Page 58 of Whisk Me Away

"Brant," she said, her voice trembling with emotion, "your grandmother would have wanted you to have this."

She opened her palm with trembling hands, revealing a delicate ring nestled within. It was my grandmother's ring, a family heirloom that had been passed down through generations. My mom had always treasured it, and now she offered it to me, a symbol of love and legacy.

"I want you to use this to propose to Karis if you'd like," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Your grandmother would have been so proud to see you carry on our family's tradition of love and commitment."

Tears pricked my eyes as I reached out to take the ring, feeling the weight of its history in my palm. At that moment, I knew that this proposal would be more than just a declaration of love—it would be a testament to the generations of love that had come before us and the ones that would follow.

CHAPTER 39

KARIS

Abead of condensation traveled down the side of the large, iced coffee in front of me. My eyes tracked its movements, my mind lost in thought. It had been almost six months since Mom passed away, and the sting of loss still lingered every day. I wasn't sure if that feeling would ever go away, but the fact that Mom was rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus, no longer in pain, was the thing that kept me going.

I still found it weird to feel both sorrow and joy within me at the same moment. A joy that I had Brant, and things at Whisk Me Away were going well, and sorrow at the reality that Mom wouldn't be here for any more major life events.

"What's on your mind, Pumpkin?" Dad's gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked up and gave him a smile, gently shaking my head back and forth.

"Just thinking. Are you doing okay?" I didn't want to bring up Mom yet. I wasn't sure how he was holding up, and I wasn't sure when to broach that topic with him.

Dad sighed. "I'm alright. Don't you worry about me,” I knew that was going to be his answer. I just wasn't sure if I should push for the truth or let him be. It was such a hard balance. He was my dad, but that didn't mean I didn't want to make sure he was taken care of. Without Mom here, I felt responsible for looking after Dad. I decided to take my chances.

I shot him a questioning stare. "Please, don't lie to me, Dad. I can handle it," I pleaded.

Dad stared down at the coffee in his hands, almost as if debating whether to give me what I wanted. I waited, allowing the silence to stretch between us before Dad slowly raised his gaze to meet mine. The glossy look in his eyes from unshed tears caught me off guard.

"Most days, I don’t know what to do without her, K," Dad confessed before breaking eye contact. The slight hitch in his voice broke my heart.

Eden and I might have lost our mom, but Dad lost his life partner. He lost the person he had spent decades doing life with, and I couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling. I leaned forward and grabbed Dad's hand in mine.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy,” my voice broke on the last word. His hand squeezed mine, and we sat there holding hands in a comfortable silence.

After a few minutes, Dad cleared his throat. "We made it through. With the grace of God, we made it through,” his voice was stronger this time, and the look he gave me held both sorrow and hope at the same time.

I gave Dad a weak smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes and nodded. I knew he was right, but it didn't make any of this easier. Over the next hour, we sat and talked about less heavy topics, enjoying our afternoon coffee on the front porch. It was Friday, and Aspen was running the bakery today. She insisted I take a day off, and no matter how much I protested, she refused to let me come in. Knowing that tomorrow I would be running the bakery alone while Aspen spent the day with her little guy, I reluctantly gave in.

Grabbing two coffees to go, I brought them back home and convinced Dad to take a break and sit on the porch with me. It was something I did with Mom, and somehow, it just felt right to do this with Dad, too.

"How's Brant?" Dad asked.

I hadn't talked much about Brant with Dad, but he knew we were dating.

"Good," I said with a smile—the same one that took over my face anytime I heard his name. "He stops in the bakery at least once a day, and we've been spending the evenings having dinner and hanging out before I head home. He is the sweetest, and I really like him." I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

Dad must have noticed because his eyes dropped to my cheeks before they popped back up to my eyes as he chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that, Pumpkin."

The sound of gravel crunching beneath tires grabbed our attention, and we both turned our heads to see who had arrived. When I caught sight of Brant's SUV pulling to a stop, my stomach did a few flips. Brant climbed out of his vehicle and walked toward us. Dad stood as Brant approached, and they shook hands.

"I'll see you later, K," Dad said before placing a kiss on the top of my head. "I love you."

"I love you, Dad!" I replied before he walked inside the house, leaving Brant and me on the porch.

Brant wasn't in his uniform today. Instead, he wore black basketball shorts, a black tee, and a Tennessee Titans hat. He also wore black running shoes on his feet. I took a minute to appreciate all that was Brant Landon before my eyes met his. His face had a knowing smirk as he looked down at me.

"Hey, Peach,” he reached out and pulled me into his strong embrace.

"Hi," I whispered into his chest, loving the feeling of being in his arms. "How did you know I was here?"