As I watch, he slides from his chair and lands on one knee on the floor. Goodness! Is he ill? My heart starts to thud against my ribs in alarm.
“Pink, will you marry me?”
My hands fly up to my mouth, and a breathless gasp escapes me. Everyone in the restaurant is staring at us. The piano has fallen silent. What is happening? This can’t be happening. Is Monty really proposing to me? It doesn’t make any sense. Old Blood don’t do proposals. They do negotiations and arrangements. And then there is the matter of Monty’s status.
“You’re…you’re a duke!” I exclaim.
Someone in our audience gasps with delighted glee.
Monty nods solemnly. “Yes. And you will be a duke consort.” He swallows. “If you will have me.”
His blue eyes are staring up at me. Frantic, beseeching, and yearning. Oh goodness, so much yearning. This really ishappening. Monty wants me. Monty wants to marry me. Monty wants to keep me forever.
With a sob, I fall to my knees in front of him. My arms fling around his neck and my lips smash against his. He jolts in surprise, but then he kisses me back with passion, and his arms wrap around me, pulling me even closer.
Dimly, I think I can hear everyone in the restaurant cheering. But I am not paying any attention. I’m busy. Very busy.
I’m kissing Monty. My fiance.
Chapter thirty
Monty
It is fitting that the sun is shining, casting golden warmth over the world, as if nature itself is celebrating. The darkest days of winter have passed, and today is a good day. A day of homecoming. A day of joy. It would be incongruous if it were raining.
I stand just outside the front door of Pink’s house, my hand resting on his shoulder. He is in front of me, his posture alert yet relaxed, as we both look out down the driveway. The anticipation in the air is thick, vibrating with unspoken emotions.
Lello and Carter stand nearby, their hands twitching with restrained excitement. Gray and Mal hover at the edge of the group, their expressions hopeful yet wary, as if they barely dare to believe this moment is real. Blue and Sammy stand together, their presence a steadying force amidst the bubbling energy. Behind us, in the shade of the doorway, Ned and Morgan linger. Their children peek curiously around their legs, sensing the importance of the occasion but not yet fully understanding it.
The sound of tires crunching over gravel breaks the stillness. A battered minivan rolls into the driveway, its dented frame a testament to long roads traveled. It stops in front of us, and for a heartbeat, there is silence.
Then the doors burst open.
Jade, Red, and Brodie jump out, their faces alight with exhilaration. They are home. For good. The Council has issued Jade a pardon.
A joyous chaos erupts as Pink lunges forward, followed closely by Lello, Carter, and Sammy. I step back slightly, letting the flood of emotions take center stage. My chest swells with quiet satisfaction as I watch the reunion unfold. Laughter, shouts, arms wrapping around each other in unrestrained relief. Blue stands in the midst of it all, grinning widely but choosing not to partake in the physical affection. It is his way.
Lello, always the instigator of warmth, turns to Gray and beckons him over. The demon hesitates, his dark eyes flickering with uncertainty. But before he can second-guess himself, he is pulled into the embrace. The tension melts from his body as he beams, the delight in his expression undeniable. Demons really aren’t all that scary once you get to know them.
A movement draws my attention toward Ned. He stands apart, observing the reunion with an easy smile. I hope it is the brightness of the sun keeping the vampire at a distance and not any lingering animosity toward Jade.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the crowd begins moving toward the house. Conversations overlap in a tangle of emotions, but then everything falls into sudden silence as Jade and Ned come face to face.
Jade pales. His shoulders stiffen, and he lowers his head, mumbling something I can’t quite hear.
Ned responds, his voice too soft for me to catch, but his meaning is unmistakable. He extends a hand. A simple,powerful offering of forgiveness. But Jade, too wrapped in his own guilt, doesn’t see it.
Lello, impatient as always, takes matters into his own hands and gives Jade a firm shove. The fey stumbles forward, crossing the invisible barrier of shade into Ned’s space, and in a breath, Ned pulls him into a hug.
The gathered crowd erupts in cheers. Lello, by far the loudest, practically beams with satisfaction. Then, with a dramatic clap of his hands, he takes control.
“Enough standing around! Inside! Food waits for no one!”
The dining room is too small for thirteen adults and three children, but we make it work. It is a room filled with noise, overlapping conversations, the clatter of dishes, and the warmth of belonging. I take my seat next to Pink, my fingers barely brushing against his, yet the touch is enough to send my heart into a delighted frenzy.
There is no order to the meal, no assigned serving or structured etiquette. Instead, hands reach over one another, passing bowls, grabbing bread, laughing when someone almost topples a dish. It is messy, unorganized, and absolutely perfect. Nothing like the stiff, calculated meals I grew up with. And that makes it all the more special.
A glow of contentment spreads through me. I am sitting in a room full of happy people, and I am part of the reason for their happiness. It was me who pushed the Council into granting Jade a pardon. I made this happen.
