Page 34 of Keeping Penny

“Laryn. I love you. More than I thought it was possible to love someone. I’m gutted that I never got to meet the man who taught you to be the best mechanic the Army’s ever had. I wish he could be here to see what an amazing woman you’ve turned out to be. I didn’t get the chance to ask him for his blessing to marry you, so I did the next best thing. I asked his closest friends.”

Laryn’s hand was covering her mouth in surprise and shock, and she looked from Casper to the three older men, then back at her man.

“For the record, they put me through the wringer but eventually gave their blessing. You ground me, Laryn. I’ll forever kick myself for not seeing what was right in front of my face for so long, but now that I have, I don’t want another day to go by without you by my side. You’re the first person I think of when I wake up and my last thought before I fall asleep. I promise that I’ll spend the rest of my days doing everything in my power to make you happy and treat you the way your dad would’ve wanted for his little girl. Will you marry me, Laryn?”

“Yes! Oh my God, yes!”

Laryn threw herself at Casper, and he fell on his ass in the parking lot, but he didn’t let go of his brand-new fiancée. He had a huge smile on his face, while Laryn was still half-crying and half-laughing.

She straddled Casper and smacked his shoulder. “I hate crying!” she informed him.

“I know. But you look so adorable.”

“Whatever.”

“I have another surprise,” he added.

“I don’t think I can handle anything else,” Laryn said with a sniff.

“Yes, you can. You’re the strongest woman I know.” Casper helped her to her feet, took her hand, and walked her back over to her dad’s friends, who were grinning from ear to ear.

Casper nodded at the men and shook their hands. Then he gestured to the beagle sitting at Henry’s feet, panting with what looked like a smile on its face.

“That’s Waffles,” Casper told Laryn.

Her eyes widened. “Aww! That’s what I wanted to name a beagle if I ever had one.”

“I know.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Laryn looked at him, then down at the dog, who was now staring up at her. His tail was wagging, flinging the little pebbles on the asphalt in every direction.

“Seriously?”

Casper nodded. “I figured we could practice being parents with a dog before our little terrors arrived.”

“I went to all the shelters in the city until I found him,” Mandy said from behind Laryn. They’d all followed her and Casper. “He was a stray, which is why he’s kind of skinny right now. But he’s healthy. As healthy as a dog can be after wandering the streets. I took him to the groomer and the vet, and all his new things—like a dog crate and food and treats—are at your apartment.”

Laryn promptly burst into tears once more as she went to her knees in front of the dog. Waffles immediately stood up and licked her face enthusiastically as she threw her arms around him.

Penny was feeling pretty emotional herself. There were so many stray dogs in Gabon, and her heart hurt at seeing each and every one. She’d barely been able to take care of herself and Bowie, she couldn’t have taken on a dog…but oh, how she’d wanted to. Waffles was going to be one spoiled dog, of that she had no doubt.

“What’s this? Oh!” Laryn gasped, as she stared at his collar.

Casper crouched next to her and untied the ring that had been secured to Waffles’ collar, holding it out to Laryn. “You didn’t think I’d propose without a ring, did you?” he asked with a grin.

Laryn held out her hand, and Casper slid the ring onto her finger.

“It’s perfect. How did you know I’d want a band and not a traditional ring?”

“Because I know you. And I pay attention. I heard you bitching about that woman working on a car when we were watching Overhaulin’. About how the big-ass ring she was wearing would get in the way of her work, and how stupid she was for wearing it around engine parts. I figured a band with inlaid diamonds would be more appropriate.”

“You have to stop making me cry!” Laryn demanded.

“I’ll never stop trying to make you cry happy tears. Other kinds, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to fix whatever’s wrong to stop those.”

“Tate, I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”