Kym glanced around, seemingly curious. “There’s no one here. I hate to be late, but I don’t like to be the first one to show up either.”

  “Relax, babe.” Chaz pressed a kiss against her cheek, then placed a hand on her back to guide her forward. They wormed their way through the tables until she picked one. “My lady,” he said in a terrible British accent and pulled out a chair, then scooted her closer to the table.

  Once he took his seat, a young man with a confident stride entered the room. “Good evening,” he said as if there were a room filled with people. “My first selection for your enjoyment is Suzanne Ciani’s ‘The Velocity of Love.’” He slid onto the piano bench and drummed his fingers on the keys.

  She leaned closer and whispered, “Talk about starting on time… People are going to miss him.” She pouted.

  “It’s best if you close your eyes and listen,” he said.

  “I guess when I open them, the room will be packed.” She lifted a brow.

  “Shh, woman.” He rested his hand on hers. “Velocity means the speed of an object. Love is an object, an intense feeling of affection.” He watched as she sucked in her breath. Her pulse raced along her neck. “One look at you and the speed of my attraction was intense. At the airport, you were like a magnet that pulled all my senses to you. It was so profound, I couldn’t explain the emotion. With you, and only with you, I want to explore life all over again.”

  When her long lashes didn’t capture a tear, he caught it with his finger. “I was the first to say I love you, and I want to be the last man to profess it to you.”

  Her lips curled. “If you’re proposing, my answer is yes, Chaz.”

  “Woman, would you let me finish? Terrence will play as long as I ask him to.” He cleared his throat. “I want us to experience life together as husband and wife, a mom and dad of as many children as you want, and as helpmates to each other as God has ordained.” He removed his hand and reached into his breast pocket for the heart-shaped diamond on a silver band. He stood and pushed back his chair, then knelt. “Kym Knicely, will you marry me?”

  Now she was speechless. Chaz counted to three and repeated, “Kym, I would be honored to be your husband. Please marry me.”

  She nodded. “My answer is still yes.”

  He stood and helped her to her feet. He balled his hands into fists. “Yes!”

  Immediately, Terrence played the “Wedding March” on the keyboard as Kym placed her soft hands on both sides of Chaz’s face and sealed their fate with a kiss that promised the love to come. The rest of the evening, they were treated to a private concert.

  * * *

  The next day, Kym screamed at her sisters on the video call. “I’m engaged!!!” She fanned her ring in front of the monitor for both to see.

  “’Bout time!” Tabitha said. “I’m so happy for you. Congrats.”

  “You’re blinding us.” Rachel jokingly shielded her face with both arms. “I knew something was up when you called us first. Congratulations, Sis.” She turned and shouted, “Nicholas, Kym and Chaz are engaged!”

  “Praise God,” his voice echoed in the background.

  Then Tabitha yelled for Marcus to come to the computer before telling him.

  Marcus had a slow grin. “About time. I thought the brother was old and slow,” he joked, and Tabitha elbowed him.

  “Stop talking about my fiancé.” Kym extended her hand and scrutinized the clusters of diamonds again. “It is beautiful.”

  “It’s a private joke. Chaz will get it. Anyway, congratulations, Sis. He seems like a good guy who loves family and Jesus. That’s the best combination.” He nodded, then disappeared.

  When they were alone again, Rachel folded her arms and leaned closer to the computer. “Okay. Details. How did he propose? Where? What were you wearing?”

  “The evening was surreal.” Kym retold the story with excitement. She paused because her cheeks started to ache from her grinning. “Did I say I love that man?” she asked as she finished.

  “Yeah.” Tabitha grinned. “We heard that, and after a couple of times, we started counting. You’re up to seven. I’ve never seen you so happy. You were beaming on graduation day.”

  Her phone rang Chaz’s ringtone. “Ooh. Got to go. That’s my fiancé.” Kym signed off without waiting for their goodbyes. She answered his call with a resounding proclamation: “I’m engaged!”

