Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Garner
Waking up on Christmas morning with the love of my life in my arms was the best feeling in the world.
We spent the whole morning in bed, got up and had a late breakfast, shopped for gifts for each other online, and visited her parents for Christmas dinner.
To say they were happy to see me was an understatement, and I promised them to take care of her for the rest of my life. Her father said as long as I promised to marry her, I had his blessing.
Of course, I planned on marrying her.
I even had a ring. My grandmother’s special diamond my grandfather gave her. She wanted me to give it to my wife one day, and Maggie deserved it. She was the one for me. Besides, there wasn’t any other woman I’d rather give it to.
Maggie had my heart, like always.
We easily settled into a life together. Maggie invited me to move in with her right away and I checked on my parents’ cabin here and there.
But I worried about making money. Maggie said she didn’t care as her books made her a very comfortable living, but I didn’t like not contributing.
While I helped around the house, took over most of the chores, especially while Maggie was on a deadline, I needed to help monetarily.
I wanted to support my wife and show her parents I’d always take care of her.
One night over dinner, Maggie asked me how I felt about being her assistant. At first, I balked at the idea. But when she told me how much it would help her, I couldn’t say no.
In the meantime, I worked on starting an online business building websites. I’d always loved computers and even took a few online classes while bored and unemployed between acting gigs.
Maggie promoted my business, and it took off overnight, blowing up with clients. Not only did I bring in money for our household, but I also helped Maggie out and soon we fell into an easy routine.
Now I just needed to find the right time to ask her the most important question- if she’d marry me.
I carried around my grandmother’s ring for weeks, searching for the right time to ask Maggie, wanting, no needing, it to be perfect.
While I was confident Maggie would say yes, I could never be too confident.
And she deserved only the best. I planned to make it a day neither one of us would ever forget.
A week after Valentine’s Day, Maggie scored a book tour for her upcoming release. It was the first one she’d ever gotten and she couldn’t stop smiling.
“It’ll be a month of traveling, but I want you there, by my side, Garner.” Her green eyes looked up at me, her adorable face glowing with excitement.
“You know I will be, love. I can work on the road.” I hugged her close and kissed her sexy month. We could barely keep our hands off each other. It was a surprise we got any work done.
“Great thing about online businesses. You can work anywhere in the world.” Maggie agreed.
“I’m so proud of you, Mags. You deserve this book tour so much.”
“Thank you.”
And it was then I realized.
I’d ask Maggie to marry me on her book tour.
Maggie’s book tour spanned from several major cities in the United States to Europe and Australia, ending with a small gathering at our local library here in Appleridge.
The city I chose to propose in was London, England, the one place Maggie said she was looking most forward to seeing.
We set aside one day in every city for sightseeing, and after visiting The Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and The Tower of London, I took her to the Sky Garden where we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant and climbed to the top to see the city’s highest garden.
With the sun setting in the background of the large open windows, I got down on one knee.
“Maggie, my sweet girl, I have liked you since I saw you twirling your hair in gym class in the eighth grade. I crushed on you until I got up the courage to ask you out our sophomore year. And I loved you since you put me out of my misery and said yes. Will you do me the honor of making me complete and becoming my partner for life, my wife, my forever love?”
Tears slipped down her cheeks as my own eyes filled.
Maggie was already nodding her head, her hands clasped in front of her mouth, as she jumped up and down. “Yes, yes, yes!”
I stood up and slid my grandmother’s precious gorgeous ring on her finger and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her into the air and spinning around in circles. “I love you so much, Mags. So fucking much.”
“I love you too, Garner. I’m so happy you came back to me.”
We kissed and kissed as the few groups of people around us cheered and clapped.
Maggie blushed as I kissed away her tears. I didn’t care. I shouted from my lungs, loud and clear, a big “Woo-hoo!” and spun Maggie around again.
I took her by the hand, and we walked to the window, watching the sunset as we kissed and Maggie admired the ring.
“This is your grandmother’s, isn’t it?” Maggie whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks once more.
“Yes. You’re the only woman I would ever want to have it. The only woman who deserves it. I love you, Mags.”
“I love you so much too, Garner. My dream come true.”
Later that night, I worshipped her body in our hotel room, showing her just how much I loved her, like I always did.
And as we watched the sunrise in each other’s arms, we promised each other to always love and take care of the other, no matter what happened.
Illness, hardships, or bumps in the road, no matter what happened, we were each other’s partners.
Forever and ever.