Nothing Like the First Time (15 page)

“Would you like to come outside and sit for a while? I thought we could watch the stars for a while, I have a telescope all set up.”

“Sure.”

We walked outside and I saw he had a blanket on the ground, a telescope, and a little picnic basket. After our sumptuous meal, I wasn’t sure what he could have in the basket.

We sat on the blanket and Grey pulled another blanket around us. We looked through the telescope at the stars and I was taken back to the first time Grey and I had done this as teenagers. Back then, he could name most of the constellations. I had later found out he had learned them all in a bid to impress me
, but what had impressed me most was that he would go out of his way to learn all that for me.

Grey told me to keep looking at the stars because he had to go indoors and put some more wood on the fire.
I kept my eye to the telescope and was only aware of Grey’s returned presence because I heard the crunch of the gravel path beneath his feet. A shadow crossed the telescope and I looked up to see what the cause was. I saw Grey’s smile light up even in the dimness of the night. He got down on one knee and put his hand into the picnic basket. He pulled out a familiar small box. I gasped in shock, I hadn’t foreseen this at all. I had managed to all but play it off as a figment of my imagination. But here it was, the very same purple box I had seen in the hospital. I looked up at Grey and saw the smile playing on his lips. He opened the box and held it towards me.

“Carly Summers, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“I… I… Yes, of course!” I stumbled over my response.

He took the beautiful antique ring from where it lay nestled in the box, then took my left hand in his right hand and placed it on my ring finger.

I looked down at my hand and instantly burst into tears. They were happy tears, of course.

“Carls, are you okay?”

“Yes, of course. I’m just so happy,” I said as I crouched down and threw my arms around his neck. I leaned towards him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He got up , took me in his arms, and kissed me. He held me tightly and I could feel his heart was racing.

Grey led me indoors where the fireplace was burning brightly. We sat on the sofa and I snuggled into him. I couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to be Greyston Sterling’s fiancée. Mrs
. Carly Sterling certainly had a ring to it.

Chapter Twelve

My first morning waking up as Grey’s fiancée was in a beautifully decorated bedroom and a very comfortable bed. I had a smile from ear to ear as I looked over at my fiancé, who lay wide awake next to me.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Just a few minutes.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I was admiring my fiancée in her sleep.”

“Oh.” I blushed.

“You looked so peaceful and so very beautiful. I just wanted to take a minute to lie here and really admire how beautiful you are. You looked incredible last night, as you do every time you dress up. But you also look amazing without makeup, first thing in the morning with bed hair.”

I put my fingers through my hair and Grey laughed.

“I didn’t mean now, I just meant, well… you know…”

I laughed and playfully smacked his arm.

“How about a morning shower?” he asked.

“Together?”

“Yes, together.”

“How long do we have use of this place?”

“Forever.”

“How?” I asked, shocked.

“Well, I bought this place when I first came home and told you I would stick around for as long as it took you to come back to me. I did it up while you worked at Jim’s.”

“It’s beautiful and you have a very good eye for interior decorating. I thought you were living with Katrina?”

“I have been. I didn’t want to live here without you and I thought that you would rather see it finished. I didn’t get the place finished until last week—what with the accident and everything, I just didn’t have the time.”

“What do you mean about not living here without me?”

“Well, I had hoped that we could settle down here. I know you always had a thing for quaint little cottages and inglenook fireplaces. Why? Would you rather not live here?”

“No, I didn’t mean that, it’s just…well… I already have a house.”

“Your place is gorgeous, but wouldn’t you rather have somewhere that was ours from the beginning? Not just yours or just mine, ours.”

“I would, it’s just a shock. I mean, you only proposed last night and the shock of that hasn’t worn off yet.”

“Well, I’d like us to live together, too. Will you move in with me?”

“I can’t really say no
, can I?” I laughed and looked at my gorgeous fiancé as he flashed that dazzling smile at me.

“
I can wait a little longer for us to move in so that you can get things sorted with your place,” he said. As he looked at me, he caught me staring at my engagement ring.

