Rhea thought for sure that Knox screwed everything up. Rex and Knox were at each other’s throats and everyone assumed it was because of Jasmine. Summer and Rex even broke up over whatever was going on with them.
So one night after a killer steak dinner that Rhea made, Rex calls me. “Hey, man.”
Rex is breathing heavy, “I can’t reason with her, Tan. Why is she doing this?” Maybe Jasmine wasn’t the only problem.
I step out onto the deck, “Doin’ what?”
Rex growls, “Never mind, I don’t need another war to battle.”
“You need to get the hell out of there for a few days.” Rhea steps out onto the deck and climbs into my lap. “You can come crash at our apartment for a few nights. I’m taking Rhea out of town this weekend.”
Rhea lifts her head from my chest and cocks her head. “Huh?”
I place a finger over her lips.
“Nah, I need to stay here and keep talking sense into her.”
“Alright, well, if you change your mind you know where the key is.”
Rex and I say goodbye and I hang up. Before I can even explain Rhea is questioning me. “Where are we goin’?”
“Away.”
“Babe.”
“Honey Bee,” I smirk.
“Stop that.” She squirms in my lap. “Tell me where we are going. I hate surprises.” She whines.
“I’m not telling you but make sure you have a bag packed and are ready to go. We leave tomorrow afternoon.”
Rhea rests her head back on my shoulder, “You’re not goin’ to tell me?”
“Nope.”
“Good talk.” She says sarcastically.
“We’re not talking.”
I can picture her rolling her eyes, “No shit.”
Friday right after dinner we are on our way back to North Carolina, to my mama’s house exactly. She has no idea what’s coming and that’s exactly how I want it.
“Are we there yet?” She says chomping on her gum like a cow.
“Are you done chewing like that?”
Her head snaps in my direction, “Nope.”
“Then there is your answer.”
Rhea rolls the window down and spits her gum out. “There, gum is gone. Now are we almost there?”
“About a half hour away.”
Not telling her anything is really working out for me and keeping her distracted from the real reason we’re going to my mom’s house.
She crosses her arms and sits back in her seat pouting. “This isn’t right.”
“It will be.”
Rhea rolls her eyes and looks out the window. She has to know where we are going but she probably doesn’t believe it. She hasn’t talked to or seen her daddy in years and wants nothing to do with him or her mom.
Her daddy isn’t going to be around this weekend according to mama. He’s going on some kind of fishing trip or something in Cape Hatteras. Mama isn’t going to be around either; she’s going with a few of her girlfriends on some kind of cruise.
We pull off the highway and Rhea’s face starts to pale, “He’s not home.” I say trying to comfort her.
Rhea only nods. I reach over and grab her hand offering her comfort. A few minutes later and we pull into Mama’s driveway. I cut the engine and look over at Rhea who’s staring straight ahead. Clearly she is uncomfortable and doubt starts to creep in.
My phone beeps notifying me of a text.
Jasmine 8:28 pm: Did you do it yet?
Me 8:29 pm: No. I think this was a bad idea.
Jasmine 8:29 pm: Do it!
I put my phone down in the cup holder. I take a couple of deep breaths. Checking my nerves I climb out of the car and walk around to Rhea’s side of the car.
“Come on, Bee, I’ve got something I need to do.” I hold my hand out for her.
We walk into the house and she goes into the bathroom. I quickly sneak outside and run out back. True to Jasmine’s word, she set up everything and it’s perfect.
A blanket is lying under the same dogwood tree that so many memories were made under. Candles are on each corner of the blanket and rose petals are placed all around. I reach into my pocket and pull out the black box that feels like it weighs a ton. I flip it open and look at the ring that I picked out for Rhea. It’s stunning just like she is. I place the box behind the candle out of sight and run back up to the house.
Rhea is in the living room looking at a picture of her and I when we were about five and eight. She had her arms wrapped around my neck and she was kissing my cheek and I looked like I was in pain. It’s laughable now.
“I love that picture.” I say placing my hands on her hips and kissing her neck.
She rests her head on my shoulder and leans into me, “Me too.”
“Come with me.”
“Okay.”
I lead Rhea outside and down the lawn that splits our childhood homes. I hear her gasp and stop walking.
“Tanner?”
I shrug and pull her along. When we reach the blanket I kick off my boots as does Rhea. She goes to sit but I grab her hips stopping her. She looks confused, “What’s goin’ on?”
“You were my first kiss, my first love, my first everything, Rhea.” I reach for her hand and kiss the back of it. “I want you to be my last kiss, my only love and I want you to be the last thing I see every night before I close my eyes.”
Rhea is bawling and I haven’t even asked her yet. She has to know that this is how I feel about her. We’ve been through some shitty times but we got through them together and that made it so much more bearable.
I reach over to where I put the box. I let go of her hand so that I can open the lid. “Rhea Elizabeth Hudson, will you marry me?”
She covers her mouth with her hand and drops down to her knees and throws her arms around me. “Yes, yes, yes.” She says through the tears.
Rhea leans back and I take the ring out of the box and slide it on her finger. She stares at it for so long I start to get a complex thinking she doesn’t like it. “We can return it and get what you want if you don’t like that one.”
She shakes her head, looking up with eyes that are glistening and shining like the diamond on her finger, “It’s perfect, Tanner.”
I place a kiss on her lips and pour my life into it and she takes everything I’m giving, showing me she’s ready to do this with me.
Hours spent making love under our tree where it all began, we rest and start reminiscing about the past.
“Remember when we used to run around the yards and caught all those lightning bugs in the mason jars?” Rhea asks running her finger tips up and down my bare stomach.