Page 93 of Wish You Faith

“It’s the day after Christmas!” Evan sat up.

“Does that mean you have to leave now before your carriage turns into a pumpkin?” Rosie laughed.

“No, I mean…” Evan slid off the sofa and plopped his knees on the rug between the sofa and the coffee table.

Before Rosie could say or do anything, he pulled out the diamond ring from his pocket. He lifted it toward Rosie.

Rosie gasped.

“Don’t say anything until I finish talking, okay?” Evan pleaded. He didn’t want Rosie to stop him again as she had done on Christmas Day.

“I love you so much,” Evan began.

“I love you too.” Rosie was holding back tears.

“I have prayed about this for days.”

“Good.”

“I will only marry one woman in my life, and it has to be you, Rosemarie Nicole Hamilton.” Evan’s hand shook and the ring shook with it. He used his other hand to prop up his shaking hand. “Would you be willing to take imperfect me as your one and only husband for the rest of my life?”

“Your life?”

“In case I die first.”

Tears fell from Rosie’s eyes. “Let’s live well. To God be the glory.”

“Well, will you marry me?” Evan was sure he hadn’t heard Rosie’s answer.

“Yes, I will marry you, Evan Ren Cavanaugh.”

Evan was so happy that he almost dropped the ring. He slid the diamond onto her ring finger.

Rosie pulled him off his knees and back onto the sofa, and hugged him.

“Thank you for not rejecting me,” Evan whispered in her ear.

“I was never going to. I missed you so much when you were out of town. I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you as well.”

Evan wrapped his arms around Rosie. His lips explored her face, gently kissing her forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin.

Then he claimed her lips.

Exclusively for a lifetime.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Founders Row had its own outdoor community pool overlooking the beach and ocean. As Rosie walked by it, she was surprised that the pool wasn’t covered, although it was in the afternoon. It was January after all, and winter was still cold on Tybee Island.

She squatted down to touch the water. It was warm. She wondered how much it cost to heat the pool that nobody was using. Not her problem, was it?

Thanks to the new deal with Evan, Rosie paid only one flat fee each month for Mom to rent his grandpa’s condo. No word had been spoken about extra fees such as pool use. The rest of the costs were covered in the Honor Scholarship that Mom had received from SSLR.

Rosie stood up and continued her leisurely walk to the tiki huts with their thatched palapa roofs and round bar height tables and chairs. There were three of them, all facing the ocean. The bar was closed in January, but it mattered not to Rosie since she didn’t drink.

With no one out here, all was quiet save for the pummeling ocean waves, occasional sea birds, and the rare airplane flying across the sky.

Rosie liked the serene view from the shade under the thatched roof. It wasn’t cold this afternoon, not when Rosie was wearing her new knee-length goose down coat that Mom had given her for Christmas. In fact, if she stayed out there long enough in the sun, she might have to remove her jacket.

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