But Caleb pulled me back, and to my great surprise, he picked a wildflower and put it in his hair.
He asked me, "Does this count as blossoming?"
I was stunned.
Before I came to my senses, we were under the same blanket, entwined with each other.
He did look after me well, and I was pleased.
Just a bit exhausted, the kind of tired where you're pleasantly sore and basking in it.
"Caleb."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know that I started with just physical attraction?"
The guy had a body that made me want to get close to him the first time I saw him—in a very intimate way.
Caleb took a moment before he whispered back to me, "I know."
I was so tired and sleepy that my words were slurred, "I fished with a bare hook and you still bite?"
He seemed to respond, but I didn't catch it all.
Anyway, the desert bloomed with roses for me, and that was enough.
-
When I showed up in front of Zoe holding Caleb's hand, Zoe just called me Mrs. Wright.
I was in such a blissful state that I didn't even tease her about doing a handstand and washing her hair.
His parents had always adored me and wanted me to join their family.
But my parents didn't like Caleb.
I was shocked!
I was shocked that they didn't like such a wealthy and handsome man!
On top of the fact that I was the one chasing after Caleb from the start, which led them to think he wasn't as into me as I was him, my mom also said, "He's too handsome and too wealthy. We're afraid you won't be able to hold on to him, and the odds of a future change in marital status are high."
I felt speechless.
I told Caleb what my parents had said, and he shared his predicament.
"The business is booming, no bankruptcy on the horizon. As for my face, I can't very well rearrange it to look uglier, can I?"
I nearly died laughing, then threw my arms around him and planted a kiss.
"What do you propose, then?"
"Let me meet with your parents first. Even if I'm facing a death sentence, I deserve a chance to plead my case, don't you think?"
"How about today?"
"You've already talked to your parents?" Caleb asked.
"Nope, I'm going for a surprise attack. We're going in blind."
Caleb was at a loss.
He let out a sigh at his future wife's knack for creating challenges for him.
Caleb wasn't playing around when it came to meeting my parents. He set a date, gave them a heads-up, and then arrived with an armful of gifts, making a grand entrance.