everyone could see her ring— “I’ve asked Nicole to marry me.”
Nicole wrapped her other hand around Matt’s neck and gave him a quick hug. Without turning toward her family she spoke, her eyes locked onto Matt’s. “And I told him yes.”
She whipped around and saw that her parents were stunned, their mouths hanging open, their eyes wide.
“Mom, Dad . . . did you hear us. We’re engaged!” Nicole hooted out loud, and then in a blur of motion her parents were on their feet, pulling her into a three-way hug. Mom squealed as Dad stepped back and shook Matt’s hand.
“Talk about a shocker . . .” He pumped Matt’s hand until he realized that the moment called for something greater than a handshake. “Come here.” He grabbed Matt and pulled him into a hug.
At the same time, Mom braced her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “Nicole! I can’t believe it. When did this happen?”
All feelings of impending doom had vanished like morning fog on the lake; Nicole was overcome with joy. “Since Wednesday. Matt took me out on the trail and proposed to me with his knee in the snow.”
The group shifted so that Mom could embrace Matt and congratulate him, as well. Kade moved into the circle, gently grabbing the necks of both Nicole and her fiancé, pulling them close. “You crazy guys, keeping a secret like that.” He punched Matt’s arm lightly. “Hey, way to go, Matt. Welcome to the family.”
Gradually the hugs ceased, and they returned to their seats. Nicole beamed at her father, who was tapping his fingers in a nervous rhythm on the arms of the chair. “Now, Dad, don’t tell me you’re shocked. Matt said he asked you about this a long time ago, and you gave him your blessing.”
Her parents exchanged an uneasy look. “Really?” Mom raised one eyebrow and cast Dad a strangely partial smile. The uneasy feeling hit Nicole again. What’s Mom’s problem? Why’re they acting like this? “I didn’t hear about it.”
A nervous laugh came from her father’s throat, and he glanced from Mom to Nicole and back. “Matt said it could be . . . years. I thought . . . well, I had no idea that’s what he wanted to tell us today.”
Matt reached for Nicole’s hand again, and she slid up next to him. Everything was going to work out just as she’d always dreamed. She nestled her shoulder against his much larger arm and studied him. He was something else, really. The complete package. Exactly what she and her mother had prayed for.
Sitting up a bit straighter, Matt faced her parents. “Actually, I had no idea I’d be ready this soon.” He glanced down and gave Nicole a smile that echoed in the core of her being. He loves me! Thank You, God, he loves me! Matt turned back to her parents. “The change came sometime last summer, or maybe in the fall. I started thinking that I’d be finished with law school this June, so why not get married this summer? Nicole can keep taking classes. In fact, we both think it’s a good idea for her to get her education so she can teach if she wants to.”
Nicole loved the way he worded that. If she wants to . . . The truth was, married to Matt she would have a choice. The thoughts were almost too wonderful to bear.
Mom nodded and looked from Nicole to Matt. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” She hesitated, and Nicole studied her eyes. They were flat and the happiness in her voice seemed artificial. Why aren’t you glowing, Mom? This is my finest hour here . She wanted to mention the fact that everything about this day, this news, was an answer to the prayer her mother had prayed so often when Nicole was a young girl, but somehow the timing didn’t seem right.
“Have you thought of a date?” Dad looked at them curiously and his eyes, too, seemed strangely untouched by the joy of their news.
Nicole and Matt looked at each other and grinned as they turned back to Mom. “We figured it out last night. July fourteenth. Your
Nicole wrapped her other hand around Matt’s neck and gave him a quick hug. Without turning toward her family she spoke, her eyes locked onto Matt’s. “And I told him yes.”
She whipped around and saw that her parents were stunned, their mouths hanging open, their eyes wide.
“Mom, Dad . . . did you hear us. We’re engaged!” Nicole hooted out loud, and then in a blur of motion her parents were on their feet, pulling her into a three-way hug. Mom squealed as Dad stepped back and shook Matt’s hand.
“Talk about a shocker . . .” He pumped Matt’s hand until he realized that the moment called for something greater than a handshake. “Come here.” He grabbed Matt and pulled him into a hug.
At the same time, Mom braced her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. “Nicole! I can’t believe it. When did this happen?”
All feelings of impending doom had vanished like morning fog on the lake; Nicole was overcome with joy. “Since Wednesday. Matt took me out on the trail and proposed to me with his knee in the snow.”
The group shifted so that Mom could embrace Matt and congratulate him, as well. Kade moved into the circle, gently grabbing the necks of both Nicole and her fiancé, pulling them close. “You crazy guys, keeping a secret like that.” He punched Matt’s arm lightly. “Hey, way to go, Matt. Welcome to the family.”
Gradually the hugs ceased, and they returned to their seats. Nicole beamed at her father, who was tapping his fingers in a nervous rhythm on the arms of the chair. “Now, Dad, don’t tell me you’re shocked. Matt said he asked you about this a long time ago, and you gave him your blessing.”
Her parents exchanged an uneasy look. “Really?” Mom raised one eyebrow and cast Dad a strangely partial smile. The uneasy feeling hit Nicole again. What’s Mom’s problem? Why’re they acting like this? “I didn’t hear about it.”
A nervous laugh came from her father’s throat, and he glanced from Mom to Nicole and back. “Matt said it could be . . . years. I thought . . . well, I had no idea that’s what he wanted to tell us today.”
Matt reached for Nicole’s hand again, and she slid up next to him. Everything was going to work out just as she’d always dreamed. She nestled her shoulder against his much larger arm and studied him. He was something else, really. The complete package. Exactly what she and her mother had prayed for.
Sitting up a bit straighter, Matt faced her parents. “Actually, I had no idea I’d be ready this soon.” He glanced down and gave Nicole a smile that echoed in the core of her being. He loves me! Thank You, God, he loves me! Matt turned back to her parents. “The change came sometime last summer, or maybe in the fall. I started thinking that I’d be finished with law school this June, so why not get married this summer? Nicole can keep taking classes. In fact, we both think it’s a good idea for her to get her education so she can teach if she wants to.”
Nicole loved the way he worded that. If she wants to . . . The truth was, married to Matt she would have a choice. The thoughts were almost too wonderful to bear.
Mom nodded and looked from Nicole to Matt. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.” She hesitated, and Nicole studied her eyes. They were flat and the happiness in her voice seemed artificial. Why aren’t you glowing, Mom? This is my finest hour here . She wanted to mention the fact that everything about this day, this news, was an answer to the prayer her mother had prayed so often when Nicole was a young girl, but somehow the timing didn’t seem right.
“Have you thought of a date?” Dad looked at them curiously and his eyes, too, seemed strangely untouched by the joy of their news.
Nicole and Matt looked at each other and grinned as they turned back to Mom. “We figured it out last night. July fourteenth. Your
Similar Books
