I gazed down at the only other girl who had changed my life. This precious little girl changed me forever the moment I held her in my arms. I couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like to hold my own child someday.
I moved and sat down on the small bench and watched her sleep. The small little sounds she made had my heart soaring.
I glanced over to the door when I saw it open. Jessie smiled and walked in. She peeked at Lauren and then sat down next to me on the bench.
“What are you doing in here?” she whispered.
I smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess she just captured my heart and I wanted to watch her sleep. I love watching Azurdee sleep. Even when her mouth hangs open and she drools and then snores really loud. Sexiest thing ever.”
Jessie giggled and hit my leg. “You’re going to ask her to marry you, aren’t you?”
I snapped my head and looked at her. “Scott tell you?”
She smiled bigger and said, “No. I can tell by the nervous way you’re acting.”
Shit.
I dropped my head and asked, “Do you think she knows?”
“Nope. She’s clueless.”
I grinned and said, “Good.”
“Do you need help?”
I looked at her and said, “I just need you to keep her busy right before sunset. I’m having someone come in and set up a picnic in your front yard. I’m going to ask her at sunset.”
She pulled her head back and asked, “Why in the hell are you asking her to marry you in our front yard?”
“It’s where we first met. It’s where I knew I would love her for the rest of my life. I just didn’t know I loved her then.”
I saw the tears build up in Jessie’s eyes. “Wow. Lark Williams. Romantic.” She shook her head as she stood up. “Never thought I’d see the day.” She leaned down and kissed my cheek as she reached for my hand and led me out of Lauren’s room.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with me checking my pocket every five minutes to make sure the ring was still there. Looking at the time on my phone and trying to act normal so Azurdee wouldn’t pick up on anything.
I looked at Jessie and winked.
She stood up and said, “Azurdee, how would you feel about going with me for a walk? I’d love to get out of this house for a bit. What do you say?”
Azurdee stood up and handed Lauren to Scott. “Just you and me?”
Jessie smiled and nodded her head. “Yes! Girl time!”
When they walked out the back door, I ran to the buzzer and waited.
“You know, a watched gate buzzer takes longer to go off than if you just walk away.”
I looked at Scott and said, “Fuck off dick. I’m sure you were just as nervous.”
He shook his head and said, “Nope.”
I made a mental note to ask Jessie.
The buzzer went off and I fumbled to hit answer.
“Yes! I’m here!”
“Hello, this is Hill Country Catering. Mr. Williams?”
“Yes. Come on up.” I hit the button to open the gate. I turned and looked at Scott and smiled. I clapped my hands and said, “Let’s do this!”
Scott started laughing and said, “I never thought I would see the day.” Scott’s mom walked up and took Lauren and laughed.
Thirty minutes later, me, Scott, Francis from Mason Florist, and Linda from Hill Country Catering all stood back and looked at our creation. A small table with two chairs had been set up under the giant elm tree in front of the house. Francis had hung lanterns down from the tree branches so that at sunset we would still have light. She also had one lantern set in the middle of the table with red rose petals spread on the table.
“Will she like it?” I asked as I looked over at Scott. He smiled and nodded his head.
“Dude, she is going to love it and be totally surprised.”
Linda let out a chuckle and said, “Mr. Williams, it looks perfect. We will be over in the trailer. Once you come out, just give us a wave when you are ready for us to start bringing out the food.”
I nodded my head and watched as Linda walked to the trailer. I looked at Scott and said, “Hell, I hope she can cook and Azurdee likes the food.”
Francis smiled and said, “I’ll be leaving now. Thank you so much, Mr. Williams.”
I shook her hand and said, “Thank you! Let me walk you to your van.”
As I walked back toward the front door, it opened and Jessie stepped outside and attempted at least four times to whistle.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I asked as Scott walked up to her and kissed her as he laughed.
“I was giving you a signal. You know, whistling. I told Azurdee to go change for dinner. Are you ready?”
I nodded and Jessie turned as we followed her into the house. We walked into the living room and Jessie looked over my shoulder and smiled. When I turned around, Azurdee was standing there in a pale pink sundress and cowboy boots.
“I’m ready. Are we all going out to eat?” she asked as she looked between the three of us.
Jessie grinned and said, “Nope. This is just dinner for two. Scott, Lauren and I are leaving and heading to his parents’ house and spending the night there.”
I looked at Scott and he winked and nodded his head. “The house is y’all’s tonight.”
I walked up to Azurdee and kissed her on the forehead as I took her hands and led her to the front door.
“Where are we going?” she asked with a confused look on her face.
I looked at her and said, “Dinner.”
She laughed and said, “On the front porch?”
I glanced at her and said, “Kind of. Close your eyes, mi amor.”
She tilted her head and gave me a questioning look as she closed her eyes. I opened the front door and guided her out the door, down the steps and to the side of the table.
“Can I open my eyes?” she asked with a giggle.
“Not yet,” I whispered as I pulled the ring box out of my pocket.
