The Art of Romance (47 page)

But when everything behind her grew silent, she turned to see what was happening.

“Daddy? Mama? What are you—Flannery? Zarah?” And Bobby and Sassy, and Perty and Gerald Bradley. What were all of them doing here, standing in a semicircle around Dylan and Daddy?

Dylan faced her father as if about to debate him. “Mr. Evans, I know you always hoped your daughter would marry well—for wealth and power and prestige.”

No, he hadn’t—wait…Giovanni said those exact words to Isabella’s father.

“I know you wouldn’t have wanted her to fall in love with a penniless artist who can offer her nothing but himself. But sir, I love your daughter, and she loves me. And I would like your blessing to ask for her hand in marriage.”

Caylor didn’t realize her knees had given out until they hit the floor and sent shockwaves up into her hips.

Flannery and Zarah rushed to her side and helped her back up to her feet, both grinning like fools.

Daddy eyed Dylan critically, as if taking his measure, weighing his value as a man. Caylor wanted to cry out, wanted to run to her father and make him say yes. But her shock, as well as Flannery and Zarah, held her rooted to the spot.

“There is much to be said about wealth and power and prestige,” Daddy said in the words of Isabella’s father. “But as much as I want my daughter to have those things, above all else, I want her to have love.” Amusement danced around Daddy’s lips. He reached over and laid his hands on Dylan’s shoulders. “You have my blessing.”

Zarah and Flannery moved away from Caylor as Dylan approached. Everyone else in the room seemed to disappear when Dylan’s gaze locked with hers.

Her heart raced, and tears streamed freely down her cheeks. He sank to one knee and held something small and flat, enclosed in a velvet drawstring bag, toward her.

“Caylor, you know all my flaws and failings, yet you’ve stuck with me and shown me the true meaning of love.” Dylan now stopped quoting Caylor’s characters and spoke from his heart. “Like Giovanni, I have nothing to offer you at the moment. But if you’re willing to take me as I am, I will spend my life doing whatever I can to be worthy of your love. Please be my wife.”

Caylor couldn’t breathe, but she managed to step forward and press her hands to his stubbly cheeks. “Dylan, you say you have nothing to offer, but the richest man in the world could offer me everything he owns, and I wouldn’t take it. Because I love you, yes, I will be your wife.”

She leaned down as he started up, and their lips met, sealing their love and their vow.

Around them, their friends and family cheered and clapped.

Dylan opened the velvet bag and pulled out a small, framed painting—of an engagement ring. “I can’t afford to buy you a ring yet, so take this as a promise that one day I’ll buy a ring worthy of your hand.”

Caylor took the painting from him and flung her arms around his neck. “I’ll be happy with a plain gold band, as long as it means I get you.”

They broke apart to accept the congratulations of those surrounding them. After several minutes, they managed to escape the gallery for a few minutes alone.

“I thought of a title for your book.” Dylan ran his finger down Caylor’s cheek.

Who cared about books and titles? She just wanted to kiss him again. “What’s that?”

“L’Arte del Romanzo.”

“That’s…” She chuckled. “Maybe it should be in English, though.”

“The Art of Romance?”
He tilted his head, considering. “That has potential. But if you use the Italian—”

She stopped him with a kiss. For a guy who used to have problems with expressing himself, he sure seemed to be talking a lot tonight.

But that was okay. Because the true art of their romance was in discovering the trust and respect that came with being completely honest with one another and trusting God to take care of everything else.

Kaye Dacus
is a graduate of Seton Hill University’s Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program. She is an active member and former vice president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and current president of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Her
Stand-In Groom
novel was a Christy Award finalist in 2010. Find out more at
kayedacus.com
.