Chapter 38
Sweat was dripping down my face, making me question my decision to renovate my house in the middle of a Tennessee summer. It was humid, and while the air conditioner in my house worked, I’d been hauling pieces of wood, drywall, and tile out to the large dumpster that had been delivered to my house a few days ago. Brooks graduated from vet school a few weeks ago and had officially moved back home. He would be living with me until he could find a place. Mom and Dad offered to let him move back in with them, but I didn’t blame him for not wanting to move back home as a grown man. I would have done the same thing when he approached me asking for a place to crash for a few weeks.
I was also happy to take advantage of the opportunity to rope him into helping me with renovations. Brock was also off work today, and Dad had come out as well. I was thankful they were here to help. It made the demo process go a lot quicker. I hadn”t been planning on doing anything major, but the wall between the dining room and the kitchen needed to come down, and the tile was due for an upgrade.
Once we cleared everything out, we started painting and prepping the floors for the new wood tile I wanted to lay down. Over the last few weeks, I had nonchalantly asked Karis for her opinion on paint colors and tile samples, trying to pick the ones she would like the most. If I had my way, she would be my wife and move in soon. I just needed to ask Pastor Walter for his permission, and finish this renovation. When I ask Karis to be my wife, I want everything to be perfect.
There was a time when I never thought I”d be in this place again. I never dreamed I would find a woman I was as crazy about as I was about Karis. She was nothing like Olivia, and I knew God allowed that engagement to fall through because Olivia wasn’t the right person for me. I was more thankful than ever that she up and left me that day.
I tossed the large piece of drywall I”d been carrying into the dumpster and headed back inside to check on my dad and brothers.
”This is going to look great,” Dad said as he stood in the middle of the kitchen.
”Yeah, it really opens up the space, making it feel bigger,” Brock added.
”Does anything else need to be removed?” I asked, walking up to Brooks, who had his hands stuffed into his pockets.
”I think that”s all the big pieces. We just need to sweep everything up, and we can start patching that part of the wall and then painting it,” Dad replied.
Before I could reach it, Brooks grabbed the big push broom and started sweeping. ”I got it.”
I nodded my head and walked over to the section of the wall that needed to be repaired. Thankfully, the only part that needed fixing was where the wall we just took down was connected. It just needed a thin strip of drywall nailed in, and then we could use the tape and putty to cover the seams. I got to work on that as Dad and Brock started taping off the baseboard for paint.
The next few hours flew by in a blur. As the sun began to set, we’d just finished painting. I stood in the middle of the room, stretching out my back, taking in all the progress we had made today. I couldn”t help the excited feeling that erupted in my chest at the thought of showing Karis the progress. I wanted her to love this house as much as I did. I wanted her to be able to see us raising a family and growing old together.
”It”s coming along,” Dad said, his hands firmly on his hips.
”Thanks for your help today. I appreciate you guys spending the whole day here helping out. That would have taken me three times as long without you,” I said, looking my dad and brothers in the eye.
”No problem,” Brooks replied.
”I couldn”t think of a better way to spend my day off,” Brock said in a mocking tone. I knew he was joking, as always, but a part of me felt guilty for asking him to help on his day off. He had been working really hard for the chief position at the fire station, and I was sure he could have used an actual day off.
Brooks and I stood in the driveway, watching Dad and Brock head out.
”Want to order a pizza?” I asked before turning to look at Brooks.
“Sure,” Brooks shrugged. ”I”m going to go shower first.”
I laughed and followed him inside. When I picked up my phone from the kitchen counter to order the pizza, I noticed a text message from Karis.
Hope you had a productive day working on your house. I missed you today.
I hadn”t made my usual stop at Whisk Me Away today because we started on the house early this morning, wanting to make the most of the time we had. The thought that I had only missed one day seeing her, and she missed me as much as I missed her, brought a smile to my face. I typed out a response.
We made a lot of progress. I missed you, too. How did your day go?
I set my phone down to grab water from the fridge while I waited for her to respond.
Super busy, but it was a good day. My realtor got back to me, and I have a few houses to look at next week. I have loved staying with Dad, especially after Mom, but he insists he is okay and that I should get my own place.
A bolt of panic coursed through my body. I didn”t want her to get her own place. I wanted this house to be her place, but we obviously couldn”t do that until we got married. I didn”t know how to tell her not to buy her own house without either coming off like a complete jerk or making her suspicious.
I paced the length of the kitchen, trying to figure out how to respond. If only I had talked to her dad sooner, he wouldn”t have encouraged her to buy a house of her own. I needed to speed up my timeline of asking Pastor Walter so he could help me convince Karis to stay at home for a few more months.
Wow. That”s good. Would you like me to come with you?