I knelt down on my knee and took a deep breath as I opened the box.
I slowly let out the breath I was holding and tried to talk, but my voice cracked. I cleared my throat and said a quick prayer.
“Open your eyes, mi amor.”
She opened her eyes and then looked down. She threw her hands up to her mouth and instantly started to cry.
“I’m really hoping that you don’t think I’m moving too fast. Something hit me the other night though. Do you want to know what it was?”
She nodded her head as tears flowed down her beautiful face. “I can’t ever live this life without you in it. It’s been over a year since I stood here and laid my eyes on the most beautiful woman ever. I felt something that day that scared me. Then you smiled at me and I knew in my heart I was going to love you for the rest of my life.”
She wiped her tears away as she whispered, “Lark.”
“You took me exactly how I was, faults and all. You never once judged my life or me. You made me feel worthy of your love. Your unconditional love brought me out of the darkness and into a light I never dreamed could be so amazing. You taught me how to open my heart again, Azurdee. You are the only person I want to give my heart to. The only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You’re my whole world…my entire life.”
She dropped to her knees and looked into my eyes like she was looking into my soul.
“Azurdee, will you please go on this journey with me? Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
She began nodding her head as the most beautiful smile spread across her face.
“Will you marry me, Azurdee?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!”
She threw herself into my arms as we wrapped our arms around each other. I held her as she cried and I fought like hell not to be a pansy ass and cry. Scott and Jessie had already left so no chance of him seeing me if I did let a tear…or two…slip.
“Lark, I love you so much. I can’t wait to star
t my journey as Mrs. Michael Williams.”
And there are the tears. Shit. There goes my man card.
The moment I opened my eyes and saw Lark on his knee, my heart began pounding and my stomach had been doing a complete circus act.
Lark stood up and gently lifted me up with him. He took the ring out of the ring box and took my left hand as he slipped the ring onto my finger. I looked down at the most breathtaking ring I’d ever seen. It was an oval diamond framed by round diamonds. Ribbons of diamonds overlapped to form the band, which was white gold.
I sucked in a breath of air and said, “Oh Lark…it’s beautiful.”
His whole body seemed to relax as he asked, “You like it?”
I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Like it? I absolutely love it!”
“It was my grandmother’s ring.”
“Oh my! Oh…Lark…this is just…” I shook my head and attempted to hold back more tears.
Lark glanced over his shoulder and gave a thumbs-up, and that is when I noticed the small white table. I looked up and saw the lanterns and let out a small gasp.
“Lark. Oh my gosh. When did you do all of this?”
He let out a chuckle and said, “When Jessie and you went for a walk.”
I raised my eyebrow and said, “Sneaky.”
“I’ve had extensive training in the area of sneaky.”
He sat down across from me and a young lady walked over and poured us each a glass of champagne. She gave me a sweet smile and said, “Congratulations.”
I felt the heat move up my face as I quickly looked over at Lark and back at her. “Thank you so much.”
“Did he surprise you?”
I grinned and said, “Yes. Very much so.”
She took a step back and said, “Your salads will be out momentarily followed by dinner. My name is Linda, so if you need anything just be sure to ask.”
When she turned and walked away I looked back at Lark. “You couldn’t have picked a more romantic way to do this.”
He grinned from ear to ear and said, “Well, I kind of borrowed Scott’s idea when he asked Jessie. I just knew I wanted to ask you in the same spot I first saw you. The same spot I knew my life would never be the same again.”
“Lark…I love you so much.”
Lark reached for my hand and said, “I love you too, Azurdee. I never thought I could ever be as happy as I am right now.”
I looked away for a quick second. I needed to tell him about my decision for the restaurant.
I looked back into his beautiful green eyes and my heart just melted on the spot. I wonder how long he will have such an effect on my emotions like this.
“I made a decision about the restaurant. I’ve wanted to talk to you about it. I already talked to my parents and let them know my decision.”
I saw him tense up and I knew he had been worried I would be rebuilding in Wimberley. There was no way I could run a restaurant and have him be almost two hours from me.
“Oh yeah? What’s the decision?” he asked, trying to seem casual.
I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I’m not rebuilding.”
His body didn’t relax and he tilted his head and looked at me.
“But, that’s your dream. You were so happy, baby. Why would you walk away like that?”
I smiled and said, “I have a new dream now. Living on a ranch near Marble Falls, Texas, with the most amazing man who I love more than life itself. I’ve been tossing around a few ideas and looking into a few things in Marble Falls. I’m not given up my dream forever. I’m taking a break.”
“Azurdee, are you sure about this? We could make it work if you wanted to rebuild in Wimberley. I don’t want you to walk away from your dreams because of me.”
I shook my head and said, “I saw how much your mother loved helping your father on their ranch. I talked to her about it last Christmas. I want that life with you. Lark, my dreams now involve you. Maybe one or two little Larks at some point in the future.”
The way his eyes lit up when I mentioned babies had my stomach drop like I was on a rollercoaster.
