Growing up in the same industrialist Omaha-Naples metroplex Taryn and Duke had known about each other almost their whole lives. They had a few encounters over the years before dating. Besides obvious Pewitt High School functions, where they both spent a large portion of their childhoods due to Taryn’s mother teaching and coaching for the school and Duke’s father being Superintendent of Schools for Pewitt CISD, the two kids had mutual family friends, specifically the Frost family.
The couple were first introduced to each other at a Super Bowl party in 2013 at Taryn’s mom’s house. Duke’s best friend, Colby Frost, and his family were invited to this party and Duke was allowed to tag along. Of course, Duke was too shy to talk to Taryn so there was no real conversation. In 2014, Duke was invited to ride to a Pewitt football game with his buddy Colby and his mom. Before the game Duke and the Frost family met up with Taryn and her sister, Taylor, at a local restaurant. Once again, like at the Super Bowl party, Duke was too shy to talk to Taryn, who he thought may be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. After all the eating and opportunities to speak towards the end of supper the only words Duke could manage to speak to Taryn were… “Are you gonna finish your fries?” Those were the last words Duke would speak to Taryn until 2017.
This is where the story gets really good. It’s Spring of 2017 Duke is wrapping up his freshman year at Pewitt High School and Taryn is preparing to graduate. Still, Duke has not spoken a word to Taryn despite having a crush on her. Prom season has come and Duke has begun to receive multiple proposals from senior girls to attend Prom, but Duke was unsteady about it. Stacy, Duke’s mother recalls him saying, “I don’t know if I should go to prom with any of these girls. I don’t really know them… Now if Taryn Myers had asked me, I would say yes in a heartbeat!” Well, Prom grew closer, and still no ask from Taryn, so Duke accepted an invitation from one of Taryn’s closest friends, Madison. While taking pictures, eating, dancing, and everything else that the day entailed Duke only had his eyes on one person, Taryn.
In the week following prom, Duke worked up enough courage, with the help of his friends Colby and Cyler, to do the most chivalrous thing a 15-year-old boy in 2017 could do, he snap-chatted her. To his amazement Taryn replied! Turns out Taryn found Duke to be quite funny and an easy conversationalist. Well, the school year had ended and Duke was convinced he lost any chance he had with this girl. She was going off to college and he couldn’t even drive yet. Despite losing hope of anything more, Duke and Taryn continued talking to each other and would occasionally meet up with mutual friend groups to swim or play tennis. Then came July 4th, 2017.
For many years now the Fitts family has hosted a 4th of July party at their family house on Lone Star Lake and this year was no exception. Around noon that day, Duke was riding with Cyler and Colby to go buy fireworks. Cyler asked Duke if he still talks to Taryn, to which Duke replied “Yes, every day.” Cyler then asked Duke if he had invited her to the lake for the day. Duke, frantically, stated how she would never want to come and hang out with him. Well, thank goodness for Cyler’s stubbornness. He proceeded to call Taryn and all but demanded her to come to the Fitts lake house that day. By some act of God, Taryn agreed. When Taryn got there she was greeted by Duke. Duke spent the rest of that day with Taryn, making sure she was enjoying the day.. Duke was able to convince Taryn to get on the Sea-Doo with him. After a while of smooth riding Taryn began to trust Duke, it was at this moment he flew her off the back of the watercraft. Now, instead of never talking to this boy again, Taryn would later remark that it was at that moment she realized just how much she liked this boy. After this night, Duke and Taryn realized that there was a true and pure connection between them.
After this day, their relationship continued to grow, even with long distance. The first three years of their relationship saw Taryn graduate from Texas A&M University-Commerce and Duke graduate from Pewitt High School. Then for another three years, Duke completed all but his last semester of college at Texas A&M University and Taryn graduated with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from TWU.
At the start of the summer of 2023, Taryn had a feeling that a proposal could happen over the summer. Well, the summer began to fade as August appeared. Taryn knew that Duke would have to go back to school for his last semester of college. One day Duke and Taryn were leaving for a celebration dinner, celebrating her passing her licensure exam. Duke had told Taryn that he made reservations at Los Pinos Winery in Pittsburg. As they headed to Pittsburg, Duke told Taryn they were going through Lone Star because he left his Aggie ring at the lake house the previous week. As they pulled into the lake house there was a truck in the driveway. Taryn asked, “Who’s here?”. To which Duke replied simply, “I don’t know. I’m going to go check it out.” Duke got out of the truck and stepped behind the house for a few moments. He then reappeared and asked Taryn to get out of the truck. Duke began to lead Taryn down to the pier that reached out over the beautiful sun sparkled water. By the time they reached the pier Taryn had realized what was going on. The rose petals on the pier, the hidden photographer that has now revealed herself, and Duke down on one knee speaking from the deepest part of his heart and his soul. Duke concluded his words to Taryn with the question every girl dreams of hearing… “Will you marry me?” Taryn said with the most beautiful smile, “Yes!” Duke then escorted Taryn back up to the house where they were met by a server presenting them with drinks and a personal chef who was preparing Taryn’s favorite, a fine Italian four-course meal. After dinner and a few slow dances in the house where Duke’s parents got engaged and where his grandparents lived for 32 years of their 48-year marriage. Duke took his now fiancée back to Omaha where they were joined by a houseful of their closest friends and family.
Following the engagement Duke graduated from Texas A&M University in December and started a job at Sulphur Springs ISD. Duke and Taryn now both work in Sulphur Springs and plan to start their lives there following the wedding.