“We thought you’d never ask,” said a granny with thick penciled-in eyebrows.
Hutton turned to me. “Felicity, this is Jackie. Her grandson is flying the plane up there.”
“It’s so nice to meet you, Jackie.” I smiled at all the grannies. “And thank you all for being here.”
“You’re very welcome.” Jackie patted Hutton’s back. “Lead the way.”
They pranced behind us all the way to the patio, where our families greeted us with a loud, exuberant, “Surprise!” As we caught our breath, the Clipper Cuts launched into “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”
“Guess this is our song,” I whispered to Hutton.
He pulled me in front of him and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Their repertoire is limited,” he whispered back. “But it works for me.”
I wasn’t sure whether it was the old-fashioned harmonies, or the simple sentiment of the lyrics, or being surrounded by everyone we loved that made me so emotional, but I couldn’t help weeping as the song ended.
“Awww,” Mrs. French said as she embraced me. “I’m so happy, I could cry too!”
Frannie, also misty-eyed, hugged me next, followed by my dad—who held me so tight, I choked up again—then Millie, Winnie, Audrey and Emmeline, Allie, and Dex’s girls.
“We passed you on the road!” Luna told me. “But we weren’t allowed to yell out the windows.”
“Or honk the horn,” added Hallie.
“Thank you so much for coming,” I said to them. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“We love engagement parties,” said Hallie. “Last time we went to one was the day we met Winnie!”
“We’re hoping our dad will ask Winnie to marry him, but he says to stop bugging him about it,” said Luna.
Hallie shook her head. “We’ll never stop bugging him about it.”
“Never,” agreed Luna.
“But there’s one thing I don’t understand,” Hallie said, pointing at the plane, which was still flying overhead. “Why does that sign say ‘Felicity, will you marry me?’ Weren’t you already engaged?”
Hutton and I looked at each other, and he smiled.
“Yes and no,” I said, taking his hand. “Both things can be true.”
The party was still in full swing when I saw Hutton standing alone beyond the edge of the patio, his back to me, his hands in his pockets as he studied the rolling hills of the vineyard in the light of the setting sun.
I excused myself from the conversation I was listening to and made my way over to him. “Hey,” I said, tucking my arm inside his. “How are you? Sorry we got separated.”
“I’m fine.” He smiled at me. “Just needed a minute or two to catch my breath.”
“You’ve been amazing tonight. Thank you for this.” I tipped my head onto his shoulder. “For everything.”
“You’re welcome.”
I inhaled the sweet summer evening and let my gaze wander over the neat rows of grapevines and fruit trees. “It’s so beautiful here, isn’t it?”
“Would you like to live here?”
“At Abelard?” I laughed. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Maybe not this exact spot, but maybe we could find something nearby. Or something on the water. Or something with some acreage and you could have your own small farm.” He chuckled. “I might like being a farmer. Seems like a job with a lot of solitude.”
I faced him. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.” He shrugged. “I told Wade I might not come back to HFX.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“It will likely mean a significant drop in my tax bracket, but I was thinking of doing something else with my life—starting with marrying you.”
My throat closed up and I shook my head. “I feel like someone is going to wake me up any minute. This is a dream. You’d give up being a billionaire for me?”
He laughed. “I’ll still be a billionaire. But on a smaller scale. Hopefully small enough that no one will care about me anymore.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. “I’ll care. Not about your billions. Just about you.”
He embraced me, kissing the top of my head. “Will you move back in with me?”
“Of course I will.”
“And stay for seventy-two years?”
I smiled and hugged him tighter. “At least.”