drugs. Trust me, I know. Never let him go, Grace Sellers.”
Dead.
I’m a goner. A world-class artist knows my freaking name. I can hardly focus on the gentle applause rippling around us.
“Darlin’?” Ridge purrs in my ear. “You still with me?”
“I, um...seriously, Ridge? Milah flipping Holly? You told her about us?”
“It’s Milah. She’s famous for being nosy.” He grins, entirely too coy and too gorgeous. “Plus, she’s got her own crew of badasses backing her up. Didn’t want a lady sending Enguard Security after my ass for refusing to answer a few little questions.”
Wow.
Just...wow.
That’s putting it elegantly. I’m beyond frazzled.
Even with the song over, he keeps us in the center of the floor, gazing into my soul with heavy questions it’d take a lifetime to decipher.
“Ridge?” Now it’s my turn. “Still with me?”
“Stay right here,” he tells me, suddenly peeling away, leaving me alone with about a thousand eyes glued to me.
Questioning my own sanity, I stand there, glancing around nervously at the smiling faces, trying to make out the hushed murmurs going around.
A second later, I realize Ridge jogged over and jumped on the stage. Milah Holly gives him a quick hug before passing him the mic.
He says something to the guys on guitars and then faces the crowd again.
Dear Lord, what’s he doing now? Singing?
Listen, if this is some weird karaoke thing...I think I’m out.
But the band begins a new tune, delicate and slow, and Ridge jumps off the stage with the microphone, heading for me.
And yes—holy Toledo, he’s singing. An Elvis song I recognize. Can’t Help Falling in Love.
Is there anything this man can’t do? He actually matches the King’s voice pretty well.
All the feels are there in every line.
All the fears in every raging beat of my heart.
All the heartbreak if this isn’t the spectacular, miraculous, unbelievable Big Thing coming.
My heart leaps into my throat as he holds out his hand, singing the last few lines with passion gushing out of him.
Everyone is watching, so of course I do, too, trembling from head to toe.
His eyes are locked on mine and they’ve never been so clear, so real, so beautiful.
The spotlight above the floor reflects in his gaze like the Milky Way.
Suddenly, I hear my mom’s voice.
If you’ve got a light, you’ve still got a wish.
Tonight, we both have all the light and—dare I say it?—love we could ever need.
I do wish, Mom.
I wish he’ll love me like this forever.
When it’s over, I’m a teary-eyed, trembling mess. My eyes are so fixed on him that I can’t even worry about the public affection, the crowd erupting, clapping and cheering and yelling out encouragement.
With his gaze still locked on mine, he whispers, “That’s why, darlin’. Didn’t think words could do the heavy lifting for this.”
Stunned, I shake my head.
He can’t mean...
He can’t be saying...
Oh my God.
“Thank you, thank you very much,” he says into the microphone, again sounding exactly like Elvis as he bows to the crowd. Then, in his own voice, he says, “I also want to thank all of you for coming here tonight to our big celebration. One thing I’ve figured out about Dallas, North Dakota, is how this town loves secrets. That’s something you’ve got in common with L.A., and since we’ve got plenty of folks here from both...when Grace and I got engaged, we talked about it, but I never officially asked her. Go ahead, shame on me, but I’d like to remedy that right now.”
Then, to my utter shock and awe, he goes down on one knee.
“W-what are you doing?” I whisper, my lips trembling.
Holding my hand, kneeling before me, he kisses the back while looking up at me. “Grace Sellers, you were the best stray who ever came into my life. I had my own demons when we met. Hell, I’m still working them out, but you showed me I was someone else, too. I love you more than I ever thought I could love, woman. I told you the only thing I ever expected when we took down Clay Grendal was for you to live. Yet you’ve shown me what living actually is. What loving can be. And now I’m just wondering one thing...”
It’s the heaviest silence of my life.
My face becomes a gooey red mess, but I so don’t care.
I’ll never care about anything again except the next words coming out of his mouth.
“Will you do me the honor of being my wife, Grace, so we can live the best way we can—together? Will you marry me?”
No words could