She pushed back to look into his eyes. “Of course I do. But a girl wants to be asked, you know, not just have the guy assume she can’t wait to marry him.”
He hoped his smile didn’t look as smug as he felt at that moment. He tipped her chin up and brushed a kiss over those sassy lips. “I love you, Dr. Samantha Fowler. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Her misty-eyed gaze, soft as a lover’s caress, met his. The smoldering flame in those baby-blues was a passionate invitation hard to resist.
Love, endearing, ever-lasting, surged between them.
“Well,” she whispered, “how could a girl say no to such a beautiful request?”
He bent to kiss her but stopped. “We never did have that date where you let me drive Ethel.”
“Are you saying you won’t marry me unless I let you drive my car?”
He pulled her closer. “I’m saying, I really, really wanna drive that car.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And make out in it.”
She slid her hands up his chest. “Umm…I like how you think.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “How about we go sit in there tonight and practice?”
They started to rise from the swing when a rush of cool air wafted up from the back of the porch, carrying with it the heady fragrance of gardenias.
“Thank you.”
Sam froze. “Ok. Your lips aren’t moving so I know you didn’t just speak.”
“You heard it, too?”
Her nod was barely perceptible.
Together, they looked behind the swing.
Twin pillars of mist hovered above the railings, their filmy shape oddly human-like.
“Thank you, Coop”.
“Goodbye, Sammie-girl. He’ll take care of you now”.
The mists moved forward, wrapped around the couple as though in a tender embrace, then side-by-side, they drifted upward into the star-lit sky.
THE END
Chocolate Candy Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
1 cup butter or margarine
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Candy Frosting (recipe below)
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and soda, mix well and set aside. Combine water, butter, and cocoa in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Gradually add to flour mixture and mix well. Add in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2 pan.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is warm, prick cake surface at 1” intervals with a fork; spread with frosting.
Chocolate Candy Frosting
½ butter or margarine
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp evaporated milk
¼ cup cocoa
1 16-oz box powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
