Page 30 of Lottie's Lollies

“Then you can take your seats because it looks like the show is about to begin,” Carter said, watching the action across the field.

The crew pulled the barn down first, then the other outbuildings before attacking the house. The girls sat in their seats, tears flowing free as they watched the destruction.

When Travis couldn’t take the sadness any longer, he moved around to kneel in front of Lottie. He was not surprised when Carter and Rooker followed his lead to stand before their women.

Lottie looked at him as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Daddy?”

Travis pulled the ring box from his pocket before kneeling before her. “Lottie-love, I love you. And I want today’s ending to be our new beginning. I love your Little and your dreams and your chocolate-cherry marshmallows. When I went to Littlepalooza that day I never expected to come away with my future, but I did. You are my future. Will you do me the honor of marrying me and be my wife, my woman, and my Little girl for the rest of our lives?”

“Yes, Daddy. Yes, yes, yes.” Her happy voice got louder with each word until she threw herself out of his chair and into his arms. “I love you.”

Travis wrapped his arms around her and held her tight as she kissed his cheeks, chin and finally his lips. When they finally stopped kissing, he took her hand and pulled off the ring pop, replacing it with the platinum ring with three diamonds embedded in the gold. He’d had it made so that she would not have to take it off when wearing the rubber gloves she used when working with her candy.

He heard the others make their proposals, but did not pay too much attention since he had his world wrapped up in his arms.

“I love you, Lottie-love.”

“I love you, Daddy, but it’s your ‘sponsibility to come up with a special candy to serve at the wedding.” Lottie smiled up at him, and he could see both her Little and her Big staring back at him.

“I can do that,” he said with a grin. “I can totally do that.”

Once the hugs and kisses and comparing rings were out of the way, Travis had Lottie help him pass out plastic wine glasses. He pulled out the champagne he’d packed and popped the cork. After filling all the glasses, he looked at Lottie.

“Would you like to make the toast, Lottie-love?”

She nodded with tears filling her eyes. Looking at her sisters, and then the field where their family home was now a pile of construction debris, she lifted her glass. “To family past, who gave us good roots, to family present, who love us and which will hopefully grow with generations to come, and to new beginnings with our handsome Daddies. May we always be as happy as we are in this moment.”

The End