“You sure it’s not for you?” Baron asks, and I look over at him sharply as he turns over the engine. The car rumbles to life, and he grips the wheel to stare at it under furrowed brows. “It’s not a subtle hint or anything?”
“W- well, it’s not. It really is for work, but,” I lick my lips heavily as Baron’s gaze bores into the side of my face. “If you were going to propose. . . I wouldn’t be subtle about it.”
CHAPTER19
BARON
Marriage, I don’t want to let my brain go there but I know what I want and from the sounds of her comments earlier it doesn’t sound like she’d be too opposed to the idea.
My heart fills with the possibilities and I let out a sigh of contentment. Delaney is everything that I could have ever dreamed of in a woman and I met her all by chance. I thought for sure that I’d be old and gray before I found someone that I love the way I love Delaney.
Now that I have her there’s no way I’m going to let her go. If she’s open to being my wife, then I want to make that happen as soon as possible.
I smile bright and swivel side to side in my chair. A soft knock on my door breaks me out of my daydream and Tom pokes his head in the office.
“What’s going on?” He asks as he steps fully inside.
“What? What do you mean what’s going on nothing is going on? Is something going on?” I ask, sitting up quickly in my chair. My mind instantly goes to Delaney, but Tom’s shocked expression throws me for a loop.
“I don’t know. I came in and you were just sitting here smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Figured something was going on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so openly happy. You’re practically glowing, Baron.” Tom pulls up a seat and plops down into it. I fight a frown as his declaration worms through my ears. In a way, he has a point; I’m giddy, and Tom and I had only ever known each other in a professional capacity.
“Well, I guess you could say that something is going on but I’m not sure if it’s just a pipe dream or something that can actually happen.” I rub my hand against my chin and feel the bristles of my beard there. Prickles race down my forearm, and I clench my fist tightly in determination.
“Oh? Care to talk about it?” Tom asks, tilting his head slightly. Of all the people I thought I’d ever talk to about this, Tom is the last one on the list. Not so much that he’s not a good man or a friend; I just never figured that we’d be as close as we are now and he’d still be working for me.
“You have to promise not to say anything though.” I lean forward the idea now screaming in my head and my heart speeding up at the prospect of it.
“Of course, I always keep the utmost confidentiality when it comes to anything we discuss.” Tom nods and I let out a deep breath. My mind wanders on a wave of excitement. If this was a cartoon, hearts would be circling my head to the tune of birdsong.
I’m not going to tell him about the pregnancy; that’s for Delaney to do when she’s ready, but I could use some advice on this whole idea of getting married. I want it. In fact, she only said that comment a few hours ago but I’m already entirely infatuated with the idea of asking her to marry me. I only worry that I might be moving too fast for her. What if she is still to raw from everything that happened back in Seattle? What if she doesn’t see me as more than what we have right now? I love her and I know she loves me but maybe this is all that she wants right now.
With all the skeletons that had come pouring out of both our closets. . .
“Baron?” Tom questions, tearing me from my rampaging doubts. I shake my head and clear my throat.
“Yes, well, I know the rest of the staff may have their thoughts about it, and they may have heard rumors. . . but Delaney and I are in a relationship. We have been for a few months now, and I’m strongly considering asking her to marry me.” I say on one long breath and wait for the fear to grip my heart. Surely now that I’ve said it out loud it’s going to register in my mind and I’m no longer going to want to do it. It’s going to be real, and reality is terrifying. I suck in a shallow breath through my nose and hold it, anticipation turning my blood to sludge.
There’s no fear. No nervousness. No apprehension. All I feel is excitement and joy. This is what Delaney does for me. Always. I can’t believe that I’d ever want to doubt what we have. I don’t want to wait, I want her to be my wife. Was this what it felt like, finding out she was pregnant? These vague, unexplainable doubts that have no root but still spring up like weeds, needing to be yanked out before they spread.
“Yes.” Tom says rather abruptly pulling me in from yet another daydream.
“What?” My brows furrow, and I stare at him for a second.
“Oh, Baron, everyone knows about you and Delaney, but neither one of you have ever let it interfere with your professionalism. I see the way the two of you are drawn to each other when you’re in the same room, like magnets. It’s so friggen obvious between the two of you that it’s not even fun for Kelly to gossip about to me. If you want to marry Delaney, which I think would be a great idea, I say go for it. The both of you deserve this type of happiness.” He nods his head and I huff out a breath. I never thought about what Delaney and my relationship looked like from the outside. Sudden trepidation weaves between my ribs.
“You don’t think it’s too soon? I mean, we haven’t even been dating for a year yet. Shit, we haven’t even known each other a whole year. I don’t just want to get engaged, I want to get married. New last name for her. New household chores for me. The whole deal.” I raise my hand in a broad gesture, and Tom purses his lips thinly. His face tinges pink before he busts out laughing, shaking his head and covering his face with his hands in embarrassment.
“Shall I call for the minister to be here today? Who cares how long you two have been dating. This is a good move Baron,” Breathing hard to stifle his mirth, Tom lowers his hands to sniffle and sigh a hiccup of a chuckle. “I’m sorry for laughing but. . . I’ve worked with you since this place opened, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen your head shoved so far up your ass, Baron. You love her. She loves you. At one point, you didn’t know the other existed, but here you are.”
I stare at him for a second before I lean all the way back into my chair and look up at the ceiling. Tom’s right. How many times had Delaney and I told each other, especially lately, that we can’t dwell on things we can’t control? And this feeling. . . it never crossed my mind to even attempt to control my attraction to Delaney. Tom sighs, scratching his cheek. “I guess, what I’m saying is you won’t know if it’s a bad idea until you do it, and worrying about it now only depreciates you both.
I sit up quickly, putting my hands on the desk. Tom stiffens in surprise, watching me cautiously before I change the subject abruptly. “Did you need me for something urgent?”
“No, it can wait,” He shakes his hands showing me that they’re empty. Tom seems as relieved to stop giving me advice as I am after hearing it. Crossing one knee over the other, he clears his throat. “Why? You sound the same as when you offered me the general manager position weeks ago, Baron. I don’t like where this is going.”
“Great, because I need to figure out a way to give my girl the best proposal anyone’s ever had. I think I’m going to need your help setting it up. You’re far more involved in the day-to-day machinations of the events. Surely, you’ve picked up a thing or two while training with Jennifer?”
Tom smiles wide and nods excitedly at the prospect. Nothing like finding good help. I’m grateful every time I walk into this building that I’d fired Granby instead of Tom. . . not that that piece of shit’s attempt to throw Tom under the bus would ever work with me.
