glad you’re all here then.”
We all got the room set up in record time with all three of us there. Pam insisted on more decorations than I usually did, but hey, it was her winery. And I had to admit, the tasting room had never looked better.
The clock hit two and I spun around, taking it all in. “It looks fantastic, Pam! That bride is going to be over the moon.” I glanced at the front door. “If she ever gets here.”
Right on cue, the door opened and Ashley walked in. “Hey—oh! Wow. You’ve outdone yourself, Pam.” She gazed around at the décor and then grabbed me in an iron grip. “You’re coming with me. We gotta discuss some wine stuff.”
I frowned, but hustled after her, lest she rip my arm out of the socket as she towed me to the back room. “What is your deal? The bride will be here any second and I promise you we have the wines sorted.”
Ashley spun and held my hands in hers. “Are you sure? I think we should have an extra sparkling wine. I think this bride might be a drinker.”
I tilted my head. Something was off about Ashley. “You okay, Ash? You seem jumpy. Odd, somehow.”
She looked away and I knew something was up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Where’s the sparkling wine?”
Okay, fine. I’d corner her later and interrogate her. That was what best friends did. “Over here.” We grabbed a couple bottles and headed back to the tasting room. Ashley practically shoved me through the saloon doors.
“Surprise!”
Mom stood in the center of the room in new sparkling pink wrist braces, and Frank was there with one of his new red-headed mannequins. Pam clutched her hands beneath her chin, and Lincoln, Dalton, Chad, and Pauline all stood staring at me with excited, expectant faces. A few of my friends from college were behind them too.
“What is going on?” I said for the thousandth time that day. It wasn’t my birthday.
And then Boston walked out from behind the bar and got down on one knee, a black box extended toward me. My eyes went so round I got brain freeze. My lungs wouldn’t inflate and my mind wasn’t catching up. In short, I was a mess.
“Boston?” I said in a small voice.
He smiled up at me, the hand holding the box shaking. “You know I hate public gatherings where I’m in the spotlight, but you also know I’ll do anything for you. You changed my life that day you interviewed with a jelly donut on your shirt. I didn’t know it then, but you made everything in my whole world better. I want to do the same for you, for a lifetime. Let me spend my whole life next to you while you go out and realize your dreams. Marry me, El.”
I swallowed hard and tried to remember how to breathe. “You are my dream, Boston.”
He grinned. “And you’re mine. Will you become a Cunningham and marry me?”
Tears flooded my eyes and I blinked them back. I wanted to see Boston’s face clearly. I wanted to remember every single detail about this moment. “I already wear the shirt, so . . . yes!”
Boston leaped up and hugged me to him. The crowd of our friends and family cheered. I heard corks popping, but all I cared about was Boston’s arms around me and his lips on mine. He pulled back just enough to whisper one more time. “I love you so much.”
Nothing could wipe the smile from my face. “I love you.”
“Did you show her the ring?” Pam asked, coming over with full champagne glasses for us.
“Ooh! Is it real gold? You don’t want her finger turning green.” Mom wedged her way into the tight circle.
I groaned even as Boston chuckled. “Mom. He wouldn’t get me a ring out of a quarter machine.”
Frank and his mannequin peered over Boston’s shoulder.
Boston cleared his throat. “El.” He opened the box again and took the ring out, holding it out so I could see it. It was gorgeous and utterly perfect. A simple gold band with a single round cut diamond perched on delicate prongs. “It was my grandmother’s diamond. She was the first one to come out here and settle in wine country.”
Tears hit my eyes again. He was giving me a diamond that had been in their family. That meant more to me than all the new bling in a jewelry store. He slipped it onto my finger and it fit perfectly.