“I can sell up. We can move in together now. I can just move all my things in and sell what we don’t need
.” My words tumbled over each other in my excitement.

I was engaged to the love of my life, moving in with him
, and hopefully, not too far in the future, there’d be the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Oh, what those children would look like if they took after their father. There’s no way I could be any happier than at this moment in time. But somehow, I knew Grey would keep trying to make me so happy I could burst.

***

Jodie screamed down the line at me as I told her the good news. I think she might have made me deaf in one ear. She instructed me to get to Jim’s at once so she could see the ring.

Once we arrived at the restaurant,
Jodie made a beeline straight for us. She tackle hugged me, looked at the ring, and then tackle hugged Grey.

“I can’t believe it. You’re engaged. It’s fantastic
, and the ring… the ring is… stunning!” she squealed.

She threw her arms back around me and then took hold of my hand to get a better look at the ring.

“Oh my, this must have cost a bomb!” she stage-whispered.

“Subtle,
Jodie. Very subtle,” I laughed at my best friend.

“Well
, I’m just saying! It’s so elegant and beautiful, perfect for you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, he only proposed last night and… well… I was umm… a little distracted
.”

“Hey, you don’t need to tell me. He proposed and then you got laid!” Trust
Jodie to be so crass.

I nudged her with my elbow and she doubled over laughing. Her laughter was contagious and soon I was laughing along with her. Grey just stood and looked at us as though we were lunatics.

We all decided to have breakfast together and Matt joined us shortly after we sat down.

“So how’s living together?” I asked
Jodie.

“I’m loving it. Matt’s so kind and thoughtful and though we can both work odd shift patterns, we always make time for each other
.” The smile on her face told a story more than mere words could. She was practically glowing.

“I’m really happy for you!”

“I’m so glad I asked her to move in,” Matt said with a smile from ear to ear.

“I’m glad you did
, too,” I responded happily. “I only want the best for my best girl.”

“As do I, Carly.”

We ordered breakfast and sat for a couple of hours passing time with small talk about the two moving in together and mine and Grey’s engagement. I didn’t mention moving in to the cottage because I wanted to talk about that with Jodie when we were alone—though I did tell them how he had proposed. Jodie’s face shone with her happiness for herself and her best friend. I knew she was happy that Grey had finally proposed and our lives were on a good course.

“I should really start my shift,”
Jodie said after a while.

“Okay
, honey, well I’ll call you and we’ll talk weddings and start making plans,” I replied.

I stood and hugged her before she hugged Matt and went off in search of her apron to start bussing tables.

“What should we do with ourselves today?” Grey asked as we finished our coffees.

“I don’t know. Do you have any work to do?”

“No. I only have to go to work when I want to, remember? I’m freelance. I want to spend my day with my fiancée!”

“Okay
, well I have an article to finish, but that can be done tomorrow. I guess we could go to the mall and start looking at tuxes for you. You need to pick a best man, too.”

“We’ve only just got engaged and we haven’t set a date yet. We haven’t even discussed where we’d like to get married.”

“I know, but you know me. I’m organized. I plan things out to the last detail.”

“Okay, well, I think we should drive down to the lake house so I can ask Tim to be my best man.
What do you say to a day by the lake?”

“Sounds great!”

We finished our coffees and said our goodbyes to Matt before jumping in the car and heading in the direction of the lake house.

***

Once we arrived at the lake house, Tim and Naomi welcomed us in. Naomi put a pot of coffee on.

We were sitting round the kitchen table in contemplative silence when Tim asked what had prompted our impromptu visit.

“Well, brother, I finally asked Carly to be my wife.”

Naomi squealed and asked to see the ring. I showed her and watched her face light up.

“He really went all out on that. Wow. Grey, did you choose it yourself?” she asked.

“I did. There’s a lovely little antique jewelry shop online and I knew that this one was perfect. I had to buy something that she would look at and love for the rest of her life. Do you think I chose right?”

“Hell yes, the boy did well.” She smiled at him.

“It’s beautiful
,” Tim said.

