Chapter 57 #2
Skylar said, strolling down the beach with Zane, “It was awfully nice of Scarlett and Finlay to volunteer for dinner duty, tonight. Although that means you and I will be on washing-up duty. Turnabout’s fair play, after all.”
“I reckon we can do that,” Zane said, and then nothing else.
“You’re making me a bit nervous,” Skylar decided to inform him. “You ask me on a walk, and now you’re barely talking. Which is OK, because you’re holding my hand, and anyway, I like when you’re quiet and calm, but you don’t feel calm. You’ve got your Inscrutable Face on. Or maybe your Game Face.”
“I don’t wear my Game Face with you,” Zane said. “Ever. Or if I do, I don’t know it, and you should tell me. I’m offended. I’m quiet and considerate off the pitch. I know, because some interviewer said so.”
“Oh, then it must be true,” she said, and somehow, she was laughing. Probably because he sounded like himself again. “Pardon me. You’re clearly being considerate. Where are we going, by the way?”
“Walking. I thought that was good. Want to sit down instead?”
“Uh … no. Walking is fine.” She’d swum what felt like about a mile every day of this holidays, and done yoga on the beach with the kids, and joined in their games of beach cricket. She was going to need to go back to work just to have a rest. “Is this a romantic time? A conversation? Or what?”
He said, “And the kids say I’m not romantic. If I announce it, does that make it more romantic, or less? Don’t care. I’m announcing it. This is romantic.”
At this point, two enormous Labradors came bounding out of the surf in their direction, shook joyfully, completely, and extremely messily, and fairly drenched both of them, although Zane did his best to throw his body between the dogs and Skylar.
The owner, a bloke with one of those throwing sticks for tennis balls, said, “Sorry. Dogs, eh.”
“No worries,” Zane said.
Skylar said, “All right, that was a fairly romantic move. Shielding me from Dog Spray.” She was laughing.
How could you not? “Also, I’m not sure I’m exactly made for romantic scenes.
When I see some couple running toward each other in slow motion across a field of flowers, I mostly think about stickers in your socks, and possibly hay fever. ”
“Let’s sit,” Zane said. “There’s a log in the shade over there, and you’ve probably had enough sun for one day anyway.” Skylar was, in fact, wearing a straw hat with a huge brim, because there wasn’t enough sunscreen in the world to shade a ginger from the Southern Hemisphere sun.
They sat, and he was silent a minute, looking out to sea. She said, “I’m getting nervous again. So you know.”
“Cut a man a bit of slack,” he said. “I’m working out how to begin.”
“Oh. OK. Should I look at my phone or something while you work it out?” Why did he always make her laugh?
“No, you shouldn’t. OK. Here we go. Scarlett said I’m meant to kneel down.
She seemed to think it was important, so I’m doing it.
I feel stupid, but I want it to be a good memory, so …
” He stood up, got on one knee before her, and took her hands.
“This seems to be the way. Although I was right. I feel stupid. But here we are, so … What d’you think about getting married? ”
“Zane. You’re kidding.”
“Not the answer I was looking for.”
“Come sit up here and talk about it,” she said. “I feel stupid with you down there.”
He did it, but said, “You might give a fella a hint. I’m nervous as hell.”
“You’re nervous? I’ve been nervous since we started walking! I thought, ‘He can’t want to break up with me. I can’t be reading this that badly, and he must know I’m crazy about him. But what on earth is going on?’ That was my thought process. So you know.”
“This,” he said. “This is what’s going on.
Although I clearly don’t know how to do it.
I guess I tell you that I love you—even though you should already know that, it seems to me, from how many times I’ve told you—and I want to marry you.
And be your kids’ stepfather and so forth, and have you be my kids’ stepmother, though that part isn’t generally included in the tender moment. Still—important.”
“Definitely.” Her heart was trying to float away with her. “Of course, some people would say we haven’t had enough time together. You’re meant to be together three years, so you know each other better. I can see that, but I—”
“Right, then,” he said. “If you want it to be three years, we’ll do three years. With us all in the same house, and with a plan. And an engagement. That’s what I want. Is it what you want?”
“Yes,” she said. “Of course it is. Zane. Yes. Although I don’t know if I can wait three years.”
“As Geoffrey’s mentioned,” he said, “nobody’s getting any younger here. Got to seize our moment while we can. Want to plan for a wedding next summer, then?”
“I would definitely like to plan for that.” She was laughing now, and holding his face in her hands to kiss him. “And the answer to your question is ‘yes.’ See why this position is better? I get to kiss you and hold your face.”
He let out a long breath, then held her tight and kept doing it.
Nobody cuddled like Zane. It was the size of him, and the strength.
And it was the best feeling in the world.
Like you weren’t alone anymore. Like you were loved.
“Good,” he said, his voice quiet, her head tucked under his chin.
“Good. Because I couldn’t go another day without asking. ”
She didn’t want to pull back. She did anyway. “How d’you think the kids will take it?”
