But everything I had was relying on him now. I wouldn’t give that up. Not for anything.
“You all have been there for this town in so many ways. You’ve worked for this town, provided the crop necessary to live, or worked in the factories, making goods we need. You serve us too. And well, this concert here is for all of you too. And this park. Thank you, for giving me a town where I can sow my oats and then come back and settle down here. I love Laurel, and I love working with you all.” He said as he looked around.
Applause started in the far corner of the seating area and spread through out the crowd. He grinned and then motioned for the crowd to be silent.
“The real reason I brought this band here tonight was to provide a little entertainment to my father and Rose’s mother. They’ve been supportive parents, and, well, they are going to be grandparents.” He said.
I turned white. I knew that we were going to tell them, but I wasn’t expecting this. I could feel all eyes on me as my mom sucked in a deep breath. She stood and walked over towards me her arms outstretched.
She grabbed me in a hug and said, “I love you, honey.”
“You aren’t mad?” I asked as I looked her in the eyes.
She just shook her head. “Why would I be mad? I’m team Wyatt, remember?”
I just chuckled.
“I also wanted to ask my Rose if she would come up here on this stage,” he said.
I bit my lip and looked at my mom.
“Go, on honey. He isn’t going to wait forever,” she said as she smiled at me.
All these people, all this attention. A part of me wanted to turn and run, but I couldn’t. Not now. Not when I’d promised to stay, so I walked down the aisle and right up onto that little stage.
“Rose, I’ve loved you since I first met you. You were sweet and smart and to be perfectly honest a little too young,” he chuckled. “But I waited until you were eighteen and I set out to woo you. Things didn’t go the way I’d planned, and I’m not sorry for that. Because it brought you right back to me. And now that I have you, Rose, I don’t want to let you go.” He said.
I was sweating bullets. What was he trying to say?
“Rose,” he dropped to one knee. My heart flew right up into my throat. “I’d planned on doing this differently, but hell, if the whole town wants to show up, let ‘em see. I want to marry you. I don’t care about the rest of the world. I just want you. And I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Is this about the baby?” I whispered. I didn’t want to say it in front of all those people, but I couldn’t just let him marry me because I was pregnant. No, this had to be real.
“No, Rose. I was planning on it regardless,” he said. He wasn’t angry at me for asking. “I can see why you might think that, but I promise you it isn’t the case. I want to build you a house and fill it up with a dozen kids.”
I swallowed hard. This was my entire life, and it should’ve been a hard decision. It should’ve been one that I thought about and took time about. But instead I just nodded.
“Yes, yes. I’ll marry you.” Like I told him, I wasn’t going anywhere.
He slid the ring on my finger and then stood, swooping me up into his arms.
I swear I never heard the audience clap, but he told me later than they did. And there may have been some hollering. But in that moment with him, there was only us.
“Alright y’all. Now I intended this to be something we could dance too, so if you don’t mind, the gazebo is going to be reserved for dancing,” Wyatt said as he grabbed my hand and then pulled me off the stage.
It was all happening so fast. But I was his. And I knew I always would be.
Chapter Eighteen
I led her around the impromptu dance floor, the woman of my dreams in my arms.
“Do you think it’s working?” I asked her as I motioned with my head to our parents. They were dancing together, talking.
And they looked awfully flirty.
“I think something is going on,” she said as she smiled at me. She was so beautiful when she smiled. Like an angel sent here just for me.
This woman was everything I wanted, and I had her in my arms. It couldn’t get any better.
Except it could. When the song was over I led her off the dance floor and motioned for her mother to join us.
“Miranda, I think you should tell your daughter the good news,” I said as I smiled. She’d told me over the phone, but Rose deserved to hear it face to face.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she looked from me to her mother.
“I don’t have cancer!” she said as she smiled and embraced her daughter. “It came back as just a calcium deposit. It’s going to be okay.”