  His chuckle was deep. “Hmm, I know. I put the ring on your finger. I happen to be the man who found favor with God to find a woman who is after my own heart. I’m glad you’re happy. I just told my sons. They can’t wait for you to become an official part of the Banks family. Thank you for saying yes,” he said softly. “You have changed my life.”

  Kym stood from her table and padded across the floor to the living room, where she floated to the sofa, spun around before sitting, then closed her eyes. “You’re the man I asked God for.”

  Chapter 39

  “So you did it.” Zeke slapped a handshake with Chaz as they passed each other on the walkway between their buildings. Both were coming from meetings. “This is the first time I’ve seen you as an engaged man. Congratulations.”

  “I know, both of us,” Chaz said, boasting. “She’s the one I couldn’t let get away.”

  They stepped to the side, out of the path of foot traffic. “Do you think having Chauncy for a while put off your decision?”

  Chaz grunted. “It was because of my grandbaby that Kym and I had clarity about what our future would look like. I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

  Zeke gave him a fist thump. “Well, now that we’re both engaged, I take back what I said about a double wedding. I’m not waiting on you and Kym. Judith and I will be married by the time you two set a date.” He laughed.

  “I may have been slow asking, but I want to marry Kym sooner rather than later. I’ll keep you posted on the details.” They did another handshake, then parted ways.

  Chaz’s meeting at the Bloomberg School of Public Health had lasted longer than expected. Since it had been rescheduled twice, attendance today had been mandatory.

  He had joined a handful of physicians, nurses, and staffers in a conference room for an update on whether the community outreach on diabetes education was making a difference. Teams had been formed to implement a diabetes intervention program in partnership with local churches whose membership could be at high risk.

  Susan King, the director, had circulated handouts at the table. “There are multiple factors in some communities: the lack of nutrition without access to neighborhood markets, medical care for those who don’t drive, and the mistrust of the health care industry.”

  She paused to allow everyone to glance at the report she had compiled. “As you know, we had an ambitious goal of working with twelve congregations in twelve months. We are encouraged with the findings. Dr. Phillips can speak about the participants.” She nodded to the physician.

  Dr. Philips slipped on his glasses. “Of the five hundred and fifteen people in the study, one-third were surprised they tested positive for diabetes even though it was prominent in their family history.”

  Listening to the data, Chaz mentally crunched the numbers. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been tracking cases for years, it couldn’t account for people who hadn’t been diagnosed by a physician.

  The meeting adjourned with suggestions on how to reach out to schools in charge of selecting food vendors. Back in his office, his own stomach growled, but it was too late for lunch. For months while Chauncy stayed with him, lunch consisted of PB&J sandwiches, Jell-O, and apple juice every day with his granddaughter at noon at the institute. He suffered through the bare minimum nutrition to create a routine for her, then grabbed a hamburger on his way back to his office.

  It had been a while since he made a surprise visit to LLU’s campus to see Kym—now his fiancée. Chaz pulled out his phone and sent her a text. Hey, baby, how is your day going?

  Kym responded not long after that. Great! God is blessing me! I can’t wait to share some news! Dinner?

  If the exclamation marks were any indication of her happiness, then Chaz was glad to have played a part in it. Pick you up at 7. Love you.

  With new dinner plans, Chaz canceled out a late lunch. Yet he needed fuel. Chaz walked to the café for a chicken wrap or something to numb the hunger pains. At checkout, he noticed a small bouquet. How convenient, he thought and purchased it for Kym.

  Since he had two hours before his last meeting of the day, Chaz detoured to the garage for his car, then made the twenty-minute drive to the campus, tearing into his food along the way. In her education building, Chaz stepped off the elevator. When he turned the corner, he slowed his gait as he spied Kym in the distance. He admired her strut alongside Judith as they made their way down the hall.

  As if she sensed his presence, Kym happened to glance over her shoulder and graced him with a smile, then twirled around in a pose that was runway ready. Her eyes sparkled as he sped up to meet her. He nodded at Judith.

