Ethan leads Hannah by the hand, out of the restaurant and down the sidewalk to the horse-drawn carriage waiting on the curb. He bows to her, sweeping his arm at the small white buggy. “Your carriage awaits, mademoiselle.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Be serious, Ethan. I need to get home to Gus.” Grabbing him by the sleeve of his blue blazer, Hannah drags him away from the carriage.
“Wait!” Ethan plants his feet firmly on the uneven brick sidewalk. “I made arrangements for Gus to spend the night with Sally.”
Hannah turns on him. “Why would you do that without talking to me first?”
Ethan pulls her to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Because we’ve been together for almost a year, and we’ve yet to spend one night together.”
“I’m a single mother of a three-year-old. You knew what you were getting into when you started dating me.”
“And I’ve been a patient man until now.” He brushes his lips lightly against hers. “Gus will be crushed if you ruin his sleepover with Sally.”
“True.” Hannah’s knees go weak at the thought of spending the night in Ethan’s arms. “Are you sure Hope doesn’t mind?”
“Positive. She was thrilled.”
“Maybe I should call her to make sure.” Hannah struggles to unzip her clutch.
He snatches the clutch away from her. “That’s unnecessary, Hannah. We’ll return the favor sometime.”
“Hope will like that. She has a new boyfriend.” Hannah casts an uncertain glance at the carriage. “What about your car?”
“We Ubered over, remember? Now, quit stalling.” He twirls her around and lifts her into the carriage.
The carriage driver turns in his seat to face her. He’s approximately the same age, with strong facial features and dark eyes. “Good evening,” he says, tipping his straw hat at them.
Ethan climbs into the carriage beside her. “Hannah, meet my friend George. We went to kindergarten together.”
“Cool! How did you become a carriage driver?” Hannah’s face warms. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a carriage driver. It’s just kinda random for someone our age.”
George’s smile reaches his eyes. “I’m an attorney by day. I give carriage tours on the weekends for fun.”
“George is a history buff,” Ethan explains. “He aspires to one day be mayor of Charleston.”
Hannah’s face lights up. “You’ll definitely get my vote.”
“Awesome. I’ll recruit you to work on my campaign.”
A breeze brings chill bumps to Hannah’s bare arms. “I should’ve brought a sweater,” she says with a shiver.
George tosses her a blanket, “Here. Fresh from the laundry.”
Ethan slips out of his jacket. “Put this on.” He helps her into his jacket and tucks the blanket around her legs.
George faces forward and lifts the horse’s reins. “Where to, mate?”
“Let’s cut over to King Street and head toward the seawall,” Ethan says.
As the carriage lurches forward, Hannah calls out to George above the sound of hooves clomping on cobblestone. “What’s your horse’s name?”
“Shadow,” George says over his shoulder.
“An appropriate name for a gray horse.” Hannah snuggles close to Ethan as they cross over Broad Street and enter the residential section of downtown Charleston. “Was it a coincidence that George was waiting outside the restaurant?”
Ethan shakes his head, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.
“First, dinner at our favorite restaurant and now a romantic carriage ride. What’re you up to, Ethan?”
He smiles down at her with smoldering brown eyes. “I’m desperate for sex.”
“Stop!” She smacks his chest with the back of her hand. “You’re not that deprived.”
The sweet scent of Carolina Jasmine greets them as they pass under a canopy of trees on the narrow house-lined street. When they reach the waterfront, they make a left and ride to the tip of the peninsula at the entrance to Battery Park. George calls out to Shadow to whoa as he maneuvers the carriage to the curb.
“Come on. Let’s get out.” Ethan pulls Hannah to her feet and helps her down from the buggy. She wraps his blazer tight around her as they walk over to the railing and stare out across Charleston Harbor at the full moon.
“Did you arrange for the full moon as well?” Hannah asks.
“Of course. Cost me a fortune.” Ethan turns to her, taking her hands in his. “Seriously, Hannah, you ignore me every time I bring up the subject of marriage. I figured if I bought you a ring and formally proposed, you’d have to give me a yes or no answer.” He drops to his knees. “Hannah Fuller, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Hannah’s stomach somersaults. This is the moment she’s been dreaming of. She has no reservations about marrying him. But there’s no fun in making it easy for him. “What if I say no?”
“I’ll keep asking until your answer is yes. We’re meant to be together, Hannah. I promise, I’ll spend my life making you happy.”
“Hmm.” She purses her lips as though considering his proposal. “You mentioned a ring?”
