Page 77 of For Always

“Well, since we’re celebrating and Gabriella is leaving us again tomorrow, Eva and I have an announcement to make,” Rico told them.

“Oh my,” Marvin spoke from the head of the table. “I don’t know if my heart can take anymore announcements or admissions from my children.”

His comment was meant for Gabriella. Her father had been extremely hurt when she told him and her mother about the baby and her time in the hospital. He’d said over and over again how he’d raised his children to trust him and to always know that they could come to him no matter what. She’d let him and her mother down, Gabriella knew that, which was another reason why she’d wanted to come home and deal with all of this personally.

“It’s okay, Dad,” Rico continued. “This is good news.”

Eva sat back in her chair and rubbed a hand over her very flat stomach. “It’s very good news,” she said.

It only took another second for clapping and cheers to erupt as Marvin and Beatriz realized they were now going to be blessed with two grandchildren. Tears stung Gabriella’s eyes for a moment, but she breathed deeply until they subsided, then stood up to go and hug her brother and sister-in-law. She was happy for them, just as she was for Adriana and Parker and for Monica and Alex for setting a wedding date.

“So, while we’re all on a good note, I’m going to head back to my apartment,” Gabriella told them. “I have an early flight tomorrow.”

She was going back to Hobbs Creek to meet Tyler and she couldn’t wait.

“Oh honey, I wish you could have stayed home a little longer,” Beatriz said as she came around the table to hug her daughter.

Gabriella hugged her mother tight. “I know, Mama, but I’ll be back to visit real soon. I promise.”

“You’d better,” Marvin said as he came to stand beside her.

Marvin Bennett was a tall and burly man who could be imposing and downright scary when he wanted to. But to Gabriella he was just her dad. When he wrapped an arm around her she immediately lay her head on his chest and let him hold on.

“You take care of yourself out there, little girl. And don’t you dare keep another secret from me like the one you just did,” he told her.

“I won’t, Daddy. I promise,” she said just before the doorbell rang.

“Who in the world can that be at this time of night?” Beatriz asked.

“I don’t know,” Marvin said. “Gabs, why don’t you go and answer the door since you were getting ready to leave anyway.”

“Oh, okay, Daddy,” Gabriella said and left the kitchen to walk down the long hallway toward the front door.

She grabbed her purse from the table closest to the door and was prepared to tell whoever it was—probably a lost delivery man or something—to be on his way and then head out herself. But she stopped in her tracks when she opened the door and saw Tyler standing on the other side.

He looked spectacular dressed in black denim and a crisp white chambray shirt. His boots were new and matched his hat. And the flowers in his hand were gorgeous.

“Am I late for the family dinner?” he asked.

“What? How did you know we were having a family dinner?” she asked in return.

“Of course you’re not late,” Beatriz said as she came up behind Gabriella. “Come on in, Tyler. I’m Beatriz. We spoke on the phone.”

“Yes ma’am,” Tyler said. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. These are for you.”

Gabriella watched him hand her mother the flowers. Then she looked at the rest of her family that had assembled in the hallway.

“What’s going on here?” she asked them all, needing somebody to answer her quickly. “Tyler, what are you doing here? I thought we were scheduled to meet at the equestrian center tomorrow.”

He looked around and after a nod from Marvin, reached up and took off his hat. He had hat hair now and Gabriella’s fingers instantly itched to reach up and touch it. But she didn’t because she was still trying to figure out what was going on.

“I could not go another day, Gabriella. Not one more second,” Tyler said.

He reached out and took her hands in his, holding them between the two of them with everyone watching.

“I’ve learned the hard way about waiting too long to say what I have to say and do what I need to do,” he continued. “I cannot change the way things turned out with my parents and I know that they both loved me as much as I loved them. But there was so much time wasted and I don’t want to do that ever again. I love you, Gabriella Joy Bennett. I love you today. Tomorrow. For Always. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

His words had come so quickly Gabriella didn’t think she’d heard them correctly. This had to be a joke. But her heart had started to beat faster, her eyes blinking to keep her tears from falling.

“What are you doing?” she asked and then looked around at her family. “What’s happening?”

They were all smiling. Her mother, Adriana, Monica, Eva and Bree. Her brothers didn’t smile, but they weren’t brooding like they were ready to jump on Tyler and beat him senseless either. And her father, well, he was standing next to her mother with his chest poked out as if he were proud of her, or this moment, or all of the above.

She turned back to Tyler just in time for him to release her hands. He dug into his side pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. Gabriella gasped. She covered her mouth with one hand and began shaking her head. When he went down on one knee and opened that box, extending it up to her, Gabriella dropped her arm to the side and whispered, “I thought we were just going to meet up at the ranch. I didn’t know this was going to happen.”

Everyone around her chuckled. Tyler smiled as he said once again, “Will you marry me?”

With tears freely flowing now and her family already clapping their approval from behind her, Gabriella was nodding before the words could fall from her mouth.

“Yes! Yes! Yes. I love you, Tyler. I love you for always.”