Engaging emma, p.24
Engaging Emma, page 24
He secured the blindfold, helped her into the cart, and pulled away, giving Nina a salute.
“You did a great job tonight, EJ. Everything looked spectacular.”
“I know!” No false modesty there. “What’s even better, Mrs. Landry loved it. Ha! I knew she would. She called the night a triumph. A triumph! I can hardly wait to see the pictures in InStyle next month. This is going to make The Barn.”
“What was in the envelope she handed you?” he asked.
“A bonus! I about swallowed my tongue when I saw the amount. The Barn will be in the black for the next couple of months. Tucker, this blindfold is itchy,” she said, tugging at it.
“Leave it alone. That’s great. About The Barn, I mean.”
“Can you believe it? Almost makes Delia’s henpecking worth it.”
“Almost,” he agreed.
Emma was happy to gab away. “Thank heaven the weather held out. Delia would have blamed me for any natural disasters. And weren’t the daffodils gorgeous? The sun coming through the trees just as the minister pronounced them man and wife? That was amazing. Delia—she actually said I could call her that—she said she was glad Kira found us. She even said she’d recommend us to—Tucker, why are we at the lake?”
“What makes you think we’re at the lake?”
“Because I can smell it.”
“You can smell the lake?”
“Yes. And I can hear the water lapping against the dock.”
“Wait! What are you doing?”
“Taking off the blindfold, you goof. You only blindfold someone so they won’t guess where you’re taking them.”
“Keep that blindfold on! You don’t know everything.” He wrestled her hands away from the blindfold.
“Tucker . . .”
“Just do it, woman.” He parked beside the oak tree. It looked like Mother Nature had run interference with his plans. The cloth he’d spread out on the dock had blown up over itself. The strand of globe lights he’d looped through the lower branches of the tree hung loose.
“Uh, sit tight for a second.”
“You planning on throwing me into the lake?” she called after him.
“Don’t tempt me!” he said, pulling the lights back into place and turning on the battery pack. He straightened the cloth, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and lit all the candles. “Okay, Cinderella,” he said, taking Emma’s hand, “out of your carriage.”
He led her down to the dock, their weight making it bob gently on the water. “Hey! I was joking about going into the lake,” she warned.
He ignored her. “Ready?” He drew the blindfold from her eyes and watched her face brighten.
“Tucker,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful.” Nina had helped him line the dock with the wide-mouth Mason jars that now glowed with lit candles. The tree limbs spread out bright above them, and fireflies danced near the water’s edge. He couldn’t take credit for that, but it was a nice touch.
Emma moved forward. “It’s like that last night before you left for college.”
Tucker put his arms around her from behind. “Uh-huh.”
She relaxed against him. “I love it,” she whispered.
“What about me? You love me too?” he asked.
She turned in his arms, pretending to think about it. “I might. A little,” she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. She wound her arms around his neck. “Or a lot,” she murmured. She kissed him again, and he pulled back to look at her.
“Let’s try this again, shall we?”
Emma didn’t let go. “Try what again? I think what we were doing was perfect.”
He kissed her nose. “Things didn’t end so well for me out here twelve years ago. I hope to can change that tonight.” He pulled a box from his pocket and slowly opened it.
Emma gasped. Instead of going for the three-quarter carat cushion-cut engagement ring, she pulled out the wedding band. It was a sterling-silver ring with daisies winding all around, a diamond chip in the center of each flower.
“It’s my ring,” she said, her voice full of wonder. “You saved it?”
“Of course I did,” he murmured. He took the ring from her and slid it onto her finger. “Twelve years ago we were too young, but it feels like everything between that moment and today has been leading up to this. I know what I want. And it’s you. Forever. Will you marry me?”
She looked from the ring to him, and yep, there were tears. She nodded before throwing her arms around his neck. “You were worth the wait,” she said before her mouth found his again.
It felt right. Emma in his arms, this time for good. It had taken them a while to get here. Maybe their paths back to each other had been a little crooked, but one thing was certain. Tucker Madsen was glad he’d come back to Normal.
About the Author
Elle M. Adams was born in Washington State but was raised in Missouri. She holds a degree in English and has a deep and abiding love for literature. She currently lives in the Intermountain West with her family and a dog named Bee.
Elle M. Adams, Engaging Emma
