Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
The clicking of the door to outside sounded, and I heard my little sisters running. We’d distracted June by asking her to show my sisters Ginger and the other horses. Bailey had joined her, now that it was a bit far for her to travel on her own and she needed support.
Then, June walked through the door and instantly took my breath away. She was dressed in her sage-green dress, the one that I adored. Her matching headscarf brought out her deep-brown eyes and her face was flushed from being outside in the fresh air.
“Jesse?” she said, looking around the room in confusion. It no longer looked like the rec room; it looked like something from a movie, with lights glittering in every corner and a carpet of rose petals on the ground.
June froze, eyes wide. “Jesse?” she said again, but I saw her swallow a nervously.
Walking to her, I took hold of her hands and said, “Junebug.” Her breathing hitched as I squeezed them. Looking her straight in the eyes, I said, “June Scott, I love you more than I ever knew I could love someone.” I’d hoped my voice would stay strong, but the minute June’s hands were in mine and her attention was all on me, it broke. “Meeting you has been the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” Tears began to fall down her face. “I hoped that we would have had more time. I prayed to anyone who would listen for us to be able to continue this love story out in the big, wide world.” I cleared my throat, so I could keep going. “But in the end, all we have is now. And I couldn’t wait one more minute to ask you a very important question.”
June held her breath as I got down on one knee. My joints screamed as I did, and it wasn’t a pretty descent—the aches and pains were almost too much to bear. But when I looked up at June and her hand was over her mouth in happiness, all the pain washed away.
“June Scott, my Junebug, would you please do me the honor of a lifetime and become my wife?”
A sob tore from June’s mouth. “Yes,” she whispered. “It will always be yes, Jesse.”
I pulled the ring from my pocket. Mr. Scott had given it to me; it had belonged to June’s grandma. It was a simple gold band with a small diamond in the center. It was understated but beautiful, exactly like the girl who would wear it from now on.
I slid the ring on her finger. It was a little big, but June looked down at it like I’d gifted her a star from the sky. I made a move to get up, but my leg screamed in agony.
June stared at me adoringly, and I said, “I should be kissing you right now, Junebug, but I might need some help in getting up.”
Her lips twitched and then she filled the room with her beautiful laughter, only making the twinkling setting more magical.
Mr. Scott appeared and helped me to my feet. I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he—and most of our families—had been listening just outside the room. After I was standing, he left us alone, and June was staring up at me like I was her everything.
“There,” I said, heart melting at her beaming face. “I made it off the floor.” I placed my hands on either side of her face, then moved in to kiss her. June’s lips were soft, and I tasted her tears as they cascaded down her cheeks. They mixed with mine, but none of them were from sadness. I was so full of happiness that I thought I’d burst.
When we broke apart, I pressed my forehead to hers. “You’re going to be my wife.” Wife. Never had a word sounded so perfect.
“I love you,” June said, and I studied every part of her face.
“How does a wedding in three days sound?” June watched me, questions in her gaze. “Pastor Noel has agreed to marry us.”
“In three days?” she asked, eyes wide.
“I thought we’d better move fast, seeing as how we don’t have the luxury of time,” I joked, and June fought a smile. “Or else our wedding might just turn into a funeral.”
“Jesse!” June said, shaking her head in admonishment. But the glint in her eyes showed me she was enjoying my dark humor, despite it perhaps hitting too close to home.
“Three days sounds perfect,” she said.
I wanted to walk to the chapel now and make it happen. But I also knew that June had dreamed of her wedding her whole life, and if there was one thing I wasn’t selfish about, it was June’s happiness.
“Can we come in now?” Chris shouted from the doorway. “Your parents are about to barge in you if you don’t say yes!” We turned and laughed at our family and friends waiting in the doorway.