She stared sightlessly down at the box, tears obscuring her vision. “I’m holding a pie.”

Some color returned to his stark face at her inane declaration. “I see that.”

“Can I put it down?”

He gently plucked the box from her unresisting fingers and tossed it to the ground.

“Ask me again. Without the pie,” she demanded, knuckling the tears from her eyes and fluffing her hair.

A slow smile spread across his face. “Lindy, will you marry me?”

“I will. I absolutely will.” She sank to her knees and threw her arms around him on a sob. “I love you too. So much.”

“I’m sorry I’m so slowwitted. This week was hell, and I can only imagine how it went for you.” He directed a pointed glance to the now-smashed pie on the driveway between them.

“It doesn’t matter now. None of that matters.”

He leaned back and held out the jewelry box again. “Don’t you want to see the ring?”

She nodded and peered in to see a plain gold band. “It’s lovely, but it looks kind of big. I couldn’t care less, though. We can get it sized.” She snatched the ring and moved to slip it on, making a mental note to take it off at bedtime until she had it fitted. Before she got it past the first knuckle, he took her hand to stop her.

“That one’s for me,” he murmured softly, tugging it from her finger. The weight of those words wasn’t lost on her and the tear factory started churning them out double-time.

“I l-love you s-so m-much.” Her sobs turned to semi-hysterical laughter as he removed the velvet padding from the box to reveal an oval diamond in an antique white gold setting. He slipped it on her finger and pressed a kiss to the spot right above it.

“Now come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.” He pulled her to her feet and led her toward the truck. “I couldn’t very well ask you to be the queen of my castle without making sure the royal mutts had a place to call their own.” He swept off the tarp with a flourish, revealing seven tiny doghouses, each hand-painted with the puppies’ names.

“We can keep them? All of them?” She’d been so sure she would be able to let them go when the time came. As she stared at the little red houses she realized that Owen had always known what she hadn’t. Giving even one of them away would have devastated her.

Her heart was so full. She patted her chest, muttering softy to herself as Owen pulled her close.

“Everything’s better than fine,” he whispered into her hair. “Everything is amazing.”