He slowly shook his head and said, “I don’t deserve you.”
“Do we have to eat?”
He pulled his head back in surprise and asked, “What? Aren’t you hungry?”
I bit down on my lower lip and said, “What I’m hungry for Linda can’t give me.”
The left corner of his mouth rose a bit with that damn sexy smile of his. I could see it in his eyes and my body instantly craved his touch.
“Are you sure you want to play? Now?” he asked in that tone of voice that took control and demanded my body’s attention.
The feeling in the pit of my stomach grew stronger and I slowly nodded my head.
Linda walked up and set our salads down. Neither one of us broke our eye contact with each other. Finally Lark pulled his eyes away and looked up at her.
“Linda, we’re going to have to pass on dinner.”
When I peeked up at her she looked confused. “I’m sorry. What do you mean?”
Lark stood up and held his hand out for me as Linda took a step back.
“I mean y’all enjoy the meal. It’s on me. Right now there is something else that is requiring my attention.”
I felt my cheeks flush as I looked away and let Lark lead me back to the house. Before walking through the door I glanced back at Linda, who had the goofiest smile on her face.
“Lark! She knows what we are going to do,” I said as we walked through the door. The door no sooner shut before he pushed me against it and pinned my hands above my head. I loved when he took control like this and I was instantly wet and panting with need.
“Tell me what you want, mi amor. Is this a time to make love, or a time to fuck?”
My mouth dropped open as I looked down at his beautiful lips. I wanted them on my body. I wanted him to take me right here and I didn’t care who knew, who saw, or who heard us.
“My body craves your touch like it’s a drug. I need to feel your lips on my body. I need to feel you inside me,” I whispered.
I swear his eyes lit up even more. He reached his hand up and under my dress as he found his way to my desire. When he pushed my panties to the side and slipped his fingers in he let out a moan.
“I love you baby, and I want to make this special, but right now, I need to fuck you. Hard.”
I dropped my head back against the door and whispered, “Yes.”
He ripped my panties off and then unzipped his pants as he pushed them down. I watched as his own need was revealed.
He picked me up and a few seconds later I got the relief my body longed for. “Oh God. Yes!” I said as he moved in and out of me easing my desire one thrust at a time.
“Lark…”
“Talk to me,” he said between pants.
“Feels…so…good.”
He pushed me more into the door and reached up and grabbed my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my neck to him. The moment his lips touched my skin I exploded.
“Yes! Yes! Lark, harder.”
He gave me just what I asked for and I began calling out his name as a powerful orgasm ripped through my body.
“God, you drive me crazy, baby. I can’t hold off, Azurdee. Baby, I’m coming.”
I held onto him as he rode out his own orgasm, massaging mine into almost another one. He pulled out of me and set me down as he reached down for my ripped panties. He wiped between my legs and then picked me up and carried me upstairs and to the bathroom.
My body was still attempting to recover from the powerful orgasm as he set me down on the bench at the end of the bed. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
He walked back up to me and began getting undressed. Every time I saw his scars I wanted to cry. We were both safe now. No one would ever harm us again and I knew Lark would always keep us safe.
I stood up and turned around as he unzipped my dress and let it fall to the floor and po
ol at my feet. I turned around and faced him.
He placed both hands on each side of my face and gently moved his thumbs across my face. “As much as I love doing what we just did, my favorite thing is making love to you slow and gentle. I feel like when we make love, we’re one.”
I nodded my head. “I love you, Lark.”
He reached down and gently kissed me. When he pulled back slightly he whispered against my lips, “You will forever be the love of my life.”
My heart felt like it was floating in my chest and I wanted to cry out I was so happy. He reached down and picked me up and carried me into the shower where we cleaned each other’s bodies off before he slowly made love to me with the hot water pouring over us.
Best. Day. Of. My. Life.
I slowly got out of the bed, slipped on a pair of pants and a T-shirt, grabbed my cell and headed downstairs. I walked into the kitchen and turned on the light and reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottled water.
I made my way over to the back door and headed out to the back porch. I sat down and inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and then released it. I closed my eyes and saw Azurdee’s beautiful caramel eyes looking into mine as I made love to her.
“How did I get so damn lucky?” I whispered as I smiled and shook my head. I pulled out my cell phone and started a text message to my mother.
Me: She said yes.
Mom: I never had a doubt in my mind.
Me: Mom, I’ve never felt so happy in my life. I love her so much it scares me.
Mom: Welcome to love. It’s one hell of a journey.
I smiled and in that very moment I knew what my wedding present to Azurdee was going to be.
Me: But what a beautiful journey it will be.
Mom: I raised you right.
Me: It’s late. Why are you up?
Mom: I could ask the same thing.
Me: I asked first.
I shook my head. I was two fucking steps away from my man card being revoked.
Mom: I got up to get a drink and saw your text come through. Go back to sleep son. Hug and kiss that beautiful future daughter-in-law of mine. Sleep well and call me tomorrow. I want to hear all about when you asked her to marry you.