Chapter 26
Taz
I was so nervous, I felt physically sick.
It had been three months since Quinn first met Grace and they’d become…
friends. They went shopping and to the movies together, out for lunch, and it seemed Grace was the first person she called when she had a problem at school or with friends.
I tried not to take that personally. In fact, I loved that they were getting along so well, but I still got the feeling Grace was shutting down every time I mentioned the future.
I couldn’t live in limbo any longer. I had to know if she was in this for life, which meant I had to ask her. And risk life-altering rejection.
We had been heading down a bumpy dirt road the past five minutes, with her shooting curious glances in my direction. I told her it was a surprise, and all would be revealed soon. Potentially, the biggest surprise of her life. And I prayed it would be a welcome one.
We finally turned into the winding drive, and she gasped at the sight of the dogwood trees flanking the drive. They seemed to go on for miles before the dilapidated shack came into view.
Her expression was amused when she said, “I’m pretty sure if you were a serial killer planning to do away with me, this is where you’d take me.”
I laughed, grateful she always knew just what to say to ease my tension. “Just get out of the car, gorgeous. I want to take you on a tour.”
It was the golden hour, right before sunset.
The same time I’d visited the property for the first time and had been bowled over by its beauty.
The Realtor told me the sellers compared the views to Tuscany, where they’d visited often.
Though I’d never been to Italy, if it was anything like this piece of paradise, I wanted to go.
I rounded the truck and took her hand, before closing the passenger’s door. She was wide-eyed as we passed the shack and she took in the view. “Oh wow, I didn’t even know we had views like this here.”
“I know, right?” When I’d been locked in a small cell, I’d dreamed about being free. Fresh air. Trees. Cloudless skies. Sunshine warming my face. But I could never have dreamed this big.
“What is this place?” she asked, turning in a slow circle.
It was over a hundred acres of rolling hills, orchards, with just the hint of houses in the far distance.
We were standing at the peak, on a hill, with the breathtaking landscape stretched out in front of us.
The sky was putting on a show with pale orange turning into shades of copper and violet, just like I’d hoped.
“Your dream,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her from behind. “I hope.”
She looked at me over her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”
“This land is for sale. And I want to buy it for you… for us.”
“Are you serious?”
I smiled, trying to ignore the pinch of fear. “Yeah, if you love it as much as I do.”
“Can you… I mean… is this even possible?”
It was outside of the city, which I loved, but it was still seven figures, so I understood her question.
But Luc insisted I start living like the country music superstar he assured me I was becoming.
My career had taken off in ways I couldn’t even have imagined when he signed me.
We’d released two singles off my debut album and both had been at the top of the country charts for weeks, which still blew my mind.
“Yeah, it is.” I kissed her neck. “But this land isn’t the only surprise, baby. Let’s take a look in the bed of the truck.”
I had a cover on it, keeping my surprise safe and secure.
She ran to the back of the truck, and I opened the tailgate and slid the cover back.
“Oh my God!” Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. “This is… how… what?”
I laughed, pulling her into my arms as I kissed the top of her head.
During a conversation with her mama, I learned Grace had a dollhouse growing up that she’d fallen in love with.
It was a big white farmhouse with black shutters and a wraparound porch, so I’d worked with a local artisan, who’d recreated a model of that house.
Exactly the way I thought she’d want our house to look.
The kind of home she once told her mama she’d want, if she ever met her Prince Charming.
“I don’t believe this, Taz.”
Tears were streaming down her face now, and I couldn’t brush them away fast enough. “Baby, don’t cry.” I was smiling, but seeing her cry always did me in, even when they were happy tears.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe you did this. My mama told you about—”
“She told me everything.” I kissed her forehead. “And I want to be the guy who makes all those dreams come true for you, if you’ll let me?”
She pointed at the model house. “You mean this is… it could be… for real?”
“Absolutely. It can be anything you want it to be.”
Her eyes were closed and she was swallowing repeatedly, curling her arms around my biceps as she tried to compose herself. “This is all too much.”
My heart battered my chest as I considered what was to come. Was she ready? Or would I be making a fool of myself if I dropped to one knee now?
“I could never do enough for you, not after all you’ve done for me.”
She’d changed my life. Made me believe in myself. Forgive myself for past sins. And I’d finally started seeing what she’d seen in me from the beginning, which allowed me to feel like a star when I took the stage, instead of an imposter.
