Shrugging, she said, “Someone told me it’s legally mine so…”
I growled against her torso. “Emmeline.”
She stopped stroking to grip my hair. “Don’t put me in the dark ever again. Promise me you’ll tell the truth—even if it’s ugly, even if you think it’s going to hurt.”
“I promise. I’ve loved you for a long, long time and in a lot of different ways. I’m going to love you in new ways tomorrow and ten years from now. The only life I want is one where I get to do that.” I sat up and reached for the bag I’d abandoned on a nearby chair when we came in. “It’s not a beagle,” I said, taking out the heavy box, “but I hope you like it.”
She stared at the box for a second before pressing both hands to her cheeks. Her smile lit the whole room. “You remembered,” she whispered.
“I tried to find the best one,” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “I might’ve overcomplicated that too because there’re eight more waffle irons back at home.”
Her eyes went wide with delight. “I guess I’ll have to test them all out.” She ran a hand over the box, smiling. “I can’t believe you brought a waffle iron to Rhode Island.”
“I brought the waffle iron to Vegas,” I said. “It was the last of your birthday surprises.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and pulled in a long breath. Then, “I’ve loved you for a long, long time and in a lot of different ways too. And I think”—she ran her hands up my arms, over my shoulders, and clasped her fingers at the back of my neck as she gave me a small, devious smile—“I think it’s a fantastic thing that I had the foresight to make you promise to marry me.”
I dropped a kiss on her lips. “And I had the foresight to convince you to go through with it.”
Downstairs, a door banged open and raucous laughter and shouts filled the house. There was a stampede to the second floor and then Grace, Shay, Jamie, and Audrey appeared in the open doorway. Their cheeks were rosy and their eyes bright, and Jamie had one hell of a hiccup going.
That party must’ve gotten a lot more interesting after we left.
Grace pointed at me as she ran an assessing glance over Emme. “Do I need to beat him up?” she asked.
With a laugh, my wife said, “No, please don’t. There’s been enough bloodshed for one night.”
“If you say so,” Grace said, a slur loosening her words. “But I am going to make him sleep in the barn.”
“No, you’re not,” Shay said.
“You have a worse place in mind?” Grace asked her. “With the goats? You have chickens. What about the chickens? I enjoy punishment and suffering. There must be both.”
I shared a glance with Emme. She smothered a laugh behind her hand.
“Where are the dudes?” Jamie asked. “Can’t we just send him off with them?”
“They’re at my place and we’re not doing that unless he wants to bunk with Gennie,” Shay said. “That’s as rough a punishment as any.”
“Let him stay here,” Audrey said, the words soft and squished together. “Listening to us cackle for the next few hours will take care of the suffering.”
“And we’ll be stealing his gal away, so that’s plenty of punishment,” Jamie added.
“I could be convinced of this,” Grace said, stroking her chin.
“Here’s a better idea,” Emme said, holding up the box. “Ryan’s going to help me whip up some waffles while you change into comfy clothes and fix your faces.”
“Oh, let me go find some blueberry jam. Must have jam for waffles,” Shay said, already darting down the stairs.
Emme nodded after her. “If that’s what’s important to you, sure.”
“Itisa jam farm,” I said.
She smiled at me, wide and soft and wonderful, and it jump-started my heart. “Excellent point.” Swinging her attention back to her friends, she said, “After waffles, everyone’s getting a very big glass of water and some under-eye patches because I’m notletting a single one of you walk down the aisle tomorrow looking like old newspaper. Got it?”
“Yes, Mom,” Audrey said, heading down the hall.
“She’s a tough maid of honor,” Jamie called as she stepped into the room next door.
