasn’t sure he did, but he opened the bathroom door, the sound of Lenny’s favorite band filtering down the hall from the kitchen. She liked to cook with music playing, and Brandon moved as silently and stealthily as he could to the mouth of the hallway so he could watch her.
She’d just stepped over to the stove and tipped the cutting board into the pan. Something sizzled, and it smelled like warm butter and salt already.
She’d planned to make fajitas that night, and Brandon assumed she’d just put in the peppers and onions.
Maybe he had a minute right now, and his stomach turned to stone.
Clutching the burgundy box, he went the rest of the way into the kitchen, moved up right behind her, and wrapped his arms around her.
She giggled and leaned back into his body. “Mm, you smell nice.” She turned in his arms, and while Brandon hadn’t exactly choreographed this proposal, he figured he could do the most natural thing. He smiled at her, leaned down, and kissed her gently for only a moment, then backed up and used the door handle on the fridge to balance himself as he got down on both knees.
Lenny’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath. “B, what are you doing?”
“I love you, Lenore Sawyer,” he said, glad the opening of his proposal still sat in his mind. “I love seeing you out on the homestead working when I finally get up, and I love learning new things about you every day. I love your hard-working spirit and your loyalty to friends and family, and your enthusiasm at raising livestock and gardening.”
Her expression relaxed into one of a beautiful smile, and she focused on him intently, ignoring the sizzling veggies in the pan completely.
“I’ve dated a lot of women,” he said with a chuckle. “And none of them has ever affected me the way you do. I want to be betterbecauseof you. I want to learn and implement everything I can to make your life easier. I want to continue to explore and live your dream with you here on the homestead, because your future ismyfuture, Lenny. We belong together, and I promise to love you the best way I know how, to always take care of you, to listen to any harebrained idea you have, as long as you let me sketch it out before we try it.”
Her smile grew and she laughed. At the same time, she reached up and wiped the corner of her eyes.
“And as long as you can put up with Dumpling hissing at Admiral,” he added. “I’ll call myself the luckiest man in the world to be your husband.”
He flipped open the lid and held up the box. “Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?”
A tear leaked out of her eye, and she made no effort to brush it away. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, of course.” She laughed fully then, and Brandon took out the ring and slid it onto her finger. He grabbed onto her waist and hugged her, and then used her hands to help him get back to his feet.
“Give me five seconds,” she said as she turned to the stove and picked up the wooden spoon she’d laid on the counter. She gave the veggies a quick stir and turned back to him.
He eased her into his arms, a place she’d been many times, but holding her would never get old to him. “I love you, sweetheart,” he said, when she tipped her head back and beamed all of her sunshine at him.
“I love you too, B.”
He kissed her again, so glad he’d found a way to believe in himself again—to believe in God again, and to believe that he could find his one true love.
43
Brandon:It’s officially official! Lenny and I have chosen June third to get married here at the homestead! Everyone is invited.
Finn:She said yes! Congrats, you two!