“Thanks. I think Grey made the perfect choice. There can’t be a ring in the world I would love more. But then, he could’ve spent far less money on it and I would still be happy because it’s not the expense of the ring that matters, it’s the fact that we want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Grey smiled at me as I spoke. He knew how I felt without me even voicing it, but I think it made him happy to hear.

“Looks like you two will get your happily ever after—it’s been too long coming
, brother,” Tim said as he topped our coffees up.

“I know. I regretted moving away, but I was young and naïve. I didn’t
realize what I was giving up, and by the time I did, I knew it was too late to come back and beg forgiveness.”

“But ten years later, here you are, together and disgustingly happy
.” Naomi laughed as she made a gagging motion—pretending our loved-up union made her sick.

I laughed and so did Tim. Grey looked mildly affronted but I knew he was faking it.

“Well, it wasn’t only our engagement that brought us here,” Grey said, looking at Tim.

“Well
, what else is there, brother? Not a baby, too?”

“Not yet
, Tim. We are talking about moving into the cottage, though.”

“Oh
, finally!” Tim exclaimed.

“You knew about the cottage?” I asked.

“Of course. I helped him out when he first moved back.” He smiled at me.

“Oh!”

“Yeah, Tim and Naomi both looked on websites with me and came to see places on the odd occasion. I wanted to ask you instead, but we weren’t exactly talking at the time.”

“Oh, okay. I guess it happened when I was ignoring you.”

“Yeah.” Grey’s face showed a flash of pain before he replaced it with a smile.

“Well, what’s the other news
, brother?” Tim asked. Obviously he’d seen the flash of pain cross Grey’s features, too.

“It’s not news as such. I wanted to ask you something
.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I wanted to know if you would do me the honor of being my best man?”

Tim smiled and grabbed Grey in a hug.

“Of course I’ll be your best man. Dude, it would be an absolute honor!”

Naomi smiled at me as the brothers embraced.

“Naomi, I’d like you to be a part of the wedding party, too. Would you be a bridesmaid?” I asked.

“I would love to!” she squealed and pulled me into an embrace.

I hugged her back and was happy she had accepted. I wanted Jodie to be my maid of honor, but I also wanted to include Naomi.

“You,
Jodie, and I should all go shopping together. We’d have so much fun, I loved wedding shopping when it came to mine and Tim’s wedding.”

“That would be great. Naomi, could we talk in private for a few minutes?”

She looked surprised by the request but quickly pulled me into the other room for a chat.

“I wanted to buy something for Grey but I don’t know whether it’s a silly idea.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“An
engagement ring. I know men don’t traditionally wear them and I know he’ll have his wedding ring but…” I trailed off.

“I think it’s a great idea. What’s good about being traditional? You two aren’t all that conventional—I don’t mean that in a bad way, I just mean that you’re…well…”

“Never have been one for tradition, Naomi.” I smiled at her to ease her discomfort.

“I didn’t mean anything by it
, honey, I just mean that you’re more modern, I guess.”

“I know what you mean. So if I could get away from Grey in the next few days—I’ll tell him we’re doing wedding shopping—would you come with
Jodie and I to help pick the perfect ring?”

“Me? Oh I’d love to!”
Her grin nearly split her face as she beamed at me.

“Thanks!” I said and hugged her.

We walked back into the kitchen where the boys were talking best man duties. They looked up at us, obviously wondering what we had been discussing.

“Girl stuff.” I answered the unspoken question.

“We were talking about tuxes. We’re going to need to know the color scheme so we can get our cummerbunds to match,” Tim said.

“That’s one of the first things on my ‘to do’ list.”

“Well, setting the date should come first,” Grey said.

“I know, but color scheme is right up there as an important detail.”

“We need to decide on a location, set the date, sort out the reception venue.”

“I know
, Grey, seriously, I know. I have a few places in mind. We can go and look around venues together.”

“How about Mother’s house for the reception? I’m sure she’d be more than happy to help.”

“We’ll have to ask when we see her later, but that’s a good idea.”

I smiled at the thought of holding our reception in Katrina’s glorious show-home looking house. It was elegant, classy, sophisticated, what more could a girl need on her big day?