Sully laughed. “You’re not helping. I have one more.”

Melissa waited.

When he walked out in the last pair, Melissa sighed.

“Pick out the ones that feel the most comfortable, because you rock them all.”

“Then the first ones it is,” Sully said. “Are those the shirts?”

“Yes…the main difference is fabric. Cotton or polyester blend?”

“The one that doesn’t wrinkle,” he said.

“Polyester it is,” Melissa said, and went to put the other one back while Sully went to get dressed.

He paid for the purchases, and as they were leaving the store, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the spot right below her ring.

“Thanks for all the help,” he said.

Melissa paused. “Are you being sarcastic?”

“Maybe,” he said. “When your eyes glazed over, I knew you were thinking about sex. I lost you after that.”

She laughed. “You are such a smart-ass. It’s not my fault you look so gorgeous naked.”

An elderly woman walked past them grinning, winked at Sully, gave Melissa a thumbs-up, and kept walking.

He laughed. “Now look what you did. I have been scandalized.”

“We just need to get to the car before I embarrass myself any more,” Melissa said.

“Lunch here, or back in Blessings?” Sully asked.

“Lunch at Granny’s. I can’t wait for Lovey to see my ring.”

Chapter 17

They drove into Blessings a little before noon, still locked in the joy of what they’d done. A pledge to marry was as serious to both of them as the act itself.

Melissa had smiled all the way from Savannah and was still smiling to herself as they drove up Main toward Granny’s.

“What are you smiling about?” Sully asked.

“Oh, you…me…and life from this point. I don’t know how to explain it, but life feels new to me. I quit participating in it for such a long time, but now I’m different, and life is different, too. We’re going to be happy for a very long time, aren’t we, Sully?”

“We’re already being happy, baby. No doubts. Nothing but joy.”

“Nothing but joy,” she repeated as he pulled into the lot at Granny’s and parked.

“Let’s go start some new gossip,” Sully said.

Melissa laughed. “You already have your finger on the pulse of small-town living, don’t you?”

“I love it here,” Sully said.

They got out of the car and walked into Granny’s hand in hand.

Lovey grinned when she saw them, then slipped out from behind the counter and gave both of them a quick hug.

Melissa held out her hand.

Lovey saw the ring and squealed.

“Congratulations! My cup runneth over. Just good news after good news.”

Sully was nothing but smiles, watching the two women in his life with their heads together, when three more people walked in, and Lovey shifted back into work mode.

“I’ll be right with you,” she said. She grabbed a couple of menus and led Sully and Melissa into the dining room and seated them at a table, then winked as she hurried back to seat the others.