We're Finally Getting Married!

In the summer of 2021, on a back porch at the lake house—with “tasty beverages” in hand and contractors running late—Rhonda did what any reasonable woman would do: she let her friends create her a Facebook Dating profile. There were a few “hard no’s”… and then there was David. According to him, her pictures “lured him in.” According to her, he ghosted her almost immediately. (He insists he “didn’t ghost,” he just got distracted at the deer lease. Same thing, David.) Their first official date was set for August 15th at The Jalapeño Tree in Gun Barrel City. Rhonda arrived with a dramatic limp thanks to a Frio River injury and confidently announced she’d hurt her leg. David suggested they just tell people she had polio. Romantic, right? Two margaritas later (the debate continues on whether it was actually two), she nearly face-planted in the lobby when her foot wouldn’t cooperate. David smoothly reassured everyone, “It’s okay, she’s drunk—I’m taking her home.” A true gentleman. After that night, things were… complicated. There were missed calls, suspicious pauses, and Rhonda briefly convinced herself David must be secretly married. (He wasn’t. He was just fiercely devoted to raising his son, Wesley, and had promised himself he wouldn’t bring anyone into his world lightly.) They drifted apart. Reconnected. Drifted again. Met up at Chili’s once—only to discover it was closed. Because of course it was. But somewhere between back-porch conversations that lasted for hours, late-night talks about real life, and honest confessions about fears and responsibilities, something shifted. The walls David had carefully built began to lower. Rhonda’s big heart—and let’s be honest, her persistence—made it impossible to ignore what was growing between them. They went from one night a week… to two… to practically living together. David, the free-range, spur-of-the-moment type, fell for Rhonda, the six-months-ahead planner. He told her he loved her while walking around a soccer field. Casual. Direct. Just like him. On Christmas Eve two years ago, under a tree that was supposed to be beautifully lit (but wasn’t—because that would’ve been too perfect), David officially proposed. Though, as Rhonda will tell you, he’d already made it clear long before that he intended to marry her. What started with ghosting, margaritas, and mild suspicion turned into a love built on loyalty, laughter, patience, and a whole lot of back-porch talks. Almost five years later, they’re still balancing planning and spontaneity, still teasing each other about that first “non-ghosting” incident, and still choosing each other every single day. And this time, David definitely showed up. 💛