Hello again my sweethearts!
I have finally found the time to finalize another of my outstanding stories. I hope you like this one!
I don't own anything. Lyrics are from MacKenzie Porter's song If you Ask me to (listen to it, it's so cute!)
Baby if you ask me to
I want a love that grows like a tall jack pine
And I want to grow old with your hand in mine
Down that road I'll walk with you
Baby if you ask me to
He's nervous.
He's been so nervous all week that he's probably going to pass out at any given moment now.
He's planned it perfectly. He even bought a new shirt for the night - ironed it too.
All that's left to do is ask, but he is scared out of his mind.
How do people even manage this? He thinks as he rubs his sweaty palms against his worn jeans.
Get it together man.
He doesn't get like this usually over the opposite sex, but this is Zoe Hart.
Nothing about him makes sense around her and yet everything also seems to make more sense when he is with her.
But apparently she's also turned him into a sweaty, nervous, pathetic version of his usually confident self.
He ain't even mad about it, mostly he's just so damn nervous.
And to think that over 2 years ago he was denying wanting to have anything to do with Zoe Hart and her stupid shorts.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The first time he tries, they are out to dinner at Fancies.
He's asked Lemon to place them in the most secluded corner and his hands are shaking and the moment he reaches for the little velvet box in his jacket, her phone buzzes.
Medical emergency. Wanda has gone into labor.
She kisses him quickly (he bites her lip just to be fair) and runs out of Fancies as he stares after her beautiful exposed legs in that tight dress he likes so much.
He orders an extra bottle of wine.
On the house of course.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The second time was worse.
They make it through dinner and he's convinced tonight is the night.
He's holding her hand and he's laughing at something she's said and they make it to the gazebo and apparently he hadn't read the BlueBell Blawker this week because the Owls were there.
Doing whatever the hell it is that they do at their meetings.
He curses under his breath
"What's the matter, Wade?"
"Huh? Nothing! Nothing baby." He says when he snaps out of it.
"You sure? Because you're looking at Dash like he just keyed your beloved car."
She smiles up at him and he grips her left hand tighter in his own, feeling that space on her finger where his ring is supposed to rest.
"No, it's nothing at all," except that the ring is burning a hole into his pocket.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When the third time goes wrong too, he's just expecting a natural disaster to hit Bluebell the next time he tries to get down on one knee.
If he would even be given a chance to get to the part where he gets down on one knee that is!
He tries not to take this as some cosmic sign that he's not meant to do this.
Nothing is going to stop him.
He has no problem proving that him and Zoe are meant to be together, that they are great together, he's had to prove it over and over again to everybody in this town, and he will prove it to Mother Nature herself if he has to.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
They are cuddling in bed after a round of A+ sex. She's running her nails up and down his chest and he catches her hand in his to make her stop.
"Round 2?" She asks, that mischievous grin taking shape on her face. Her hair is a mess and her lips are swollen from all the kissing. He thinks she's never looked more beautiful.
"No, not right now."
"What is it then?"
"I love you Zoe, you know?"
"Yes, I know." She rolls her body over his and he grips her waist as she tenderly places her lips against his. He can't hold it in anymore, because he just loves her and the way she makes him feel so much. He loves how she was the one who pushed him to be a better man only for himself, and he only wanted to do it just for her.
Because she blew into town, blew up the fuse and blew up his life.
And even insulted his church social smile and he's never loved anything more than her smile.
"Then marry me," he whispers against her lips.
He feels her body freeze in his arms and she pulls back and her big doe eyes are locked on his. He doesn't look away once.
He thinks that this is perfect.
It's unrehearsed and it happens between the sheets and it's just so Zoe and Wade.
"I love you. And my momma's ring is right there in my top drawer waiting for you and if she had ever met you she would have loved you too. So please, marry me?"
She's quiet and he's getting scared now and the old Wade might have retreated and made a joke but that Wade is gone. Now there is only Wade that wants this crazy beautiful woman to stay by his side forever.
"I don't know Wade, I think I need to go back to New York."
He feels his heart drop so far down into his stomach and he stares at her in disbelief when she whispers the word "kidding" in the dark.
She giggles and he rolls her over as she keeps laughing.
"That's not funny. You're a heart surgeon Doc. You'd think you'd know to handle them a little more gently."
She brings her palm up to his chest, pressing it against his heartbeat.
So much of him is tied up with Zoe Hart that waiting for her answer is almost as painful as having lost her once before.
"Yes. I'll marry you, Wade Kinsella." She says, nice and slow and whispered in the dark in the gatehouse with only both of them there to hear it.
"Yeah?" He asks, unable to control the goofy grin he knows is covering his face right now.
"Yeah" she smiles back as she curls her arms around his neck and pushes her lips to his.
Her kiss has never tasted as sweet.
When he's finally able to pull away, breathless and so damn happy, he remembers…
"Now about that little joke, Doc"
"What are you gonna do about it, Waaaade?" She drawls out his name in that way she likes.
He grins his church social smile, "I haven't decided yet."
"Well you've got the rest of our lives to figure it out." She answers back.
He captures her mouth with his again because it feels as if it's already been too long since they last kissed.
(It's only the next day, long after noon, that they finally get out of bed and find that the ring fits perfectly on her finger)
Tie me a circle from a piece of string
And I will wear it as your ring
No there ain't nothing I wouldn't give to you
If you ask me to
That's it! Hope you liked it!
As always, reviews make me smile.