Well, almost everything.
I cleared my throat and grabbed onto the ropes, easing the swing to a stop.
“Time to get in there, huh?” Shannon asked.
“Yeah, we probably should…” I trailed off as I looked over my shoulder.
She hopped off the swing. “Okay, but hold on a sec. I want to talk to you about something.”
There was a buzzy energy around Shannon, a giddiness that I didn’t recognize. I chalked it up to her excitement about the wedding. After all,Iwas the one who was supposed to feel nervous given the errand I’d just run.
She beamed up at me, then took my hands. “Dr. Declan Morris, do you have any idea how much I love you?”
I felt my heart swell at the question. “Yeah, I think I do. Because I loveyouthat much.”
“When I think back to that nervous girl who kissed you under the mistletoe,” she went on, “I’m sure that she never could’ve imagined that she’d wind up right here, with you.”
I smiled at the memory and started to lean down to kiss her.
“Hold on,” she said abruptly, throwing her hand up in front of my face to stop me. “Every time you kiss me, I lose track of my brain and all I can think about is ripping your clothes off. Just gimme a minute here to say what I need to say.”
I cocked my head at her. “Not sure I follow what’s going on. Is this good or bad?”
“Good.” She paused. “At least I hope so.” Shannon looked down at our joined hands and took a deep breath. “I love you, Declan. Everything about you. Your stubborn streak, your dedication to your work, the way you can make everyone like you—human and animal. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known.”
“Aw, shucks,” I answered, pulling her so that she tripped a step closer to me.
“It’s true,” Shannon answered, squeezing my big hands with surprising strength. “I feel like the luckiest woman alive every time I look at you. And that’s why I want to do something… different.”
She let go of my hands and reached into her pocket, then pulled out a slim wooden box about the size of a lighter.
Time slowed as I realized what Shannon was doing as she fiddled with the box, opening it to reveal the carved gold band inside.
“Shannon… no…”
She stopped abruptly, her hands frozen with the box outstretched in front of her.
“No?”
My heart was nearly hammering out of my chest as I fumbled to reach into my own pocket.
“No.”
I pulled out a box and dropped to my knee in front of her as she squealed in recognition.
“You were literally about to take the words out of my mouth, but I’m not going to let you do it,” I said, looking up at her as her face screwed up. “Shannon Cafferty, willyoumarryme?”
The tears were flowing before I even finished asking the question. She nodded silently, hiccupping and crying as she dropped to her knees in front of me and threw her arms around my neck.
Our lips touched and I could taste her tears.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked, smoothing her hair back.
She sniffled loudly and nodded. “I was so damnnervousabout asking you that I didn’t even notice that you were acting weird too! You caught me totally off guard.”
I laughed. “I could’ve sworn you could feel my hand shaking. I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to do it tonight, or tomorrow after the reception was over, or God knows when. I bought the ring a while ago, and I’d been carrying it around with me looking for the right opportunity. You sort of gave me the perfect excuse to go for it tonight.”
I took the diamond engagement ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. Thanks to a few calculations based on her glove size, the simple one-carat ring fit.
