“Ari, I wasn’t asking your permission,” Zain said through gritted teeth.
Mr. Thiessen didn’t look at the ring. He kept his eyes on Zain. He leaned forward until his face filled the camera. “Does Mila love you?”
“Yes, sir,” Zain said as he fought the urge to shift nervously on his feet. “We love each other very much. I will do everything in my power to make her happy.”
“And the wild streak of hers that her mother is so disapproving of?”
Zain kept his eyes on her father’s. “No disrespect to your wife, but I’ll do everything I can to encourage that streak. When Mila is just Mila, she’s radiant.”
Mr. Thiessen’s smile covered his entire face. “She gets that from me. As much as my wife says she detests it, she loves it most about me. Isn’t that right, dear?”
Mr. Thiessen moved back and his wife swatted him playfully. “You have my permission,” Mr. Thiessen said happily as he wiped a tear from his face and turned to face his wife. “Unser baby is getting married.”
Mrs. Thiessen ducked her head and dabbed at her eyes before turning back to the camera. “Then we’d better book the first flight to Keeneston.”
*
Dylan and Jackson hadn’t left the hospital since Mila and Abby had gotten there. About thirty minutes after they arrived, the entire town of Keeneston had also shown up. Mila was gifted a quilt, five pies, and thirteen casseroles. Abby had X-rays, and while she was bruised, luckily nothing was broken. Mila had her arm cleaned and stitched and then received a monstrous tetanus shot. When the two women were discharged, the town went back to the farm. Dylan took Abby home and Jackson brought Mila to the bed and breakfast.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for Zain to get here?” Jackson asked for the third time. He stood looking a little lost in the middle of her room. “I feel bad leaving you up in the tower by yourself.”
Mila smiled at him. He was a very nice man, but there was only one man she wanted in her room right now. And it wasn’t Jackson. “I’m sure. I want to rest before Zain gets here. I’m a little tired after today.”
“Only if you’re sure. You have my number, though, right?” When Mila shook her head, he had asked her to hand him her phone just like his sister had. “Here’s my number, my brother’s number, my sister’s number. Oh, and my parents. Aunt Annie and Uncle Cade. You may want Ahmed and Bridget, too. Do you want my grandparents’ number? You never know when an apple pie might be needed.”
Mila laughed and shook her head. “Are you entering the whole town?”
“Well, yeah. You’re our friend and you never know when you might need someone shot or a homemade dessert.” Mila watched as Jackson typed away on her phone for five minutes before handing it back to her. “There. You’re official now.”
“Thank you. And thank you for making me feel so welcome here. I hate that I have to leave tomorrow. I’m going to miss all of you very much.”
Jackson winked. “That’s not what John Wolfe told me at the hospital.”
“What?”
“John. He knows everything, and he says you’re not leaving tomorrow. I’ll see you later.”
As Jackson smiled that smile of his that would make women tear off their clothes, a thought stuck Mila. “Are you the cause of the town panty dropper?” Mila asked.
Jackson just shook his head and chuckled as he climbed down the stairs and slid the door closed. Ha, this phone thing would come in handy. Mila scrolled through all the new contacts on her phone. “Poppy, hi, it’s Mila. Can I put ten dollars on Jackson being behind the panties being left all around town?”
Mila hung up with a content smile on her face. In less than a week, she had more roots and friends in this tiny town than she’d had in any city before. Her smile slipped as she thought of leaving the next day. She folded all of the clothes Sydney had given her and placed them in the plastic bags. Even her luggage knew they didn’t belong in Keeneston.
Mila took off her clothes from the day and tossed the blouse in the trash. She found the outfit she had arrived in and put it on. She sat down on the bed, and before long, her eyes were drifting shut. That was until she heard the scraping sound coming from the side of the house.
Her heart kicked up as a dark form filled her window. Mila screamed and threw the lamp when the figure tried to climb in the window.
“Not again.”
“Zain?”
“Who else would be climbing in your window at night?” Zain fell to the floor, smiling, and stood up in jeans and a black shirt that showed off all his muscles.
“Why on earth didn’t you just use the door?”
“I thought this would be more romantic,” Zain said with a knowing grin. He pulled her to her feet and ran his hands through her hair before bringing his lips slowly to hers. “I’ve missed you.”
“You saw me this morning.”
“I know. It’s been too long.”
Mila giggled and then ran her hand down his chest to the button of his jeans. “You’re right. It has been too long.”
“Mmm. Before we start this, there is something I need to talk to you about,” Zain said in between kissing her.
“What’s that?”
“You leaving tomorrow. I’m afraid I can’t allow it.”
Mila stiffened. “Allow it?”
Zain’s lips twitched as he fought smiling. “That’s right. You’re going to be far too busy with me to go home.”
“What are you talking about?” Mila asked as she stared at him.
“I’m talking about me loving you too much to let you go.” Zain kissed her cheek. “I can’t go that long without kissing you.” He kissed her lips quick and hard before dropping to his knee.
Mila looked down at him stunned. Was he—?
“Mila Thiessen, I love you with all my heart and I want to spend every day tempting your wild side. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you standing on the sidewalk accusing Sydney of trying to give you stolen goods. I want to share our lives together. Have children. Make the world a better place. Then nag our children until they give us grandchildren. I want you by my side always and forever as my wife. I will love you and cherish you every day. Mila—”
Mila stopped breathing when he held out the golden box with the same emblem he had worn during the conference on his lapel.
“Will you marry me?” Zain kept his eyes on hers as he opened the box. She didn’t look down. She didn’t care what was in it. She only cared what she saw in his eyes. Love. Laughter. Life.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!” Mila flung her arms around his neck and they tumbled backwards. The box thudded to the floor but she didn’t pay any attention to it. She had much more interesting things to pay attention to.
“Did she say yes?”
Mila froze. She had Zain’s shirt halfway off when she heard the whispered call. “Did you hear that?”
“It sounded like my mother,” Zain said from underneath his shirt.
“She said yes!”
“That sounded like Miss Lily,” Zain told her as he tugged his shirt back down.
“What are they doing?”
“Oh God. That’s your father,” Mila whispered.
“I don’t know. I can’t see them anymore,” Miss Violet yelled from her house next door.
“So,” Zain joked. “Want to live in D.C.?”
“Don’t you even think about taking our girl from us, Zain Ali Rahman,” Miss Lily ordered.
Mila hid her laugh under her hand. “Did they bug our room?”
“Of course not! We’d never invade your privacy like that. We just got this little doohickey from the Internet. You just point it and you can hear everything,” Miss Daisy called back.
“As much as I hate to wait another minute to be inside you, we’d better go downstairs. I have a feeling the town is throwing us a little engagement party,” Zain whispered against her ear.
“What if I’m just really quiet?”
“Where’s the fun in that? I enjoy hearing you screaming my name.”
“I don’t think I will ever be able to do that again,” Mila teased as she shot a glance toward the window.
“Don’t worry. I know the perfect place. There’s a small house on the edge of the farm, far, far away from anyone else.”