  “For you.” He handed over the flowers. Chaz wanted to add a kiss but held back because of their professional surroundings.

  “Thank you.” Kym blushed. “You could’ve waited until our dinner and saved a trip.”

  “No, I couldn’t. I needed a love boost that I can only get from seeing you.”

  “Whew. How am I supposed to wait to plan a wedding a year off when you say things like that?”

  He shook his head. “You’re not, Dr. Knicely. Three hundred and sixty-five days is too long.” Chaz lifted a brow as his nostrils flared. He winked and pivoted on his heel. This time, he made sure he added some swagger to his stride.

  * * *

  Kym’s heart danced as she watched Chaz’s frame fade down the hall toward the elevators. Judith cleared her throat. Kym turned around. Grinning, she fell back in step with her friend to their offices.

  “Mm-hmm. I’m with Chaz on this one. I don’t see you two holding out six months. That was few words but a lot of attraction. Your love has been in the making for a lifetime.”

  “Girl, don’t I know it?” Kym exhaled as she entered her office with Judith on her trail. “Chaz said he would marry me on whatever day I chose.” She paused. “However, he said if it wasn’t soon enough, he wasn’t going to make it easy on me. I love that man. I forgot to tell him about my tenure appointment.” She waved her hands in the air.

  Judith squinted. “I don’t think that entered your mind at all with one look at your fiancé, but I’m sure you’ll get around it, considering you’ve waited—”

  “I’ve prayed and waited, prayed some more for the Lord’s will in my life,” Kym corrected. “And look what happened. God sent not just any man but the best man for me.”

  “Amen, sister Dr. Knicely. I’d better go and prepare for my fall classes. By the way, it’s fun preparing for a wedding, isn’t it? Maybe we can join forces, although mine is months away.”

  “I’ll just copy your notes,” Kym joked. “Anyway, I’m almost done with my syllabus for the two classes. Since I don’t have any appointments, I’m heading out early so I can get ready for my dinner date with my fiancé.”

  Judith snickered, then playfully stuck out her tongue. “And just think, I was first to officially have a fiancé.”

  “Thanks to me.” Kym laughed, trying to up her friend. “See you tomorrow.”

  At home, she stared at her color-coordinated clothes in her closet. She had been on a beige binge, but she wanted a color explosion to express her jubilant mood. She chose gold because she felt like a princess in it. She showered, reapplied her makeup, and dressed.

  When she opened her front door to Chaz later, he was tongue-tied. His lips formed an O, and seconds ticked, then finally, “Wow” escaped.

  “I was expecting some shade of brown, but you are stunning. Come here.” He engulfed her in a hug, then whispered, “Whatever date you pick for our wedding won’t be soon enough for me.”

  After smacking a few kisses on his lips, she stepped back and shook her head. “Uh-uh. I’ve prayed and waited a long time for this kind of happiness,” Kym reasoned with him. “It’s August now. The spring is the earliest, next fall the latest. That’s all I can tell you now.”

  Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he resembled a sullen boy before mumbling, “I vote for this fall, but I’ll pray for more patience.”

  “Amen, Mr. Banks.”

  On the way to dinner, Kym was content with the jazz music serenading them. She didn’t need any conversation as she enjoyed the feel of Chaz’s strong hand holding hers.

  At SoBo Café, cuddled in a booth seat, Chaz’s breath tickled Kym’s ear without him saying a word. Instead of reviewing the menu, he flirted with her, making Kym blush until their server returned a second time for their order. Behave, Chaz, she mouthed with a straight face as she perused the selections.

  “Why? I’m just admiring God’s handiwork.” He winked and picked up his menu.

  “That works both ways,” Kym said after they gave their orders. “I forgot to share my big, big news.” She used her hands to demonstrate an expanding balloon. “Guess what happened to me today?”

  Resting his elbows on the table, Chaz leaned forward and curled his lips into a faint smile. “Tell me. Don’t make me guess.”