“I only know about two of them. Scarlett and Finlay are pretty keen, though.”
“You told them?”
“They guessed. Well, Scarlett did. That’s how I know about the kneeling down and so forth.
Scarlett also said I had to have the ring, and I don’t, for the very good reason also suggested by Scarlett, that I don’t have good taste.
Well, other than wanting to marry you. I reckoned, buy the ring together.
But if you’d rather I chose it and surprised you, I’ll do that. ”
“Nope. I wouldn’t rather. That one, we need to do together.”
“But no telling me it’s too expensive. If you don’t like it, that’s one thing. But if you’re going to wear the thing for the next sixty years, I’d like to get it right.”
“Hmm. How do you feel about aquamarines?”
“Fine, I’m sure, if I knew what they were.”
“That other pendant we looked at in London, with the pale-blue stone. My second choice. So pretty, and more … more delicate than diamonds. It always looks like a flower, it’s unusual, and I love it.
Are you OK if the solitaire’s an aquamarine?
Fair warning, it’ll be quite a bit cheaper than a diamond. ”
“I’m OK if the solitaire comes out of a gumball machine. As long as it isn’t too cheap.”
“We’ll make sure there are some diamonds in the setting, then,” she said, “to soothe your fears.” They were both laughing now.
“And that’s the big question, is it,” he said, “as to how we spend our lives together? Aquamarines? You don’t want to talk about, say, possible future babies?”
“We have six children! Really? You’d want another?”
“I don’t see why not. Unless you see why not. Of course, you’ll probably have to pry Scarlett’s hands off him or her, because she’s bound to think she should be responsible, but …”
“Car seats,” she said. “Zane. That’s nine.”
“Kia makes a nine-seater people-mover. I know that, because I looked. Know why? Because Finlay brought it up already.”
“A nine-seater people-mover.” She had her hands over her face. “My blood runs cold. Will you still love me if I scrape a postbox? Or the side of a bus? Because I can see it now.”
He laughed out loud. “If we’re all going somewhere, I’ll drive, how’s that?”
“So much better. At least until I’m used to it. Oh, bloody hell. Nine seats.” She moaned. “But a house that’s all ours, too. I’d feel bad about saying that, but I’m fairly sure Granddad and Nan are itching for that second adolescence. You and me and the kids, and …”
“And fitting,” Zane said. “Belonging. Belonging to each other. Having each other. You make me a better man, and that’s what I want.
To be a better man. To raise my kids right.
Maybe to spend a year or two—all of us—playing in Japan or France or the U.K.
, then coming back here, once I retire for good, and taking over the vineyard.
That’s what Dad wants. He asked me on Christmas.
What d’you reckon? A bit of glamour, and then the opposite?
Raising our kids out here with the sea and the sun and the farm, so they can play rugby barefoot in the paddocks and go for a swim after school with their mates?
Building ourselves a new house that’s big enough for everyone, and having Mum and Dad in the house next door, ready to lend a hand?
Aunts and uncles and cuzzies and a bit of chaos?
Teaching in Napier, assuming you still want to?
Does that sound like anything you could want?
Because it’s the only thing I know, other than rugby.
I told you, I’m a simple fella. I like being outdoors.
I like hard work. I like being with my whanau.
And I like being with you. But I need to know if it works for you.
If it doesn’t, I’ll try to like something else. ”
“Zane.” She was laughing, and she was very close to crying, too.
“How can you not know that I’ll be thrilled when it’s you and me and the kids every day?
How can you think I want anything more glamorous than that?
France sounds pretty cool, and so does Japan.
For a year or two. For the experience. But you say you’re a simple bloke?
Well, I’m a simple woman, and a Kiwi through and through, just like you.
I like little kids. I like being home. I like swimming and reading and going out on the boat, and watching a movie at night with all the kids piled around us.
I like cooking dinner and sitting around outside with a fire burning and looking at the stars.
And I like doing all of those things with you.
With you and the kids, but with you most of all. ”
“So you reckon it’ll work to marry me,” he said.
“I reckon,” she said, “that I’d be the luckiest woman in the world.”
“Then I’m doing this. For real, because it had bloody well better be the last proposal either of us do, and I’m going to get it right.
” He got down on a knee in the sand again, and this time, she let him.
He took her hand in his, too, and said, “Skylar Middle-Name Fairburn. Wait. I’m meant to say your whole name, and I don’t know it. ”
“Louise,” she said, and now, she was definitely laughing and crying.
“Right. Skylar Louise Fairburn, then. Will you marry me and be my wife for every decade we get? Because I love you more than I can say, I need you more than I’ll ever want to admit, and I’m going to make you the best husband I possibly can. Just watch me.”
“Yes, then,” she said. “Yes. You, me, and our eleventy-seven children. Yours, mine, and ours, because you’d better believe it, boy, I’m in. I’m all in. Forever and ever. Is that good enough?”
“I reckon,” he said, “that that’ll do.”