Page 52 of Taking Chances in Cedarwood

“We will.” Cain held Andrew’s hand and waited for the group to exit.

“Do you have a surprise, too?” Andrew sagged in his seat. “I’m not sure I can handle another shock.”

Cain stood between Andrew’s knees. “What I wanted to add might be a surprise, but I doubt it.” He shrugged. “I’ve done a lot of thinking. We’ve been together for six months.”

Andrew’s stomach soured again. “Are you going to ask me to marry you?”

“Do you want me to?” Cain’s eyes widened. “Andrew?”

He might have misread Cain, but he doubted it. “Maddie’s right. I’m not sure marriage is the right fit for me.”

“Do you want to split?” Cain asked.

“No.” Andrew caressed the back of Cain’s hands. “Then what are you trying to tell me? I think I’m reading too much into this and expecting a bad outcome. Everything between us has been good and almost too perfect.”

“Do you want to get married someday?” Cain asked. “Not today or tomorrow, but in the future at some point?”

He held on to Cain’s fingers. “I do, even though I’m not sure I’m marriage material. Until you came along, I hadn’t had much luck in relationships and I’m scared I won’t be good at being married. I’m shocked you’ve stuck around this long, but you haven’t experienced planting season.”

“I experienced harvest. You were gone a lot, but I got to help and I know how hard you worked,” Cain said. “I don’t think you’ll be bad at marriage, and it’s normal to be scared.” He paused. “If I asked you to marry me at some point, would you?”

Andrew laughed to hide his frustration with himself. He’d read Cain wrong and expected the worst. God, he needed a break—or sex.

“Why are you laughing now?” Cain’s smile faded. “Andrew?”

He tried to stop but couldn’t. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you, but at me. I thought you were going to dump me.” He’d been so wrong and wished he could get the doubts from his mind.

“God, no.” Cain draped his arms around Andrew’s neck. “I love you too much to dump you. Until you came along, I thought I’d be stuck doing what I was told and not having a life. You showed me how to be myself and enjoy my life. I love you for your spirit and belief in me.”

“I love you, too.” Andrew sighed. “So now that I’ve screwed this all up. Are you going to ask me to marry you?”

Cain nodded, then fished in his pocket. “I am. I’ll do something more formal later, but I’ve had so much fake in my life that I need to know your answer first. I need to know this is for real.” He held a pair of silver rings. “These are simple, like our love, but show everyone we’re a pair.” His hand trembled. “But I’d like to know your answer and go public with that rather than propose to you in public and get turned down. I don’t want to look silly in front of your family.”

Andrew gazed at the rings. They were indeed simple silver bands, but he didn’t want anything too fancy or complicated. At the root, he and Cain were simple people. Did he want to be married? He did—to Cain. “Meeting me was a chance. Leaving everything you knew was a chance, too,” he said. “It’s all been a gamble.”

“True.” Cain toyed with the rings. “But you’re the best risk I’ve ever taken. I can’t see my life without you.”

“Same here.” The moment he’d seen Cain at the farmers’ market, he’d known his life would change forever.

“Well? Will you marry me?” Cain asked. “Or am I making a fool of myself?”

“Will I take a chance on lasting love with you?” Andrew asked. “Yes, I will.” Andrew kissed his boyfriend—fiancé. He hadn’t thought he’d have any success at the farm because the elements were against him, but he’d persevered.Same thing with Cain.He’d refused to give up and now he had his heart’s delight. Life was one gigantic gamble, but it’d never be boring with Cain. He’d brought color and enthusiasm to the farm and Cedarwood. The risk was worth the reward because he had Cain.