“Yes.”

Her grandmother licked her lips and gave a tip of her chin to indicate she was pleased. In the background Caroline heard people moving back to their cars and realized they needed to head back to the house. She thought about inviting them but she didn’t know that the Mendozas were ready for that yet. Caroline was pretty sure she wasn’t ready for that yet either.

So she didn’t. She and Royal stepped back. “Thank you for coming.”

“I’ll be in touch about dinner.”

Caroline nodded. “Okay.”

And then it was over, and she and Royal were on the way back to their house to be with all their loved ones.

“You all right?” Royal asked.

“You know, I think I am.”

“Good. Because I think you need to marry me.”

She nearly choked on the lifesaver she’d been sucking on. “How did you know? I don’t want you to marry me just because I’m pregnant.”

“You’re pregnant?”

“You didn’t know?”

“What the hell?” He pulled off the road and shifted to face her. “You’re pregnant?”

“I’ve been sick for three weeks. I’ve been stressed. But when Melissa came over this morning, she made me take a pregnancy test.”

He unbuckled his seatbelt and she was in his arms as he kissed her. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

“I just found out four hours ago! I have a houseful of people. I was going to tell you when we were alone.”

“Well now I’m doubly asking you to marry me.”

“You really wanted to before you knew I was pregnant?”

“Didn’t I just ask you before I knew? I’ve wanted to ask you for four months but I figured it would be best to wait until after the trial, and then just now it felt like I had to ask or burst.”

“Yeah. I’ll marry you. And have your babies who will ride around on your four wheeler and get muddy with you.”

“Awesome.”

People began to honk and slow down, wondering why the trip to the house had been interrupted. Laughing, Royal kissed her one last time before he pulled back onto the road. And this time when she passed that piece of empty lot, she wished they were there to celebrate, but she didn’t feel like she’d break anymore.

She had a life and a future with this man she’d fallen for when he’d reached a high shelf for her. And the next generation they would build together.