Chapter 25

"Are you ever going to ask me to marry you?" Bonnie suddenly asked. It wasn't an accusatory or challenging tone, it was a quiet question, but one that had come with no preamble.

Brent turned toward her in the bed. His hand stroked her belly and breasts beneath the covers as she lay naked beside him. His initial surprise at the question had dissolved, and a smile formed on his lips.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Uhmmm ... I don't know ... maybe tonight, maybe next week ... sometime ... I guess."

Thwack! The flat of her hand had come down hard on his flank. "Youch!" he reacted.

"Wrong answer, mister!" she snarled, only partly feigning anger.

"Uhmmm ... is the right answer ... now?" he smiled.

"Yes. Give the man ten points if he can say the words," she teased.

"My dearest Bonnie, I love you with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He had tried to be serious and yet, somehow it sounded glib.

"No! Not until you do it properly," she demanded.

"OK, OK, just give me a minute," he said, slipping out of bed and padding naked to his armoire. Opening the door and extracting a small box, he returned to the bed and sat by Bonnie's side. He leaned over and kissed her, holding the side of her face with the palm of his hand.

"I truly do love you, Bonnie. I truly do want to marry you. I want you to wear this as a symbol that I mean it." He almost whispered his words to her as he opened the box and revealed the ring.

Bonnie looked at the ring and then back at Brent. The tears came easily and she raised her arms to embrace him, pulling him down and kissing him passionately.

Brent took the ring from its holder and took her right hand in his, slipping the ring on her third finger. Bonnie had yet to actually examine the ring. Her eyes were on her man, and the tears were blurring her sight. The long wait was over.

On Sunday morning, Andrea was the first to notice the ring.

"Yikes! Look at this Scott ... Tim!" she yelled from the kitchen table. She looked up at Bonnie and jumped up to hug her and then turned to her father. "Nice going, Dad," she said in genuine admiration as she hugged and kissed him as well.

Scott wandered into to the kitchen with Tim in tow to see what the fuss was all about. Andrea grabbed Bonnie's hand and displayed the ring to them.

"Hey ... does this mean ... I mean ... are you guys getting married?" Tim asked.

"Yes, that's what it means," his mother answered with a smile.

"Wow ... that's a really nice ring. It must have cost a bundle," Scott observed.

"Scott!" his sister warned.

"Oops ... sorry," he offered contritely.

"It's OK," Bonnie said with a smile.

"Have you decided on a date?" Andrea asked.

"No ... there's a couple of complications to work out yet," her father suggested.

Bonnie had a secret smile as she listened to his answer.

"What kind of complications?" Scott asked.

"Well, Bonnie has some ... plans for a career that she wants to ... explore," he stammered.

"What does that mean?" Andrea asked, now very curious.

Bonnie was now truly enjoying the awkward moment that had fallen on her husband-to-be.

"It means that I've told your father that I intend to apply for the next open sales position at Verano Custom Millwork. Since he's the Sales Manager, I expect to be offered an interview," she stated confidently.

"Oh man, that is so cool," Andrea enthused. "Go for it, Bonnie!" she yipped.

"Oh, I intend to, don't you worry," she said emphatically.

Brent just sat at the table, shaking his head with a chagrined look on his face.