Her Best Friend's Proposal #SYTYCW15 #Special Edition Suzanne Swartz

Chapter 6 #SYTYCW15 #Specialedition

Tess's lips were still tingling and her body still vibrating as she followed Jack into the huge country kitchen. The main house at Lone Oaks was a massive structure that cohesively blended up to the minute amenities with rustic Early American architecture and design.

Exposed wooden beams crossing the ceiling harmonized with track and recessed lighting, knotty pine floors melded with walls of windows, and gleaming modern appliances merged with an eclectic mix of furnishings running the gamut from antique to art deco.

The end result was the same in all rooms of the house – warm, inviting, and homey.

From the first time Jack had ever brought her to Lone Oaks, Tess had felt at home and comfortable. Instantly welcoming her into their fold, the Blackwoods had always treated her as one of their own.

Like family.

"Well, look who finally decided to cross the lake and grace us with his presence."

Both of them turned in the direction of the booming voice of Zeke Blackwood, Jack's grandfather. At six-six, Zeke was an imposing figure with his nearly three hundred pound girth, thick shock of silver hair, and piercing blue eyes. Although his deep baritone and hulking size could easily intimidate and overwhelm, Tess knew the gentle soul that resided inside the country veterinarian.

"Pops." Jack grinned, his teeth flashing white as the elder Blackwood clapped him solidly on the shoulder. "I was just here a few days ago."

"I didn't see you."

"That's because he came to see his mama," a soft, feminine voice interjected. "Isn't that right?"

"Absolutely," Jack agreed, leaning down to envelope his mother in a bear hug and kiss her on the cheek.

In her mid-fifties, Anna Blackwood was a lovely woman with chocolate brown eyes that were identical to Jack's and a cap of wavy dark hair with threads of silver woven throughout. Of all five of her boys, Jack and Luke were the only ones to inherit her dark eyes instead of the cool Blackwood blue eyes every other male in the family seemed to possess.

"Tess," Anna greeted with a warm smile as she pulled her in for a hug. "I'm so glad you could come."

Tess sunk into the older woman's embrace, returning it fully. As usual, Anna smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. It was a scent Tess always associated with Jack's mother, warm and inviting like the woman as well as her home.

"I hope I'm not intruding, and that Jack told you he'd invited me."

"Don't be silly, girlie," Zeke boomed in response before Anna could. "The more the merrier. Besides, we'd never turn away a pretty girl. Isn't that right, Jackie?"

The twinkle in Jack's eyes sparkled all the more brightly. "That's right, Pops," he agreed, his gaze locking with Tess's just before he winked at her.

"I thought I heard new voices," another baritone stated.

Eli Blackwood, Jack's father, entered the kitchen. Although a couple inches shorter than Zeke, Eli was just as imposing a figure as his father with his lean muscles, thick dark hair now greying slightly at the temples, and darkly lashed Blackwood blue eyes.

Another round of greetings ensued along with some light familial banter. It didn't take long for any angst Tess had been feeling to dissipate, and she fell into the ease of being among what she'd always considered her second family

Despite the "marriage thing," today should be no different than the last twenty years. No one but she and Jack knew about his proposal, so there was no reason to make this visit to Lone Oaks any different from the millions of others over the years.