Whispered Southern Secrets (Magnolia Grove #11)

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

John David

“Where’s Cash?” Honey is bordering on hysterical. She keeps repeating the question in between calling out his name as she paces around.

“We’re going to find him,” I assure her. Then I remember the ring. The engagement ring that has been in the family for generations is tied to the missing puppy. Bone-deep panic has set in. I tried to take slow, deep breathes, but it’s not helping.

“Cash!” I call out as I take off in a run. He couldn’t have gotten far. What if we find him but the ring got hung on something was ripped off?

A horrid smell assaults my nose behind one of the neighbor’s houses. I turn on my phone flash light to see an area is marked off with rope and caution tape. I see that their getting their sewer system worked on, since theirs is overflowing and their yard has a most foul deathly aroma.

And of course there’s Cash. He’s sniffing and getting close to the marked off area. I whistle and when his head raises up and cocks to the side, I call out. “Here Cash! Come here. Who’s a good boy?”

He hunkers his chest down as he hikes his wagging backend in the air. All of him is sways with his tail. A playful little bark comes from him.

“No, buddy. This isn’t play time. Come here. Let’s go home.”

Cash darts forward. His paws slip in the sullied ground. A weight falls into the pit of my stomach. “No, Cash! No!” I groan and then say to myself, “You’re not a good boy.”

I hurry over and try to figure out a way to get him without playing in the neighbor’s sewer from an overflowing septic tank. Honey is still calling out for Cash so I yell out to her where we are.

“Cash precious! You really are a little stinker.” She coos.

If he wasn’t carrying something so priceless, I’d find humor in this. Unfortunately that’s not the case and I need to get my hands on that dog before I have a full blown panic attack. “I’m going to get him. Don’t worry.” I’m saying the words more to myself than anyone else.

“Hold on. I’ll get him.”

“No. I’ll do it.”

I don’t want her to see the ring. It’s not the right time. There’s also the anxiety clawing at my throat because what if the ring is lost in… I can’t even stomach the thought. I can barely stomach the smell.

The sound of my feet squishing and the feel of the grimy fur has me gagging. I’m five seconds from vomiting everywhere. Honey must see that I’m on the verge of doubling over because she runs over and removes Cash from my slippery grip.

“Hey something is stuck on his collar.”

“Wait!” My next step sends me flying backwards. The smell is overpowering. I roll over and begin violently vomiting. On weak hands and knees I crawl away from the vile area. “Is there a water hose nearby?”

“J.D.” Her voice is so soft that I barely hear her over my panting and struggle to breath.

“Yeah?”

“This is Mimi’s family ring?”

I roll over and allow my head to fall back on the ground. “This didn’t go as planned. Can we please hose me down before we discuss the ring?”

Honey finds a water hose and sprays down me and Cash. I remind him several times that this is all his fault. Once she’s finished, I get down on one knee holding Cash, who is still wearing the ring. “This may not seem the right time. It’s definitely not the most romantic place. But I believe in God’s timing, and I was going to wait since we’d just had such a heavy conversation. As you can smell, you were meant to find that ring. And I’m taking that as a sign that this is the time to propose. I’m ready to spend the rest of my life with you. Are you ready and willing to try and spend the rest of your life putting up with me?”

She releases something between a sob and a giggle. I hold Cash above me and in front of her Lion King style and ask, “Harper ‘Honey’ Beaumont, will you marry me?”

“Yes!” She doesn’t even hesitate which has my heart bouncing around my ribcage in joy.

She takes Cash and I stand. I take her waist in my hands and pull her against me. I kiss her. And kiss her longer. I can’t get enough of her mouth. Finally she pushes back and gags.

Her eyes widen and she looks horrified. “I’m so sorry. I just inhaled really deeply and the stench.”

“You gagged after kissing me? After I proposed!” I tease her. She’s right. We smell horrendous. I reach out and take her by the hand. “Let’s go back to Mrs. And Mr. Montgomery’s. I need to let them know you said yes. We can disinfect the ring and get it on your finger. Come on, darlin’.”

Neither one of us can stop smiling the entire way back to her grandparent’s house. When we walk in the door Mrs. Minnie shrieks from the smell. Mr. Millard glances up from his newspaper and sighs. “I knew there’d be some shit if the puppy was involved.