As for the knee, I’d damn near recovered fully, even though it would never be like it was when I was eighteen. I hadn’t realized how much pain I’d been walking around in until it was gone, and the first time I admitted that to Skylar, he nearly passed away from laughing so hard.
Jerk.
Not to mention the love of my life.
All apologies to Cynthia, though I had a feeling she wouldn’t be offended, seeing that she, Brandy, and Sky had become fast friends. Brandy hadn’t been lying when she said queer relationships could be complicated. In our case, that wasn’t a bad thing.
Despite it not coming from my own grill, the steak here was delicious, and Skylar seemed to enjoy the fish he’d ordered. He looked even more beautiful than usual tonight, and that was saying something. His hair and makeup were perfect, and he even had his nails done up extra-long and fancy.
He knew I loved all of these details and played into it whenever he had a chance.
Both of our businesses kept us going full tilt, at least now that I’d been allowed back into all of my systems, but Sky and I made time for each other with date nights and sleepovers. He was well and truly tired of living out in that ratty old cabin, but had been too busy to find a place of his own.
Which worked in favor of what I had planned for tonight.
After putting in our dessert order, I reached for him across the table. His pretty nails flashed in the candlelight as he took my hand, smiling.
“You look happy.”
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life,” I said, meaning every word of it.
He flushed and looked down, shy at the compliment. As much as I loved his sassy attitude, I appreciated this more vulnerable aspect of his personality just as much. He once mentioned how he appreciated the same in me, and I thought it was pretty special that we could both drop our walls around each other.
“I was hoping to ask you a question.”
He held up his hand. “Cowboy, I love you, but it is way too soon to be asking me to marry you.”
I nearly choked on the wine I’d swallowed, and he laughed. “Oh my God. The look on yourface.”
I shook my head, drunk on his happiness. “The thought of marrying you doesn’t scare me, Sky. Though that wasn’t the question I was going to ask tonight.”
It did my heart a little good that he looked mildly disappointed.
“I was, however, going to ask you to live with me. If you thought you could put up with all of my grumpiness.”
He wrinkled his nose. “You aren’t grumpy. You’re a little stern, and stuck in your ways, but since I happen to be one of those ways you’re stuck in, I don’t mind so much.”
“That a yes?”
He brought my hand to his lips, kissing each knuckle.
“Yes, cowboy,” he finally said. “I would love to live with you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Wait. Are you only saying yes because my house is better than your little hovel?”
“Stop calling it a hovel. Though that does have a teeny, tiny bit to do with it. The real reason I’m saying yes, though, is because you’re at your house, and I happen to like you a whole lot.”
I kissed his soft hands, and we enjoyed dessert, then a long ride out into the dark Hill Country.
As we got out of the car, he looked up at the brilliant night sky. “I didn’t realize you could see the Milky Way out here.”
“Not quite as dark as West Texas out here, but we do all right.”
He kissed me as we walked into the cabin, then gestured around us. “You mean I’ve been living in that cramped place surrounded by animals, when I could’ve been living out here?”
“I have, on several occasions, offered to let you stay in one of the cabins on the dude ranch.”
“It was too soon,” he said, removing his jacket. “And, not to belabor the point, but you didn’t tell me there was something like this in your portfolio.”
