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"Great We’ll ain

The tomen left, and Troy and Faith walked slowly out of the theater

"Did you speak to Megan?" he asked

"On my cell" Faith nodded "Just briefly"

"Did she say anything?" He hoped his daughter was sensitive enough to keep her hed "All she said was that I should be gentle with you, whatever thatlot and he could feel sweat beading his upper lip He’d rehearsed what he wanted to say in front of the an had insisted he have a short speech ready Now, for the life of hile word

As they reached the car, Troy licked his dry lips "I think you kno er door

"I thought perhaps you did," she said

Stepping back, Troy helped Faith inside and hurried to the driver’s side With his hands against the steering wheel, he said, "I was thinking, hoping, really--"

"Hoping?"

"Yes, you know, that you and I ether"

"For dinner?"

"Not for dinner," he snapped "For life"

His words were followed by a strained silence and then she asked, "Troy, are you asking me to marry you?"

"What else do you think this is about?"

"Well, there’s no need to get huffy"

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, he exhaled loudly "Okay, I apologize"

"For proposing?"

"No, for blowing this" Troy doubted he could’ve er mess of it had he tried

"Would you like my answer?" Faith asked him

"No"

"No?"

"I didn’t mean, no, I don’t want your answer I ht"

"Okay, then, I’ll keep quiet and wait" Faith settled back in her seat

Troy had no idea how to start over, let alone do this a little ht ere at our old necking spot and one of ht us?"

"Oh, Troy, I was so embarrassed" She covered her face with both hands

"You?" he muttered "I was the one who had to look hi had happened"

The htened his mood, which helped ease the tension from between his shoulder blades

"I do love you, Troy," Faith whispered She curved her fingers around his hand "I loved you ere teenagers and I love you now"

"I love you, too" His voice throbbed with the depth of his emotions "I want to spend the rest of my life with you I want to retire with you and travel with you and make our home here in Cedar Cove"

"I’d like that, too"

"Will you marry me, Faith Beckwith?"

She s better, Troy Davis"

Troy had the urge to roll down hisand shout at the top of his lungs He didn’t, in spite of his desire to let the whole world know that Faith had agreed toto kissbetter," he said, echoing her response to his proposal

They reached over the console, arulfed the …