  “I was offered a tenure appointment at LLU!” Tears filled her eyes. “God has been faithful. Now I understand Malachi 3:10: the Lord has truly poured out blessings that there isn’t room enough to receive them—professionally and personally. I’m so full of joy, I can’t contain my happiness.”

  “Congratulations, baby. I’m happy and proud of you. You’ve worked hard for it.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  Maybe she was over-the-top with glee, so she tamed her enthusiasm. He said he was happy for her. The man had always been in her corner.

  As expected, Chaz asked questions about the appointment and listened as she explained how big of a deal it was. Playing with her fingers, he coaxed her to meet him halfway for a kiss, then fingered the diamond on her finger. He snickered. “I put that there.”

  “Yes.” Kym giggled. “You did.”

  When their food arrived, Chaz shared with her about takeaways from his meeting on the diabetes awareness campaign. After dessert, he reached for her hands again. When she saw him swallow, Kym frowned. What was wrong? Not Chauncy or the twins, she hoped.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  What an odd question. “Of course. Otherwise, we would’ve been done a long time ago.”

  His eyes became intense. “I’m so glad we weren’t.” He exhaled. “I spoke with Gee and Lana last night.”

  Immediately, Kym’s heart skipped a beat as she panicked. “Is everything okay?”

  Chaz rested his hands on hers and rocked his head from side to side. “They’re coping.” She nodded for him to continue and make it faster. She didn’t like how he was dragging it out. “Before you shared your news about your most deserving appointment, I had planned to ask your thoughts about relocating to St. Louis after we’re married, to be closer to our family and help out Gee and Lana.”

  So many emotions ran through her head that Kym couldn’t speak, only blink. Had she heard right? Leave Charm City. “Ah…” She was speechless.

  It was as if he held his breath, waiting for her to fill in the blanks.

  Choked with emotions, a tear fell from her eye until she began to sob. Immediately, he pulled her into his arms. He didn’t care about any stares. “Baby, if you don’t want to, tell me now, and I’ll come up with a plan B.”

  Kym had no plans to move. She sniffed and took deep breaths. “Whew. I wasn’t expecting that.” Suddenly, she felt sick to her stomach. She looked at him through watery eyes. “You asked me if I trust you. What did you mean?”

  He settled back into his seat. “Trust me to make you happy and not regret walking this journey with me. Just a thought, because it means I’d have to resign from my six-figure job and start over in St. Louis. But you would never go hungry,” he was quick to add. “God will help me to supply all your—our—needs according to His will and riches in glory. As your husband, your well-being and happiness will be my number-one priority. Gee and his family will be second.”

  But your second priority is superseding your first, she wanted to say. Still, he deserved credit for sharing his thoughts. Kym respected him for not making the decision for her—them.

  “I was hoping you would like to be near your sister, so when we started a family, Tabitha would be there to help. Like I said, I haven’t mentioned this to anybody. If you say no, I’ll regroup. If you say wait, then I will.”

  “Ha!” came out before she could catch it. “Chaz, you can’t even wait to get married. How can you be willing to wait on my decision to move?” Kym didn’t know how she felt. Confused, disappointed, definitely not the happiness that filled her when they’d first walked in. Yep, confusion topped the list.

  Chaz nodded. “A fair question. All I ask is you think about it.”

  Kym rubbed her forehead. “This is a lot to take in. I envisioned us picking out a new house to live in in Baltimore, not moving across the country to buy a house. Not only will I think, but I’ll pray about it too.”

  “That’s the perfect answer.” Chaz brought her hand to his lips. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 40

  On campus the next morning, Judith peeked her head in Kym’s doorway as she packed to move to a larger office reserved for instructors who held PhDs—finally.

  “How was your evening, Dr. Knicely?” Her friend folded her arms. “Ahhh. I like saying that.”

  “I like hearing it, but I have to remember that people are addressing me.” Kym chuckled when she really didn’t feel it, not after the bombshell from last night. Chaz had tried to jump-start the carefree, easygoing, and playful nature between them. After dessert, she asked to go home, then a peck on the cheek was his good-night kiss.