“I never imagined this,” she said, sounding breathless. “Or you.”
I curled her hands in mine, bringing them to my lips before I summoned all the courage I could muster, and hit one knee.
She gasped as the tears continued to fall. “Taz…”
“Grace, one look at you and I was hooked. But I never imagined a girl like you could fall for a guy like me.” I bit the inside of my lip, trying to rein in my emotions, but she didn’t make it easy. “When I thought I’d have to live without you, life pretty much lost it’s meaning for me.”
She shook her head, squeezing my hand.
“That’s when I knew I couldn’t do this life thing without you.
Over the past few months, I’ve watched my daughter fall in love with you.
And thanks to you, we’re closer than I ever could have imagined.
And I want, more than anything, for us to be a family, baby.
You, me, Quinn, and more babies with your eyes and smile and huge heart… ”
“I love you,” she mouthed.
“And I love you, more than anything, so Grace Olivia Harlow, will you make every last one of my dreams come true, and agree to be my wife?”
I pulled a velvet box out of my pocket, popping it open. It was one-and-a-half carat emerald cut solitaire on a platinum band, one her sister assured me she would love when we went ring shopping together.
She covered her mouth with her free hand, nodding frantically, squealing, and bouncing in place all at once, as I laughed with relief as I slipped the ring on her finger and tossed the box in the bed of my truck.
I picked her up and spun her around before kissing her until we had to come up for air.
“Does Quinn know?” she whispered, admiring her ring.
“She made me promise we’d Facetime her as soon as you said yes.” I chuckled. “She was a lot more certain that I was.”
She touched my face. “Did you actually think I’d say no?”
“I didn’t know.” I kissed her hand. “I hoped. Prayed. But every time I’ve talked about the future lately, you shut me down.”
“I just didn’t want you to think I was pressuring you to move our relationship forward before you were ready. We haven’t been dating that long, and I wouldn’t have minded waiting, if that’s what you wanted.”
“Why the hell would I want to wait?” I growled in her ear. “I already need you in my bed every night, or I can’t sleep.”
She giggled. “But you sleep on the road, by spooning with pillows.”
“It’s not the same.” I squeezed her ass, winking. “Pillows are soft and squishy. You’re hot and—”
She cut me off with a kiss. “Come on, call your daughter. I’m dying to hear what she says about us being engaged!”
I smirked as I pulled the phone out of pocket and tapped the icon, pulling up Quinn in my recent contacts.
“Dad!” she squealed, answering right away. “Did she say yes? Please tell me she said yes!”
Dad. Hearing her call me that still got me every time.
I tipped the phone so she could see Grace, who was holding up her left hand, with a huge smile splitting her face. “I said yes! Are you happy?”
“Ohmigod, so happy! I was afraid he was going to screw this up! When he told me he didn’t know what he was going to say, that he was just going to speak from the heart…” She palmed her forehead. “I thought we were doomed.”
“Hey!” I gave her the stink-eye. “I happen to make a pretty good living with words, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, but you can take weeks to write a song and days to record it. You only get one chance to propose to the love of your life. And I didn’t want you to screw it up.”
Grace and I shared a smile, and I knew we were both thinking about how far we’d come. The person who’d once been trying to tear us apart had become our biggest cheerleader.
“Well, I didn’t screw it up, kid. Which means, we’re going to be a family, just as soon as I can talk this beautiful lady into saying ‘I do’.”
Grace laughed. “Uh, we’ll need to find a venue—”
“Why not right here? I can close on this land within the month. We could get married next month.”
“Hold up,” Quinn said, flashing her hand. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No!” Grace blushed. “Why would you ask that?”
“I just wanted to make sure,” Quinn said, grinning. “If y’all can talk Mama into letting me move in with you, I don’t want a screaming baby in the room next door, keeping me up all night. You can wait until I start college, then you can have all the babies you want.”
I rolled my eyes. “We don’t need your permission, Quinny.”
“I’m not saying you need my permission, but surely you can show a little restraint.”
“We’re hanging up now, kid. Love you.”
“Wait!” she squealed. “I didn’t even get to congratulate you two. And Grace, I love you. For being so good to him… and me.”
“Awww!” Grace swiped at her eyes. “Stop, you’re going to make me cry again. I love you too, sweetheart.”
I couldn’t imagine loving any two people more, yet I knew when Grace gave me those babies she kept promising me… my heart would somehow find a way to love even more.
Thank you for reading Clueless.