becoming my wife?”
“Oh, God,” I said, tears pooling in my eyes. “Oh, my God.”
He pulled out a blue box and opened it. “If you’ll have me, then I hope you’ll enjoy this ring, one that I believe a king from long ago would’ve given the queen he loved so dearly.”
“Without sending her to that tower, of course?” I laughed, cried, and then hugged him so tightly that I couldn’t speak.
“I think we both served our time in that tower when we were apart for far too long,” he said as I felt him laugh, and then I pulled back to lose myself in his shimmering eyes.
“Yes, of course, yes,” I said as Jim brushed the tears from my cheeks. “But are you sure? Marriage might make—”
“What? Might make me the happiest and most complete man on the planet?” Jim said and then silenced me with a small kiss. “I love you, Avery. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
I watched as Jim turned and knelt as he had the first time he’d met Addy, bringing himself to her level. Addy was smiling, but I could tell she was confused. “You are my best girl and the one I have the most fun with,” brushed his finger over her nose. “I can’t marry your mom unless I ask something pretty big of you as well.”
“How big?” Addy said.
“Huge.” His eyes widened as he dramatized his answer. “Remember that one morning when you and I made green eggs and ham?”
“Yes,” she crinkled up her nose and laughed.
He took her hands into his, “Do you remember what you told me you wished for me to be for you that morning?”
Her lips twisted in thought, and my ugly cry was in full effect. Was Jim asking Addy for her approval too?
“For you to be my real daddy,” she said. “When I say my prayers at night, I always ask for it to come true one day. Do you think it can?”
“I think it can.” Jim smiled. “In fact, that was the huge question I was going to ask. I wanted to know if you would still like me to be your daddy.”
Addy’s reaction was priceless as she hugged Jim, and then I heard her crying. I walked over to where Jim had her swallowed her up in his arms.
“Addison,” I said, rubbing her back.
She looked at me through teary eyes and smiled, my own tears streaming down my face as I wiped hers away. “These are happy tears, yes?” I asked her.
“Jim loves us both so much,” she informed me, hugging me tightly. “We can finally be a real family now. He asked, and we have to say yes, mommy. He’s the best daddy ever.”
“He certainly is,” I said to her, then looked at Jim as he smiled brilliantly.
“I have something special for you too, Addy,” he said, pulling out another blue box. “It’s a charm on a necklace. Its symbol means that I’ll be your daddy forever. I’ll always protect you, care for you, and love you more than you can ever know.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she smiled at Jim. “Can I wear it forever too?”
Jim grinned. “I truly hope you do,” he said, putting the necklace on her and smiling. “Forever.”
I watched as Addy held the charm out that Jim had clasped around her neck.
“That’s the infinity symbol,” I said, still kneeling next to Jim. “It means that Jim will love you longer than forever. That his love will never end.”
“Yes, and now you’ll always know that I’ll love you as my very own daughter for all of our forevers together. I’m just not sure if you said yes or not?”
I watched Jim’s forehead crinkle in humor.
“Yes! Forever you, me, and mommy.” She hugged him again.
“Thank God, they all said yes!” I heard Collin’s voice and then turned to see the entire gang was here—the reason for the other saddled horses. “Sorry, but I figured I’d be fighting that damn horse for the rest of the night if Jim didn’t get his words out.”
Ash was running toward me, and we collided in a tight embrace. “That was the most precious thing I’ve ever witnessed.” She sniffed and stepped back, “I videoed the entire thing, but started crying after you said yes, then Jake rescued the video, so forgive my sobbing sounds.”
“She handed me the phone, so it’s probably really going to suck for Jim to watch after mine and Collin’s commentary.” Jake laughed. “I think it’ll add to the moment nicely for you, though.