Seeking Me To Find You (Finding You Series Book 1) (30 page)

Trying to contain my composure, I take a couple of deep breaths.

“Grace, you have captured my heart. I believe you actually captured my dog’s heart first.”

She gives a sweet laugh, while wiping falling tears away.

Taking both of her delicate hands, I plead, “Please allow me to love you forever. Grace Elizabeth Weatherly, will you marry me?”

Drying her eyes, she gives me an astringent look. “Are you just doing this because you’re afraid that if we ever broke up again, that Thor would never want to come back to you?”

“Kind of,” I say playfully.

“At least I can say you’re honest.”

“You’re killing me, Grace.”

Dropping to her knees, Grace passionately kisses me. She pulls back, “Yes, it would be a privilege and an honor to be your wife.”

We sit together watching the sun casting a beautiful glow of copper tones as it descends into the ocean. I catch Grace staring at her ring.

“Do you not like it?” I ask.

Grace punches me in the shoulder. “I absolutely love it. When did you buy this?”

“Actually, I didn’t buy it,” I admit.

“You stole it?” she says with a mischievous grin.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. No. It’s actually my grandmother’s. My grandparents dated all throughout school. When my grandfather joined the Navy during World War II, he promised my grandmother that he would return and marry her. He saved all of his money in order to buy this ring that she had noticed in the jewelry shop window before he left. He said that one of the things that he kept thinking was that if he could survive the war, he could survive facing her father.

“When I was visiting with my mom, we had a little heart to heart. Before I left, she said that she had been meaning to give it to me to use when I found the love of my life. I think that she realized before I did that it was you.”

Sitting up straight, she screams, “Holy crap! My dads!”

Grace’s look and tone makes me laugh.

“The day we went to court, I took them out to lunch afterwards. I explained to them that I was madly in love with you and that I was going to do everything in my power to win your heart back. Both dads were in agreement that they would give me their blessing if I would promise to always put you above all else. And today, I can promise that you and our children will be my first priority. I will love you unconditionally. I’m not saying I won’t screw up now and then, but always know that I love you more than life itself.”

Ben

“I
’m not walking
up the aisle with a dude.”

“Come on Ben, Nate is her best man and you’re mine,” Jackson tries to explain.

Tonight is the anti-climatic rehearsal dinner, or so I thought. Miss Priss Pot wedding planner said that once Jackson and Grace make their way out of the church, I’m supposed to walk up the aisle with Grace’s pansy ass best man, Nate. Who gives a shit that he is a big rock star. Not me! And who agrees to be a woman’s best man? A pansy ass, that’s who.

“Jackson, I will walk in front of him or behind him, not beside him.”

“Please Ben,” Jackson begs.

I turn my back to walk away when Miss Bridezilla taps me on the shoulder.

“Ben, you
will
walk your ass up the aisle with Nate or I’ll make you walk with the ring bearer and flower girl,” she snaps.

“Who are they?” I ask.

“The ring bearer is Thor and the flower girl is my cousin’s little girl sitting over there.”

I can deal with Thor but the flower girl? She’s picking her nose and eating the treasures she has found. “How’s she going to walk, she’s not even a year old?”

“I was going to have Rory carry Lilly and I was going to have Thor follow you and Nate down the aisle,” Grace says smugly. “But now, how about I decorate a wagon and you can pull Thor and Lilly down then back up the aisle?”

“That’s insanely ridiculous,” I snap back.

“Let me tell you something Benjamin, you will walk up the aisle with Nate or I’ll just mace your ass. How ‘bout them apples?”

Standing before me is this five foot two evil trapped in an angel’s body ready and willing to mace my ass.

“And I know what you’re thinking. I
will
mace your ass then make you walk down the aisle with Nate because you will not be able to see. So make your decision now because I’ll have to get it out of my luggage. Who knew I might need it at my wedding.”

“I would just do as she says because she
will
follow through with her threat.” I look over my shoulder in time to see her smokin’ hot bridesmaid with a nice ass, Rory, sauntering by.

Damn!

I gained the title of author when I was in middle school where I won an award for my book, “Nantahala, Here We Come.” Due to life getting in the way, I put my passion for writing on the back burner. About nine months ago, a dear friend shared a secret that inspired me to start writing again.

Currently I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with my wonderful husband of eighteen years and my two active teenagers. Completing our family are two dogs, Scout and Ryder, and a leopard gecko named Godzilla. They keep my life interesting but I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

Please take the time to leave a review of this book. I would also like to hear from you. You may contact me at
[email protected]
,
@AnnaMychals
on Twitter, or
www.facebook.com/anna.mychals
.