Chapter 74
“No?” said Bobbi, still on her knees.
“No?” said McKenna, lowering her camera.
“No?” said Georgie and Barb, latching on to each other as if they needed one another’s support to keep standing. Nate might need that support here too in a second.
“No,” said Oliver. “I mean, yes, but perhaps . . . perhaps no?”
What? Nate and Oliver might have a repeat performance of the first time they met. Only Nate would be doing the headbutting this time. “What exactly are you saying, Oliver? Do you want to marry Bobbi or not?”
“I do want to marry Bobbi,” Oliver said, looking at Nate while both Georgie and Barb sighed with relief.
Great. Nate waved a palm toward Bobbi with a tight smile. Now might be the perfect time to tell the woman still on her knees, pal.
“I do want to marry you,” Oliver said, crouching in front of Bobbi. “I love you. So much.”
“Then why do you sound like you’re not so sure about marrying me?” she whispered back as a much livelier song started up in the background. Good question. Nate was sort of wondering the same thing.
“Because I’m not so sure you’ll want to marry me when I tell you . . . I agreed to go to Germany.”
Georgie and Barb both gasped.
“I know. I’m a fool. I should’ve talked to you first. I’m so—”
“I do,” Bobbi said, grabbing on to Oliver’s hands.
“You do what?” he said.
“Still want to marry you.”
“Ohhh,” Georgie and Barb both sighed with relief as Nate met McKenna’s gaze. Why wasn’t McKenna sighing or smiling?
“But . . . but what about the Nebraska Sandhills?” said Oliver. “Your job with the Nature Conservatory? You said there’d be nothing for you to do in Germany.”
“Which is why I’m staying and keeping my job with the Conservatory until you get back.”
Bobbi was staying in Nebraska? What did that mean for McKenna? And why wasn’t she sighing or smiling?
“It’ll be okay. I’ll visit you whenever I can,” Bobbi was saying as she and Oliver climbed to their feet.
“You’ll visit me whenever you can. We’ll talk every day, assuming I figure out the time zone difference,” she added with a shaky laugh.
“I know what I’ve always said before about long-distance relationships, but it’s only three years.
We can make it work, right? We’re young.
We don’t need to rush into anything. Besides, I can’t lose both McKenna and you. ”
“You’re not losing me, Bobbi,” McKenna said, still looking at Nate.
“Yet,” said Bobbi. “But I will once you and Nate get married.”
“Ooh,” sang out Georgie and Barb.
“We’re not even engaged,” said McKenna.
“Ohh,” said Georgie and Barb in a flattened tone of defeat.
“But the ring,” Bobbi said.
“Is for you.” McKenna held Nate’s gaze a moment longer, then turned toward her sister. “Momma J asked me to keep it safe until you were ready to wear it. It’s the ring Travis gave her. An heirloom from his side of the family.”
“My dad’s? Really? Oh my goodness, it’s gorgeous,” Bobbi whispered in reverence as Oliver slid it onto her finger. “So wait, does this mean we’re officially engaged? Are we getting married in three years?”
“Yes,” Oliver said without hesitation.
“Yes,” cheered Georgie and Barb.
“Yes,” Bobbi yelled, jumping into Oliver’s arms for a kiss.
“And hey,” she said, sliding out of his embrace and turning toward McKenna for a hug the next second.
“If you’re not engaged to Nate, does that mean we’ll still be together in Nebraska?
Oh, I hope so. I can’t imagine getting through these next three years without you by my side. ”
Neither could Nate. Her eyes met his.
Say no, McKenna. Please say no.
Her eyes pooled with apology as she clung to her sister and whispered the worst word Nate had ever heard in his life. “Yes.”