Chapter Three #3
that with his girlfriend. She wasn’t sure Shawna would be comfortable overnighting in the house with the kids.
“Have your parents met Harris?” she asked instead.
Shawna beamed. “They have and they adore him. He’s such a good guy. We’re talking about taking a trip together. My folks and
me and Harris. Somewhere close, you know, just for a few days.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Oh, it will be.”
Ryleigh tried to picture her former brother-in-law with Shawna’s parents on a weekend getaway and couldn’t get the image to
form. But maybe he would surprise them all and have a great time.
Shawna glanced toward the doorway and smiled. “Oh, look. You have company. I’ll get out of your way. Have a good night.”
Before Ryleigh could figure out what she was talking about, Dustin walked into her classroom. He wore a suit, but the tie
was gone and the first couple of buttons of his shirt were undone. She stared at him in surprise.
“I thought you were at your conference,” she said, both happy to see him and also a little concerned about acting normal.
She didn’t want him to know how she’d been so sad for the past few days.
“I got away early and drove back to see you.” He smiled at her as he pulled her close. “I’ve missed you.”
She moved into his embrace. The familiar feel of him eased some of her disquiet.
“I missed you, too,” she whispered. “A lot.”
He shifted so he could cup her face in his hands, then kissed her. “I’m sorry I was gone and that we couldn’t talk.”
“Hey, it was work. You had to go.” She smiled. “It’s not like you ran off to Hawaii with someone else.”
He didn’t smile at her joke. “I wouldn’t do that, Ryleigh. I hope you know that.”
“Of course. I was teasing.”
He dropped his hands and took a step back. After turning away for a second, he faced her. “I blew it and we should talk about
it.”
Her almost-happy mood evaporated as cold panic took its place.
“What are you talking about?” Blew it? How?
He shoved his hands into suit pants pockets, then pulled them out again. He looked at her, then at the floor.
“Our weekend away. I messed up and I’m sorry.” He met her gaze. “We had a great time. Everything was going the way I expected
and you were amazing, as always. When we were walking on the beach at sunset I should have . . .” He swallowed. “It was the
right moment to propose, but for some reason I got scared and nervous and I rushed us back to the room.”
She stared at him, not sure what to say.
He gave her a half proud, half chagrined smile. “I even had the ring with me and everything. Like I said, I messed up and
I regret that more than you could know.”
“You were going to propose,” she whispered more to herself than to him. He’d been planning to do it? She hadn’t been wrong?
“Why would you be nervous? It’s us, Dustin. You and me.”
“I know, but suddenly it seemed like a big deal.” He moved close again and lightly touched her cheek. “You’re so beautiful
and I know I’m the luckiest guy to have found you. I love you and I want to spend my life making you happy.”
He stunned her by pulling a ring out of his front pocket. A perfect diamond solitaire.
“I know this isn’t the beach at sunset, but my heart is still yours if you want it. Ryleigh Weaver, will you marry me?”
She looked from him to the ring and back, trying to take it all in. Emotions swirled through her, but she was having a hard
time defining them. She was surprised and thrilled and oh so ready to have the next phase of her life start with Dustin by
her side. They were great together. Steady and predictable. It wasn’t the fire her sister talked about but then she’d never
been a fiery kind of person.
Dustin blinked a couple of times. “Ryleigh? Did you want to answer?”
“What? Oh, sorry. I was just—” She waved away the words and smiled at him. “Dustin, of course I’ll . . .” Her throat went
dry as a single word bubbled up inside. “No.”
“What?”
“What?”
They spoke at the same time then stared at each other.
She had no idea what he was thinking but she was absolutely stunned. No? She’d said no? But she wanted to marry Dustin. She’d been moping around all week because he hadn’t coughed up a proposal and now she’d said no.
“Are you pissed?” he asked at last. “About me getting scared?”
“No. Of course not. I get it. I can’t believe I said that. I didn’t mean it. I do want to—” Her throat got tight again and
she realized if she kept talking she was going to say it again.
What was happening to her? Or maybe the bigger question was why was this happening to her? Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears as she realized after all this time, she maybe, possibly
didn’t want to marry Dustin after all.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I thought it was forever, but it’s not and I don’t know why.”
Dustin went very still. His face turned white and his mouth thinned.
After a few seconds he shoved the ring back in his pocket, turned and walked away without saying anything.
She watched him go, thinking she should probably run after him, but honestly what was there to say?
He’d offered her everything she’d ever wanted and she’d turned him down.
Worse, she had no idea why and until she could answer that question, running after anyone seemed like a really bad idea.