The original bonus that is linked in the back of Roots Run Deep is where we learn that Jason and Zach are engaged, but we don’t actually see the proposal. Below is that proposal. Enjoy!
Halloween
Jason
I took a deep breath, and another, then closed the box and shoved it in my pocket before exiting the bedroom and heading down the hall to find Zach. I followed the sound of his voice, badly singing along to Lord Huron, while something clattered in the kitchen. I turned the corner to find him wiggling his butt to the music while he chopped a carrot, pausing for a moment to toss a piece to Daisy, before dumping the rest into the pot on the stove next to him.
I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of this man, which was a good thing, since I was planning to ask him to officially be mine for good.
I crossed over to him, coming up behind him and resting my chin on his shoulder to peer into the pot. He paused his stirring and leaned back into me, making a sound of contentment, then gave the contents of the pan one more stir before setting the spoon aside and turning to peck me on the lips.
“Mmm,” I said against his mouth. “Are you at a good place to take a quick break?”
“I need to finish this, and then I need to make the beer bread and get that in the oven. Then I was going to roast the pumpkin seeds and–”
I interrupted him with another kiss, taking an extra moment to savor the flavor of him before pulling back again. “I just need ten minutes.”
“Let me add the broth to this, and then I can pause for a moment.”
I backed away, giving him the space to do what he needed, admiring the efficiency of his movements. Zach had really gotten into cooking in the last couple of months now that he wasn’t on the road for soccer, and while I wasn’t incompetent in the kitchen, I much preferred grilling, so was happy to be his taste-tester as he found new recipes to try.
He turned the soup down to a gentle simmer, then turned with an expectant look, saying, “Okay. I’m ready for…whatever it is you wanted.”
I smiled, stepping forward to grab his hands and tug him into my arms. He came easily with a burst of surprised laughter, the confusion melting away from his expression. I gave him a big, smacking kiss, then turned toward the back door, pulling him along behind me.
We stepped out into the late afternoon sun, Zach and Daisy following behind as I lead us down to the dock. The trees were mostly bare, early snowfall pulling the leaves down last week, though in true Nebraska fashion, temperatures had bounced back into the sixties today, which was downright balmy for Halloween.
The sun sat low in the sky, casting its light in golden pools across the lake, shimmering like glitter across the water. Soon, the doorbell would be ringing with trick-or-treaters, and a little later, friends and family would be joining us for soup and conversation around the fire pit, but for now, it was just us–my favorite dog and my favorite human. And a ring burning a hole in my pocket.
“God, I love it here. I’m so glad I was able to buy this place when I moved back. And you moving in with me was just…” His words trailed off as he turned to find me down on one knee, looking up at him.
“J…are you serious?” He slapped both hands over his mouth, bending a little at the waist as his brain caught up with what was about to happen.
I held my hand out to him. He only hesitated for a moment before grasping it, his own hand shaking like a leaf. His nerves somehow steadied my own and I gave his hand a squeeze.
“You know where I was on Halloween ten years ago?”
He cocked his head at me, reminding me of Daisy when I said her name in a particular tone of voice. “Um, no? I don’t remember.”
“I was at the high school football game. I recorded our sisters dancing to Thriller at halftime that night.”
“Oh, yeah! I do remember that now.”
“I think I was half in love with you even then. Before I knew what love or attraction even felt like. The whole time I was at the game, I was thinking about you, wondering what you were doing. Wishing you were there with me, watching our sisters dance. I thought about you all the time in those days. Something would happen during my classes or at the orchard and I’d think, ‘I’ll have to tell Zach about that when we talk later.’ I screenshot your soccer schedule and favorited it in my phone to make sure I never missed one of your games. I quit running here at the lake because it felt weird without you. We were supposed to just be friends, but there was a hole inside me, only you could fill.”
“And then I went and–”
I hopped up, putting a finger to his lips before he could finish that thought. “Uh-uh. Remember, we’re not going over that again. Only looking forward.”
“But you just said a bunch of stuff about–”
“Listen, if we never talk about that time in our lives, then we miss out on remembering the good stuff too. So maybe it’s not that we only look forward, but sometimes, it’s okay to remember where we came from, those roots that held even through the storm.” I pressed a kiss to the wrinkle that had formed in his brow, hoping to soothe away the guilt I knew he still carried with him, despite my attempts to reassure him that all was forgiven. “You’re it for me, honey. You were it for me before I even knew what that meant. And you’re it for me now and always. I still think about you all the time. Still make note of things to tell you about when I see you later. Still keep a calendar of your games so I can come see you coach.
I took his face in my hands, thumbing away his tears. “And now, I get to go on runs with you whenever I want. I get go to bed with you each night and wake up with you each morning. I get to hold you. Kiss you. Fuck you. Love you. I want that forever. I want to make it official. I want to watch you become a father, however we decide to make that happen. I’m greedy, honey. I want it all.”
“I want that too,” he said, his eyes glossy with tears.
“Good. Then let’s make it official. Marry me, Zach.”
Another tear fell and then he nodded vigorously before throwing himself into my arms. “Yes,” he said, his voice muffled where it was buried in my neck. “Yes, yes, yes!” I held him against me so tight I was surprised he could still breathe, relief and happiness pouring through me. A few of my own tears fell as I picked him up and spun him around, Daisy hopping and barking at our feet.
“Oh, wait.” I set him down and stuffed my hand in my pocket. “I almost forgot your ring.”
He swiped at his face, then held out his hand as I opened the box and showed him the ring. “Oh! It’s perfect!”
Grinning, I took the ring out and slipped it on his finger, my heart flip-flopping at the sight. “I love you, Zach. I’m never gonna stop.”
“I love you too. So much.” He tilted his face up and kissed me. I tasted his tears, but I also tasted his joy as our tongues tangled and danced in the fading sun. Daisy gave an excited yip and we pulled apart as she took off running toward the front of the house. A split second later we heard a car door slam and the chatter of an excited little voice, alerting us to the arrival of Sean and his family. They were going to go trick-or-treating in our—our—neighborhood, then join us and our friends and family for soup when they were finished.
“That’s our cue. I should probably check on the soup, anyway. How do we want to share the news?” he asked, staring at his ring with a smile.
“I’ll leave that up to you.”
“Let’s wait until everyone’s here and we can tell them all at once.”
“Whatever you want, honey.”
I kissed him one more time and then I headed up the dock toward the house with my fiancé.
The End