Just a Click Away

Chapter 40

Greg's heart was threatening to beat a hole in his chest as he drove his pickup through the countryside. Forrests of dense evergreen trees were on either side of the country road and the air was filled with the scent of pine needles. As he neared the familiar turn off, he took Leslie's hand in his own and gave it an excited squeeze.

"Close your eyes." Somehow his voice could not hide the thrill in his heart. Watching her closely, he saw that her eyes were tightly closed.

"What on earth is happening here, Greg?" She was obviously confused, and the fact that he had been able to keep this a secret caused his smile to widen. His cheeks were starting to hurt from all the smiles he no longer had to supress.

Once he reached his destination, he got out of the vehicle and jogged over to open her door. Taking her by the hand, he helped her out and led her to the spot he had decided would give her the best possible view.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now." His heart was beating wildly as he saw her slowly open her lovely green eyes. When he watched her eyes grow in astonishment, he had to remind himself to keep breathing in and out.

"Greg! What is this place?" Her eyes were fixed on the house he had just finished building the day before. It had a rustic exterior with exposed beams on the peaks of the roof. Surrounded by trees and with an expansive lake behind, the home could not have been in a more picturesque location. When he heard her breath catch in her throat, his already hurting cheeks spread into an even bigger smile.

"This is one of the projects I have been working on. You don't need to look for another apartment, Leslie...this is your home."

She was standing in dumbfounded silence.

"Here, let me take you inside." Gently taking her hand, he led her through the massive, wooden door and into a large entry way. To the left a beautiful iron staircase led upstairs. Leading her up the stairs, he showed her the four large bedrooms that had been painted in the colors that they had chosen a few days before. A railing at the end of the upstairs hallway allowed them to look down over the impressive kitchen below.

She remained silent as he brought her downstairs to the master suite and pointed out the huge walk-in closet and bathroom. As they walked to the main area of the house, he showed her the open kitchen and living area. The cabinets were covered with beautiful granite countertops. There was a large island and the wall behind the gas stove was made of stone.

He took her hand in both of his and walked her into the living room. One large wall was covered with windows offering a breathtaking view of the lake. Another wall boasted a massive stone fireplace. The cathedral ceilings were adorned with rustic beams.

Leslie hadn't spoken a word, and her silence made his once-excited heart sink a little in his chest. For the first time he let his mind think that maybe she didn't like it. Maybe he should have talked to her about this before going ahead and assuming she would love this house as much as he did.

"Leslie, I'm sorry. I should have talked to you about this first. I know it's awfully big, but I thought that since you had been in foster homes growing up that you would want to be a foster parent." She turned to look at him, and he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. "I apologize, I should not have-"

"I love it." The smile on her face made his heart skip a beat.

"Really?" He felt his lungs release a relieved breath.

"I love it. You built me a house. You built me a house!"

Before he knew what was happening, he felt Leslie rush up to him and wrap her arms around his neck. She kept whispering against his chest, "You built me a house."

Finally knowing that she really did love it, he held her close for a few moments.

When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes. "Leslie, I spent a lot of my adult life praying that God would bring someone like you across my path. When I splattered you with mud on the day we met, I had no idea that you were the answer to every prayer I ever prayed. When God brought you to me, He went over and beyond what I asked for. You are kind and strong and you make me want to be a better man, so that I can truly deserve you. I love you, and can't bear the thought of a future without you."

He reached into his pocket, opened the black, velvet box, and knelt down on one knee. "Leslie, will you please marry me? I know I don't deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life trying."

Slowly she sunk to her knees on the wood floor in front of him. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears and a wobbly smile lighting her face.

"I am the only one supposed to be kneeling here, Leslie." He flashed her a nervous smile.

"Greg, you have it all wrong...I'm the one that doesn't deserve you." His heart began to race as he brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Does that mean you'll marry me then?" He didn't know how much longer he could wait in agony for her answer.

"Of course I will!"

Taking the sparkling ring out of the box, he slipped it on her finger.

"Oh, Greg I-"

Cutting off her words, he pulled her close and brought his lips against hers. When she placed her hands on the back of his neck and drew him closer, he knew that he was far happier than he could have ever believed possible in his wildest dreams.

An excited barking sound caused him to pull away long before he wanted to.

Greg took Leslie's hands and helped her back up to her feet. "Leslie, I have someone for you to meet." He led her into a room he hadn't shown her yet, and there on the laminate floor stood a black lab; the dog's tail was wagging so fiercely that her whole body wagged along with it. "This is Chloe." He reached down and rubbed her soft ears. "I know that she won't be able to replace Waldo, but she had been at the animal shelter for over a year, and I thought we could give her a good home."

When Leslie kneeled down to pet Chloe, the dog instantly began licking her face. She laughed, and gave the dog a loving pat on the head. "She has a lot of white in her face. Do you know how old she is?"

The broad smile on her face melted Greg's heart. "They guess her to be about eight years old."

"Oh, I love her, Greg! We are going to be the perfect family!"

"We sure will." He took her hand and helped her up. "We will be the perfect family."