Chapter Twenty-Two

Faith stretched and looked at her watch on a Friday afternoon four weeks later. Almost five o’clock. She and Rick had a date night scheduled right after Book Keepers closed.

And Faith frowned, which was totally unlike her when Rick was the subject.

He’d been acting strange ever since her health scare, and she had no clue why.

She didn’t like it one bit. And if it continued, a very heavy conversation would happen very soon.

Fool me once…she thought, shaking her head.

***

Rick had indeed been very distracted lately. Faith had no way of knowing why because he’d done an excellent job of not giving anything away.

He hated keeping secrets. But the wait was almost over.

Tonight, he’d be able to finally confess to her, about everything.

He just hoped she’d understand.

***

A little after five p.m. Faith texted that she was on her way home. When she got there, Micah, Rick’s employee, smiled and waved from behind the register.

That’s odd. Rick didn’t say anything about Micah being on today…

“Micah, can you watch the store for a little bit? I’ve got something I need to do,” she heard Rick say, and she blinked at the nervousness in his tone.

What the hell is wrong with him? she thought as they walked to the lift together. The tension is coming off him in waves.

Then it hit her. The way he’d been acting for almost a month. The tone in his voice and the look on his face.

Oh, my God, he’s breaking up with me.

The thought buckled her knees and welled her eyes.

Not again.

No! her inner warrior urged. Do NOT fall apart in front of him. Don’t give him that satisfaction. Whatever he’s got to say, let him say it, then let’s get the hell out of here. But NO crying until after you leave. Promise me.

She pulled it together silently as the lift gate opened into their home.

“Would you like a drink?” he offered.

“Whiskey on the rocks,” she said in what she hoped like hell was a calm and even tone.

***

Rick’s eyebrows lifted.

Wow, okay, she almost never drinks whiskey straight.

But he obeyed, pouring her one over ice, and handed it to her.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, then abruptly turned and went into the bedroom.

***

She sank to the couch, grateful for a moment alone to try to figure out where the hell things between them had gone so wrong.

And she couldn’t.

Faith couldn’t think of a single thing that had happened between them that would result in her being emotionally gutted once again.

Well, she realized, it must have been something on his side that shifted and killed his feelings for me. Maybe he decided he really does want children of his own, and he just hasn't had the heart to tell me yet?

Realizing that the best thing that had ever happened to her might come to an end through no fault of her own was like a stake through her heart.

She began to shake, but when she heard the bedroom door open again Faith tried her best to quickly calm herself before he noticed.

“Faith, we need to talk,” he said, walking over to her.

“Yeah, we do,” she said, focusing on the fireplace and fighting to keep her voice and emotions level.

“If your feelings for me have changed, if you don’t want to be together anymore, I would really appreciate it if you would just say so directly.”

Her voice broke a little, and she swallowed hard.

“Please.”

Rick turned white with shock.

He kneeled in front of her, took her hand, and said, “Look at me. Faith, please. Look at me.”

She raised her eyes, and it crushed him to see the tears building in them.

“Faith Thomas, you are such a dork. I’m not breaking up with you. I’m asking you,” he paused, pulling the ring out of his pocket, “to marry me.”

“What?”

“You’re my adorable dork, and I’m in love with you, and I don’t wanna break up. Marry me,” he paraphrased. “Please.”

She blinked slowly, sending tears down her cheeks. She was completely stunned.

Then it registered.

Not breaking up. Getting closer together.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I’m in love with you too, and I don’t wanna break up either, and yes, I will marry you,” she said loudly, and kissed him as he slipped the ring on her finger.

He pulled back, grinning at her, then yelled out, “She said ‘YES’!!”.

The bedroom door flew open, and out poured Bella, Nathan, Jandy, Tony, and Sarah.

“OMG YAY!!!” Sarah yelled, running over with the rest right behind her to give them both big hugs.

Faith was dumbstruck.

“What the hell?” she asked Rick.

“This is why I may have been acting kind of weird lately. I wanted to ask you, and I wanted your family to be around for it. So, I kind of snuck through your phone and got their numbers, and I called and set this up.”

He smiled sheepishly.

“I know it wasn’t right, going through your phone without your permission, but I really wanted this to be a complete surprise.”

“You know what? You’re totally forgiven. I’m just happy I deleted those raunchy texts from Felipe, my cabana boy,” she teased. “Because otherwise that would have been awkward.”

“Make that my adorable smartass dork,” he quipped, and kissed her as she chuckled.

***

Faith’s family said their good-byes and left around eight p.m., and the newly engaged couple had the place all to themselves.

They opted to start the private celebration in the bedroom and end it in the shower. Then they relaxed in the steamy jetted tub and sipped the champagne that he’d bought just in case she said yes.

“I so love you,” she murmured, letting the jets pummel her back and shoulders. “You’re sneaky as hell though.”

"I am truly sorry if my behavior lately made you question us at all. I just wanted to make it a really good surprise. But I can see how my being preoccupied might have made you think something was wrong.”

He took her in his arms.

“And it killed me to see tears in your eyes like that and know that it was doubts about me that put them there.”

Then he kissed her, long, deep, and slow.

“No more secrets. Ever. I promise.”