I rolled my eyes. Did she think I hadn’t read every detail? “Trust me, Shiloh handed me Maggie’s Proposal File weeks ago. She doesn’t want to be asked in front of everyone, so that she is not pressured into saying yes. When did you people create those files anyway, because that little clause does not exactly inspire confidence.”
“Maggie did hers when she was a sophomore. Fred never even saw the file.”
Which meant that I was the first one to give her what she wanted. That idea made my chest expand.
Cat moved over to where the rest of the girls were chatting. And I moved between Ryder, Aidan, and Jason. I shoved my hand in my pocket once more. Call it nerves, but I needed to make sure the ring was still there. It was.
“You’re going to wear a hole in that pocket.” Ryder frowned at me. He clinked his bottle against mine, a smirk playing on his lips. “You need to relax. She loves you. This is merely a formality.”
I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. “I’m not worried about the answer.” That was a lie but they didn’t need to know that. The truth was, my palms were sweating and my heart was racing. I had negotiated multi-million dollar deals, I’d dealt with some of the most intimidating men and women our country’smilitary had to offer and yet, here I was, sweating over a three carat diamond.
“You look like you’re about to throw up.” Jason said, taking far too much pleasure in my discomfort.
“Or shoot someone.” Aidan added. “Or both. I’ve certainly felt both at the same time.”
Aidan wasn’t just a SEAL. He was the elite of the elite. I could only imagine the number of times he felt that way.
“Shooting would be easier than this,” I mumbled. “At least, with that I know the rules of engagement. Pun intended. Or not.”
Ryder laughed, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “There are no rules. You just ask. Don’t wait. Trust me the worst part is the waiting.”
“I’m worried about the ring.” I spoke my fear out loud. “What if she thinks it’s too big?”
My friend frowned at me, a small smirk lifting the corner of his mouth as he nodded. “And, of course, you’ve never heard that before.”
I rolled my eyes and flipped him off.
“It's Maggie.” Jason smiled. “So she’ll definitely complain it's too big, and then she’ll wear it proudly because she loves you.”
I looked out around the room. The place was completely packed with people who loved us. The happiness was a tangible thing and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Zoe was in a booth with Cooper and Matty. Her shoulder still gave her problems, as a stark reminder of how close we came to losing her. She was laughing at something Cooper said, her head thrown back.
She was healing and I was glaring at the boy who was helping her.
I turned to glare at Aidan. “Your fucking nephew better know how to keep his shit in his pants.”
“Oh.” He didn’t say anything more as he exchanged looks with other guys around us.
“What?”
Jason shook his head. “I don’t think they’re dating.”
“What?” That made no sense. I had watched those two circle each other for years. “Why do you think that?”
“Because they act like you did around Maggie, like I did around Sky.” Aiden shrugged. “Not like Grace and Owen did.”
Owen and Grace had gotten caught making out often, to the point that Harry wanted to ban their friendship. He probably didn’t know they had started having sex way earlier than they were ready for it, or Owen would not have made it into adulthood.
He gave Aidan one more look. “But look at Cooper. Objectively, look at him.”
No. I would not be looking at Cooper. Because while I wanted to believe he was a jerk, I knew he was loyal as fuck. And that was information I didn’t need about the guy who’d been crushing on my sister since they met at little league. And was probably scared as fuck to lose that friendship.
Instead, my gaze drifted closer to the kitchen door. Hunter was chatting with Maria and his former teammates. One of the men had a baby in one arm and his other around a woman. I assumed that it was Maria’s daughter and son-in-law. As much as Hunter seemed to be paying attention to the people around him, he had one eye on the women on the other side of the room. I had to wonder if he was just staring into a void, or if he was focusing on something.
Shiloh, Grace, and Tiffany were in deep discussion about something. Tiffany was always the socialite and more often than not, Shiloh was the one who reigned her in. Grace was… well she was a supermodel to the world, but at home she was a prankster,especially when she and Skylar were together. Something that didn’t happen as often anymore.
Maggie and Cat joined them, along with the woman I had assumed was Maria’s daughter. I watched as she made the introductions. I had no doubt she would receive a warm welcome, much like they had given Layla Dean when she first started hanging out in Marina De Ferrier. She couldn’t make our little party, but she would be back in town the next day for the official opening. She and Ryder were the entertainment for the night.
