“What do you think, Grandpa? Am I bringing in the bucks or what? I don’t even have to run the place to do it.”

There was a roaring of laughter over that comment from most of the Bond family in the room. He knew Grace didn’t want any part of running The Retreat, but damn, what she did, she should get a ton of credit.

“Since reservations for the off season are up thirty percent already and we’ve got more wedding consultations lined up than ever before,” Hunter said, “you’re the one doing most of that work.”

“Totally worth it,” she said and leaned back to put her head on Lincoln’s shoulder.

That move had a lot of eyes on them and he had to say he never felt more accepted than he did in that moment.

It only got better though.

Pierre was announced as the winner and there were boos in the room, but Grace said loudly, “He earned it. Quiet. One more interview to go.”

Everyone was quiet as they listened to Pierre in the confessional in tears thanking his wife for letting him have a week away from the kids. The Frenchman laughed after that statement.

Grace’s face came up on the screen. “What are you going to do now?” the producer asked her.

“Go home and start thinking of my own wedding now that I’ve got all these wonderful ideas.”

“Are you and Lincoln engaged?” the producer asked. They’d shown him and Grace together two episodes ago, confirming the relationship and Bond Charter phones all but blew up after with his background. Just like they’d done a two-minute section on Pierre’s wife and kids back in Florida.

It was a nice touch if he did say so himself.

Now he was waiting to see what Grace said, as there was silence in the room.

“Not yet,” Grace said. “Maybe after this airs, he’ll get the hint.”

There were a ton of cheers in the room, clapping too. Talk about being put on the spot.

Too bad he wasn’t prepared for this night. If he’d known he would have been.

He heard a whistle and turned his head to Egan. “Heads up,” Egan said and tossed something in the air.

He reached out and snagged it.

The ring box of Grace’s engagement ring that he’d bought two weeks ago. What the hell? How did Egan get this and why did he bring it today? Of course, his buddy knew he’d bought it, but still.

“How did you find this?”

“Let’s say I had an idea something was going on and for a guy that always plans ahead you didn’t this time. Sorry about the mess. You hide things well.”

“What’s going on?” Grace said.

“Well, you did put me on the spot. Might as well let everyone know I got the hint. Funny thing is, I had no idea you were going to say that.”

There was a loud gasp and he got down on one knee.

“Oh my,” she said.

“Yeah, well, you asked for it,” he said.

“I just had to make that first move. Everyone in this room remember that.”

“You won’t let me forget it,” he said. He flipped the lid on the ring box. Inside was a thick band with two large baguettes on each side meeting to a square diamond in the center. “Grace Stone, will you be my wife?”

“You know it,” she said. “I only had to feed you to get here.”

There was more roaring that had the room almost vibrating in laughter, him standing and pulling her up and into his arms.

“I guess we’ve got a wedding to plan,” he said. “I’ll leave the menu to you. I’d say you’ve got it covered.”

She reached up and framed his face in her hands. “I’ve had it covered from the first day I met you, just needed to wait for the fate of this island to come into play.”

“Oh, now you are going to say you believe in it,” her mother said.

“Seems to be working in my favor now,” Grace said and gave him a big kiss. “Didn’t Lincoln say something about that at Egan’s wedding? Works for us both now.”

“Yes, it does!”

The End!

Source: www.seynovel.com