The One She Needed. **complete**

Chapter 53 **Wait? Was that a proposal?

Kelsie looked at the ring box in shock. She knew, without opening it, what was inside. She opened it slowly and there sat the ring. Even more massive than it appeared on TV.

Kelsie put on the ring and said it was fine. It just needed to be sized. Scott took one look at the huge thing and said no. She was right, it was far to big for her tiny hands.

In the end, he locked the ring in his glove box and she let it drop because there was kissing to be done and that dang ring was interfering!

It wasn't until late that night, when Kelsie was tucked happily into bed that she thought 'wait!! Was that a proposal?' And realized that for the rest of her life, when someone ask how Scott proposed she would have to say, "well, he threw a ring box in my lap and said, 'What the hell am I gonna do with this thing?'"

She sighed and went to sleep, dreaming of sweet proposals with champaign and roses.

Monday morning, Kelsie climbed out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and went into her room. She thought she was home alone so she was a bit surprised to find Scott on her bed watching TV.

"What's up?" She ask as she brushed her wet hair. She didn't remember making plans today.

"Well," Scott said, "crossing to stand behind her at her vanity. "I came to take you to get a good ring, and we will do that, eventually. Right now, you're all wet and naked and I'm thinking we need to do something else first." Kelsie stood up and turned toward him letting the towel drop and Scott said, "yeah! The ring can wait!" And pulled her to the bed.

Two hours later, Scott was opening the door to Daxter's jewelry. Sunday he had returned the ring to the chain store. Receiving sympathetic looks from the girls behind the counter who clearly thought he'd been turned down.

To Scott's surprise, when he had told his grandmother about the ring, instead of saying he was an idiot for proposing, she told him he chose the wrong store. So, he took Kelsie to the oldest, best jewelry store in town to choose her ring.

The sales clerk met them at the door. "What can I do for you today?" He ask Kelsie.

"We need an engagement ring." Scott said, coming up behind her to put his arm around her waist.

The salesman smiled broadly and brought out a tray of rings. All very large. Then Scott chuckled and said, "she doesn't like big diamonds "

The salesman looked a bit shocked, but hid it quickly and said, "OK. Show me what size you think is good." So Kelsie looked in the case a bit and found what she thought was a good size.

"I think she really wants a heart." Scott said from behind her and the salesman said. "I think I have the perfect one!"

He pulled out a black cloth with little diamonds sprinkled over it. Kelsie saw her's right away. It was a little sparkly diamond heart. When it caught the light, it made tiny rainbows. It was perfect.

Next, they decided it would be set in a simple gold ring. The salesman called it a princess band. It was Kelsie's dream ring. A one third carrot, heart shaped, diamond. They were promised it would be ready in two days. Kelsie spent the next forty eight hours dreaming of how Scott would propose now that he had the perfect ring.

The big day arrived. Scott and Kelsie went to pick up the ring. The salesman handed the ring to Scott and the paperwork to Kelsie. When they got back to the truck, Scott turned, handed Kelsie her ring and said,
"Now you have to marry me! I already bought the ring."

This would be the proposal Kelsie most often quoted.

As they drove home, Scott said, "we're gonna need to start looking at houses. We probably need to line up a loan first. Then we'll know what we can afford."

Kelsie looked confused and said, "huh? Are you buying a house?"

Scott looked over at her as they climbed out of the truck and said, "well I don't want to rent. Do you?" And that's when Kelsie caught up.

"Umm Scott?" She ask carefully as he opened her front door and they walked to her room. "When are you planning on us getting married."

"I'd go now if we could,". Scott said, "but I figure you want a big wedding so how long does that take to plan? Maybe six months?"

"We just now got engaged!" Kelsie said.

"Right!" Scott said, clearly not on the same page as Kelsie. "We got engaged, now we get married."

"I was thinking we would really enjoy being engaged for a while." Kelsie said, straddling Scott's lap as she kissed his neck, "like four years."

Scott sat up so fast that he knocked Kelsie to the floor. "FOUR YEARS?? You want me to wait four years?"

"I finish college in four years." Kelsie said, getting off the floor.

"Kelsie." Scott said calmly. "Sweetie, why do you think I'm already working full time?"

"I have no idea." Kelsie said honestly.

"I started working so we could get married." Scott said patiently. "I don't want to be engaged. I want to be married. I want to go to sleep beside you and wake up beside you. I'm tired of telling you goodnight over the damn phone."

"I'm eighteen." Kelsie said quietly.

"My grandma was fifteen." Scott said. "I know we're kids, but we'll finish growing up together."

"I don't make much money. Kelsie said.

"I can support you." Scott said. "We'll have to be careful for a few years, but all you need to pay is the car payment you make now. In a pinch I can even make that."

"I'm sick Scott." Kelsie said miserably. "What happens when that flares up again?"

"I have amazing health insurance." Scott said happily. "It's one reason I took this job. I can take care of you Kelsie. I want to take care of you. For the rest of our lives, I want to take care of you."

Kelsie wasn't speaking. She had settled back on Scott's lap, she was looking in his eyes, but not speaking.

"If you aren't sure about us, I'll wait." Scott said softly. "I know it's gonna be hard and I know we're gonna have stuff we have to deal with and sometimes we'll hate each other, but we love each other enough to get through it. I'm sure, but if you're not. I'll wait."

"I'm sure too." Kelsie said. "I'm scared, because we're so young, but I'm sure. I love you so much. I'm sure. We'll be OK."

Scott kissed her then. Pulling her to him and running one hand up her back, while the other tangled in her hair. "We're gonna be OK Little Rabbit." He whispered as he came up for air, "I'll always take care of you."

"I'll always take care of you too." Kelsie said. "I promise."

"So!!" Scott said, pulling Kelsie to her feet. "We've gotta buy a house and plan a wedding. Let's go talk to your mom!"