Starting over chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

Meg was stunned, she had never seen anything so beautiful as the ring Ben showed her. Ben stood up and took the ring out of the box “So Meg” He held her hand “Will you marry me?” Meg smiled “Yes Ben, I love to marry you” she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ben pulled away “Let’s see how this looks on?” he put the ring on her finger “Perfect” “Oh Ben, I love you so much” she kissed him and hugged him tight. Their kiss grew more intense and soon they were making love in front of the fire. “I love you Meg” Ben said and pulled her close before he pulled a blanket over them both “I love you too Ben” Meg felt so safe in his arms and soon she was asleep. Ben felt his eyes getting heavy but if they wouldn’t like to have soar backs the next day he better see to it they got into bed. After carrying Meg upstairs and tucking her in he went back down to blow the candles out and see to it the fading fire wouldn’t be any trouble.

The next morning Meg woke up in her bed with Ben by her side, the last thing she remembered was falling asleep in front of the fire. With a smile she then looked at her left hand, if anything the ring was even more beautiful this morning “It’s far from as beautiful as you” she heard Ben say “How did you know what I was thinking?” she rolled over on her side and kissed him “Good morning fiancé” “Good morning to you too fiancée” Ben replied. He felt a big grin spread all over his face. “What?” Meg asked “Nothing, I just feel happy” Meg rolled back to the side of the bed to get out “What are you doing?” Ben asked and tried to pull her back in “Ben, however much I’d like to stay in bed with you, I need to get to the hotel, it’s our first day fully opened and I promised Sarah last night that I’ll handle things in the morning” She turned around and smiled at him “And then I have to call my parents some time during the morning, but first I need a shower” Ben got out of bed as well “Let’s save some water then” he grinned.

“Cummings” Joan answered almost out of breath “Oh sorry mom, did I catch you at a bad time?” Sarah said “Not at all, I was just outside picking some apples, I’m making a pie, not that you needed to know that” she rambled on “So how did the grand opening go? We were so sorry we couldn’t be there, but it’s harvesting times” Sarah laughed “Oh mom, we’d love to have had you there, but it went well anyways” She told more about the event and she motioned to Derek to pick the other phone up “Mom, is dad around?” she asked “As a matter of fact he just walked in” “Good, I… we got something to tell you both so tell dad to pick the other phone up” “I’m here” Hank said “Great dad” Sarah hesitated “You’re both on?” Hank asked “We sure are” Derek answered “And as Sarah said we’ve got something to tell you” “Have you set your destination for the honeymoon?” Joan asked “Well kind of, we had to make some changes on our plans” Derek said and took Sarah’s hand “Mom, dad” she said with her newfound strength “I would really have liked to tell you this in person, but this is as good as it gets” she knew her mother had a worried look on her face “Mom, you don’t need to worry” “Oh Sarah, you know me too well, but now you have to tell us what’s up and why you’re not going to Hawaii anymore, nothing’s wrong with Meg is there?” Sarah laughed “Nothing’s wrong anywhere, it’s just that I’m pregnant” “Oh Sarah, that’s so…” Joan had tears in her eyes “Congratulations to the two of you” Hank said as Joan took a deep breath “It’s just so great news Sarah, I’m really happy for you both” she was now sobbing and Sarah’s eyes was tearing up too “See Derek, this is why we should have told them in person” “Oh Sarah” Joan sighed again “I will try and come see you as soon as possible. I can’t believe it, my first grandchild” she then heard a beep “Oh Sarah, I’ve got another call waiting” “Ok mom, we can talk more later, I will get over to the hotel and check a few things” they hung up and so did Hank “Cummings” Joan answered her second call “Hi mom, it’s Meg” and Joan burst into tears “What’s wrong mom” Hank immediately pick the second phone up “Hank Cummings” he answered “Hi dad, it’s Meg” he smiled at his wife “Hi Meggie, we just had Sarah on the line” “Oh” Meg said “Did she tell you the news?” and Hank decided to tease Meg like he always did “Oh yes, she told us all about the big grand opening” and Joan rolled her eyes “You have to forgive your father Meg, yes Sarah and Derek told us about the baby” “I’ve got some news of my own” Meg said “Are you pregnant too?” Joan asked without even thinking of why they had had a visit from Ben the other day “No” Meg laughed “I’m not in a hurry like my sister, but it’s equally happy news, at least for me” she paused “I guess you know already, Ben said he’d been visiting you” “Oh yes, he did. It was so sweet of him” “That’s my Ben and last night when we had walked back to my house he had gotten it all set up with white roses, a fire and lots of candles and he proposed in the most romantic way” Meg sighed happily “And…?” Joan said “I accepted of course” again she heard her mom cry “I hope it’s happy tears mom” Joan looked at her husband “I don’t care if you need help or not here Hank Cummings, I’m flying out to see my girls” “You do that love” Hank said to her “Mom, dad I’m still on the line” Meg reminded them “Sorry Meg, I didn’t mean to ignore you and I didn’t even say Congratulations to you and to Ben too, is he there?” “Not at the moment, I’m at the hotel” “Well then, give him our congratulations too and I’ll call you when I know I can get away and have a flight booked” they said their goodbyes and hung up. Joan sat down at the kitchen table “What a morning Hank, and it’s not even 10 yet” “I know, the girls must have been excited, they usually aren’t up too early” he was counting the time difference in his head. “I need to look into a flight to Sunset Beach, but that has to wait. We still have guests coming this evening”

