Listen to Your Heart(60)

“Letting him move so far away from home must’ve been hard.”

“It was, but his Aunt Carol’s here, so that relieved our anxiety a little. We knew she wouldn’t let him starve to death. Belmont was always his first choice, so when he received his scholarship, it was really a no brainer. Nashville is where he’s always wanted to be.”

“He’s a wonderful teacher. You should be very proud.”

“Oh, we are. I admit this recent wedding business left us pretty upset with both him and Juliana, but their hearts were in the right place. Thankfully, he met you, and he was forced to see reason.”

“I encouraged him to go through with it.”

“I know. That must’ve been very hard.”

I nod.

“You’re very good for him, Skye. I do worry that he won’t be patient.”

“What do you mean?”

Sherry smiles thoughtfully at me. “My son is desperately in love with you. It’s quite obvious. And I’m afraid the Lynch men are very impatient when they fall in love. Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t proposed yet. Tucker proposed to me on our first date.”

My eyes widen, and she laughs out loud.

“What did you say?”

“I said no, of course! But then we went out again . . . and again. By the fourth date, I was regretting saying no. Good thing he asked again. It didn’t take long. We’d only been dating a month when I finally said yes.”

“Wow.”

“I see the way Caleb looks at you. The Lynch men are loving and faithful. You will be cherished always, and so will your children.” Sherry stops suddenly and smiles to herself. “What a sense of déjà vu. This is the same speech Tucker’s mom gave to me.”

I quickly brush away a tear.

“I’m not trying to push you into anything you aren’t ready for. I just want you to be prepared. I know my son, and I know how he thinks. As a wedding planner, you probably see many marriages come and go, and there are a thousand reasons not to ever get married. I just don’t want one of those reasons to be that you’re afraid he won’t love you unconditionally, because he will. Never doubt that.”

It’s quite a speech, and it does nothing to quell my anxiety. Is it possible Caleb’s actually considering proposing?

“I don’t think we’re there yet. I mean, it’s so soon. We haven’t even discussed marriage.”

Sherry smiles knowingly.

“Trust me. You will.”





Dad and I find a table while Eli plays every game in the arcade. He only speaks to us when he needs cash, giving us plenty of time to catch up. We talk about Luisa, teaching, and my music, but invariably, the conversation always returns to Skye.

“She’s really something, son.”

“She really is.”

Dad chuckles. “Hell of a way to meet the love of your life. I would’ve paid big money to have been a fly on the wall the day she found out you were the groom. I mean, what are the odds?”

“I know, right? It’s a small, small world.”

He sobers. “She is, isn’t she?”

“Is what?”

“The love of your life.”

I nod. Isn’t it obvious?

“You mother thought so.”

“Mom is very perceptive.”

I scan the room and find Eli standing at a Pac-Man machine. Modern, state-of-the-art games surround him, but leave it to him to find something from the eighties.

“So, when are you proposing?”

I don’t even bother denying it.

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

“Whenever Lynsey gives me the green light.”

“I know you explained this, but let me see if I understand. You’re planning a wedding, but you haven’t even proposed yet?”

“Actually, Skye already planned it.”

“Unknowingly.”

“Right.”

Dad laughs just as Eli returns, asking for just one more dollar. This is the tenth time he’s asked for just one more, but Dad just smiles and pulls out a twenty. Eli thanks him, and they bump fists before the kid’s gone once again.

“Son, you obviously know Skye better than I do, but she strikes me as the kind of woman who doesn’t like surprises.”

I nod. It’s my greatest fear—that Skye will be so upset about my and Lynsey’s teamwork that she’ll tell me to go to hell when I ask her to marry me.

“It’s supposed to be romantic,” I mumble.

“Oh, it is. It’s also nuts.”

“I just love her so much, Dad.”

“I know you do. We Lynch men are notoriously impatient when our hearts are involved.”

I think about my parents and how Dad proposed on their first date. Mom made him wait a whole month before saying yes.

“Maybe we just know when it’s right.”

Dad lifts his Coke and our bottles clink.

“Maybe we do.”



I’m not sure why, but it’s very hard to say goodbye to my parents at the end of the night. Maybe it’s the emotion of the last few days catching up with me. I can tell they feel the same way. After sharing a hug with Skye, Mom reaches for me, holding me a little tighter than usual. While we wait for their cab, Dad keeps asking me questions about the city, just to keep the conversation going. When their taxi arrives, I promise to visit California as soon as my schedule allows. Mom tells me to be sure to bring Skye when I come, which lets me know they already love her, just like I knew they would.