Page 77 of Refuge for Cherilyn

Shaw chuckled. “I like it!”

Ten minutes later, Cherilyn was picking through the cheese on the tray. “Oh, god, this is so good. And this tea!”

“Yeah. Lemon and lavender tea. When I saw it, I knew we had to have some.”

“What’s this for?” she asked, pointing to a large wine chiller filled with ice, a bottle of something nestled in its center.

“I suppose that’s up to you.” He loved the confused look in her eyes. “These strawberries are to die for.”

She reached for one and took a bite. “Oh, god, so good.”

“Yeah, and the presentation is gorgeous. Isn’t it beautiful with the little sparkler-kinda thing in the middle?”

“Yeah. What is that?” She pushed some of the strawberries away and looked at the object in the center. “Looks like they wrapped something round in silver film, then tied it with those ribbons and let the top edge of the film stick up like a fountain or something. It’s really very pretty.”

“What did they use? Can you tell?” he asked as she reached for the object.

“Feels like some kind of little box. Let’s see…” She picked at the ribbons around the silver acetate and when the knots were finally loose, she undid them. “Huh. Yeah. It’s a little box.”

“A little box?”

“Yeah. It has hinges. Does it open like…” The top flipped open and she stopped.

“What is it?” She didn’t answer. “Cherilyn, is there something in it?”

The eyes that met his were filled with tears as she turned the box toward him, but she said nothing. Shaw gave her a no-nonsense stare. “Careful. What you say next will make the difference in whether I open that bottle of champagne or throw it off the balcony. What’ll it be?”

She set the box on the table, then fanned herself with her right hand as she held out her left. “Please put it on me,” she requested in a hoarse whisper.

Shaw took the gleaming diamond ring from the little box and held it out. “Will you accept this and everything it stands for?”

She was smiling through her tears when she whispered, “Yes.”

Taking her hand gently, he slid the ring on and looked at it. It was beautiful with her slender fingers. He’d done a good job when he picked it out. “Cheri, I didn’t think I’d ever do this again, but I swear, girl, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You, Maya, Lara?you’ve made my life complete. And thank you for being so welcoming to Candace. I know she can be a handful sometimes, but?”

“I’d love her anyway, but I love her more because she’s yours.” Cherilyn’s right hand stroked down his cheek and she smiled. “I want us all to spend the rest of our lives together as a family, or at least until they’re grown and gone.”

“That’s what I want too. Marry me. I won’t take no for an answer.”

She giggled. “You won’t have to. Because I will.”

* * *

“So you guys had fun?”Maisey asked as everyone chattered. He’d invited Maisey, Aaron, and Murielle, Ross, Carly, and Belle, plus his parents, who brought all three girls, and both of his brothers and their wives and kids to the restaurant in Corbin. They’d come straight from Knoxville to meet everyone for dinner.

Cherilyn beamed. “Oh, yeah. It was great. We went to a nice steakhouse, and to an art gallery, and stayed in this amazing hotel.”

Aaron piped up. “The Tennessean? It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it really was.” Shaw took a swallow of beer and set the bottle back down. “Thanks for telling me about it. The trip would’ve been fine if we’d never left the hotel.”

Third laughed loudly. “The trip probably would’ve been more fun if you’d never left the hotel!”

“You don’t have to be dirty about it,” Leslie told her oldest son as she reached behind his two kids and slapped him on the back of the head.

“Owww! Geez, Mom, we never grow up as far as you’re concerned, do we? Maisey, I’d like to report child abuse because my mother keeps slapping me upside the head.”

“Watch it. I’ll tell her to slap you again,” Jimmy said with a laugh.

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