"What's going on?" I asked as I walked up to Carter. He was standing
outside the ice skating rink like he said he would be.
He just smiled at me. "First things first," he said. He took my hand. "I'm sorry," he said. "And will never again bring up that kiss." He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. "I'll open up to you. I promise."
I moved closer to him. "Starting now?"
"Starting right now. As soon as we walk through that door." He nodded his head towards the ice skating rink. "You ready?"
"I am," I said. "I don't if you are though. You're shaking like a leaf."
Carter smiled. "I'll be OK. Let's go."
As soon as we walked through the door I knew something was up. "Why's it so dark?" I asked. "And quiet. There's nobody here." I stopped. "John, what's going on?"
Carter turned around and grinned at me. "You'll see."
I hesitantly followed him into the main room. Oh my god . . ." I gasped. There were no lights on but the room glowed. Thousands of candles were lit around the outside of the rink. "Oh John," I breathed.
There were rose petals scattered all over the ice. Carter disappeared into a little booth and "Inspiration" by 'Chicago' softly filled the room. Carter took my hand and led me to the center of the ice.
When we got there Carter got down on one knee and took my hand. "I love you so much," he said.
I could feel tears running down my face but I wasn't aware of crying.
"I know I can't live without you. And I don't want to try. So . . ." he took a small black box out of his pocket. He flicked it open and revealed a simple diamond on a simple white gold band. "Abigail Lockhart . . . will you marry me?"
I started to shake. I opened my mouth to answer but I couldn't. I just stood there shaking and crying.
Carter stood up and rubbed my upper arms. Then he kissed each of my cheeks. "It's OK," he whispered, pulling me into his arms. "Don't cry."
I stepped back slightly and smiled. "Is this real?"
Carter smiled. "Yeah. It's real."
I took the box from Carter's hand and studied the ring. "It's beautiful," I said. "Classically beautiful."
Carter brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Like you," he said.
I playfully smacked him on the arm. "You're such a suck-up."
"So what do you say?" Carter said, putting his hands on my waist and pulling me close again.
I swallowed and looked down at my feet. "I don't know," I said. "It's complicated. It's . . .it's complicated."
"Complicated?"
"There's Annie and . . . other stuff," I said. "John, this whole thing is beautiful. I'm touched, really . . ."
Carter backed away from me. "Right," he said curtly.
I walked towards him. "I'm not saying no," I said. "There's just a lot to think about. I mean, I'd be a stepmother and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm not sure I'm what Annie needs. We need to think about Annie."
A thought occurred to me then. "Is this just . . . is this just to prove that you're opening up?" I asked. "You don't really want to marry me, do you?"
Carter was dumbfounded. "How can you say that? How can you even think that?" He looked genuinely hurt. "I've already been married to one woman I didn't really love. I'm not gonna make the same mistake again. I asked you because I want to marry you."
"I'm sorry," I said. Then I smiled. "I will marry you one day. But I don't know if I'm ready right now."
He kissed me. "Stay right there," he said. He ran across the ice and back into the little booth. This time "All My Life" by K.C. and Jo Jo started to play. Carter ran back onto the ice, slipped, and fell right on his ass. I laughed and went to help him up. "If you can stop laughing for a second," he said. "I would be honoured if you would dance with me."
I smiled and took Carter's outstretched hands. He spun me around and then into his arms. We danced together until the last candle faded away.
He just smiled at me. "First things first," he said. He took my hand. "I'm sorry," he said. "And will never again bring up that kiss." He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. "I'll open up to you. I promise."
I moved closer to him. "Starting now?"
"Starting right now. As soon as we walk through that door." He nodded his head towards the ice skating rink. "You ready?"
"I am," I said. "I don't if you are though. You're shaking like a leaf."
Carter smiled. "I'll be OK. Let's go."
As soon as we walked through the door I knew something was up. "Why's it so dark?" I asked. "And quiet. There's nobody here." I stopped. "John, what's going on?"
Carter turned around and grinned at me. "You'll see."
I hesitantly followed him into the main room. Oh my god . . ." I gasped. There were no lights on but the room glowed. Thousands of candles were lit around the outside of the rink. "Oh John," I breathed.
There were rose petals scattered all over the ice. Carter disappeared into a little booth and "Inspiration" by 'Chicago' softly filled the room. Carter took my hand and led me to the center of the ice.
When we got there Carter got down on one knee and took my hand. "I love you so much," he said.
I could feel tears running down my face but I wasn't aware of crying.
"I know I can't live without you. And I don't want to try. So . . ." he took a small black box out of his pocket. He flicked it open and revealed a simple diamond on a simple white gold band. "Abigail Lockhart . . . will you marry me?"
I started to shake. I opened my mouth to answer but I couldn't. I just stood there shaking and crying.
Carter stood up and rubbed my upper arms. Then he kissed each of my cheeks. "It's OK," he whispered, pulling me into his arms. "Don't cry."
I stepped back slightly and smiled. "Is this real?"
Carter smiled. "Yeah. It's real."
I took the box from Carter's hand and studied the ring. "It's beautiful," I said. "Classically beautiful."
Carter brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Like you," he said.
I playfully smacked him on the arm. "You're such a suck-up."
"So what do you say?" Carter said, putting his hands on my waist and pulling me close again.
I swallowed and looked down at my feet. "I don't know," I said. "It's complicated. It's . . .it's complicated."
"Complicated?"
"There's Annie and . . . other stuff," I said. "John, this whole thing is beautiful. I'm touched, really . . ."
Carter backed away from me. "Right," he said curtly.
I walked towards him. "I'm not saying no," I said. "There's just a lot to think about. I mean, I'd be a stepmother and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm not sure I'm what Annie needs. We need to think about Annie."
A thought occurred to me then. "Is this just . . . is this just to prove that you're opening up?" I asked. "You don't really want to marry me, do you?"
Carter was dumbfounded. "How can you say that? How can you even think that?" He looked genuinely hurt. "I've already been married to one woman I didn't really love. I'm not gonna make the same mistake again. I asked you because I want to marry you."
"I'm sorry," I said. Then I smiled. "I will marry you one day. But I don't know if I'm ready right now."
He kissed me. "Stay right there," he said. He ran across the ice and back into the little booth. This time "All My Life" by K.C. and Jo Jo started to play. Carter ran back onto the ice, slipped, and fell right on his ass. I laughed and went to help him up. "If you can stop laughing for a second," he said. "I would be honoured if you would dance with me."
I smiled and took Carter's outstretched hands. He spun me around and then into his arms. We danced together until the last candle faded away.