I was hoping she would say yes so I could convince her that none of the options were good enough. Maybe if I could do that, it would give me a little more time.
I”d love that!
Relief settled in my chest as I read that last text. This was all going to work out.
Tell me when and where. I”ll be there.
I pulled up the number and called in our pizza order before I headed off to the shower. My mind was made up; tomorrow, I was going to talk with Pastor Walter.
As I strolled towards the church where Pastor Walter”s office was tucked away, I couldn”t shake the jittery feeling swirling in my stomach. Every step I took was heavier than the last, laden with the weight of the conversation I was about to have. But amidst the nerves, there was this undeniable excitement, a hopeful buzz pulsing through me, fueled by my love for Karis and the future I could see with her.
Pushing open the door to the church, the familiar scent of old wooden pews and polished floors greeted me. It was a comfort in the midst of my nervousness, a reminder that this place held countless memories, both joyous and somber. Today, though, I was here for something entirely personal, something that would shape the rest of my life.
Making my way down the familiar hallways, I finally arrived at Pastor Walter”s office door. With a deep breath, I rapped my knuckles against the wood, the sound echoing in the corridor like a drum.
When the door swung open, revealing Pastor Walter”s kind smile and friendly eyes, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Here was a guy who”d seen it all, a trusted confidant and father figure not just to Karis but to many in our community. Summoning my courage, I stepped inside, ready to spill my guts and ask for his blessing on the biggest question of my life.
”Good afternoon, Sheriff. What can I do for you?” Pastor Walter seemed to be doing better as each week went by. I couldn”t imagine losing the one you love most in this life, but you could tell he was clinging to God to get him through this time.
”Hey, Pastor Walter,” I began, my words came out in a rush. ”I hope I”m not catching you at a bad time.”
He chuckled and motioned for me to take a seat. ”Not at all, Brant. What”s on your mind?”
I pulled in a deep breath to steady myself, and pushed ahead. ”Well, sir, you know how much I care about Karis. I mean, she”s everything to me. And I”ve been thinking a lot lately about where we”re headed, about our future together.”
Pastor Walter nodded, his expression gentle and encouraging. ”I can see the love you two share, Brant. It”s a beautiful thing.”
”Yeah, well, that”s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” I continued, my nerves kicked into overdrive. ”I wanted to ask Karis to marry me. But before I do, I wanted to come to you to get your blessing.”
There was a moment of silence as Pastor Walter studied me, his gaze thoughtful. Then, with a smile, he reached across the desk and clasped my hand in his. ”Brant, I couldn”t be happier to give you my blessing. You”re a good man, and I know you”ll take care of my daughter. Just promise me one thing.”
”Anything,” I replied, a sense of relief flooded through me.
”Promise me you”ll love her with everything you”ve got, cherish her, and support her through thick and thin. And most of all, that you”ll always keep God at the center of your marriage. That”s all I ask.”
”I promise,” I said. I felt the weight of those words settle around me like a mantle. ”I”ll love her until the day I die.”
With Pastor Walter”s blessing, I knew I was ready to take the next step: ask Karis to be my wife and embark on this journey together. Pastor Walter pulled me in for a hug before I made my way back to my truck. I had one more stop to make before I was ready to begin planning my proposal.
After leaving Pastor Walter”s office, my heart swelled with gratitude for his blessing. Determined, I headed straight to my parents” house, eager to share the news with them. As I walked up the familiar path to their front door, I couldn”t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside me.
When I stepped into the cozy warmth of our family home, the smell of my mom”s famous apple pie greeted me, instantly soothing my nerves. My parents sat in the living room, chatting and sipping cups of tea. As soon as they saw me, their faces lit up.
”Hey, Mom, Dad,” I greeted them, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fact that my stomach was in knots.
My mom”s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at me. ”What”s got you all worked up, Brant? You look like you”ve got something on your mind.”
I couldn”t contain my grin any longer. ”I do, actually. I wanted to tell you both that I plan to ask Karis to marry me.”
My mom”s eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she rushed off to the other room. I exchanged a puzzled look with my dad before she returned, clutching something small in her hand.
”Brant,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion, ”your grandmother would have wanted you to have this.”
She opened her palm with trembling hands, revealing a delicate ring nestled within. It was my grandmother”s ring, a family heirloom that had been passed down through generations. My mom had always treasured it, and now she offered it to me, a symbol of love and legacy.
”I want you to use this to propose to Karis if you”d like,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. ”Your grandmother would have been so proud to see you carry on our family”s tradition of love and commitment.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I reached out to take the ring, feeling the weight of its history in my palm. At that moment, I knew that this proposal would be more than just a declaration of love—it would be a testament to the generations of love that had come before us and the ones that would follow.