“Heard you called mom and dad” Meg said as Sarah walked into the office “Yes I did, you called them too?” Meg nodded “To tell about the opening?” she knew Meg usually was the one keeping their parents updated. “Nah, not really” Meg said and loved the surprised expression on her sister’s face. “I had other things on my mind” she rested her chin in her hands hoping Sarah would notice the ring, but apparently not as she sat down to go thru some paperwork “Earth to Sarah?” Meg flashed her hand in front of Sarah’s face “Has that baby of yours made you not seeing things?” she now put the hand down in front of Saran right on top of the papers she was reading. Sarah looked up at Meg, back down at the hand and up again and met Meg’s smiling eyes “Did Ben propose?” “Yes” Meg nodded and beamed “Look at it, isn’t it the most beautiful ever?” “No, you are” she heard Ben saying just before he put his arms around her from behind and handed her a single white rose. Meg turned around and kissed him. In the meantime Sarah got up and around the desk “No you two can do that later, I want to congratulate my brother-in-law” she rolled her eyes “I guess it will be in double sense now” she hugged Ben “Congratulations Ben, you did the second best choice, me having been the first” she teased “You being the first choice for whom?” Derek too entered the office “Oh good thing we made it a big office” Meg laughed “Good morning Derek” she kissed his cheek “And good morning to you too, although I thought I’d come and whisk my wife off to lunch” “Why don’t we all go” Sarah suggested and looked around “We need to toast Ben and Meg?” Derek looked at her as she had lost her mind totally “Oh, I forgot the news isn’t out on town yet” Sarah said “Meg show him” she took her hand and held it out for Derek to see “Your brother finally got down on his knee wanting to make my sister an honest woman” Derek looked at the ring, kissed Meg on both cheeks and hugged his brother “Congratulations to the both of you” he smiled “Let’s all go get some lunch, we certainly need a glass of champagne for this” he put his arm protective around Sarah “But not for you, you’ll get something without alcohol” Sarah started to protest “No Sarah, that little sip of champagne you had last night will be the last in a long time”

With a happy smile, happier than usual, Hank and Joan both greeted their friends in the evening. “Harvest must be good this year” Roger, Hank’s best friend joked “Well it’s little better than average” Hank agreed “You know that yourself I bet, I’ve seen your fields grow all summer” he poured them all some drinks and then put his arm around Joan, “but we got some great news we want to share with you all”. Joan rested her head on his shoulder, too happy to even say anything. “Our Sarah called us this morning and told us we’ll be grandparents soon” “This needs a toast” Roger said “To Hank and Joan” he smiled at his friends “And Sarah too of course” Joan couldn’t stop beaming “And to Meg” she added “She’s getting married” that set of the mood for the rest of the evening.

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