“Well, yeah.” He reaches across the table, taking my hand and threading his fingers into mine. “It brought us together.”
“That’s true.” I sigh again, this time leaning forward as his lips move, nearer. Before he meets my lips, he angles his jaw and softly kisses the crown of my head, I pause in reverie. He’s always sweet with his gestures, but I suspect I have salad breath, and that’s the real reason for not kissing me on the lips.
Ever conscious about my smell, I dip my chin down. Instead of pulling back, he lowers his lips to rest by my cheek and whispers, “I think we should get married.”
I stare forward as heat engulfs my face. We talked about marriage. Some. Like in passing. Casually. Someday. He knows why I want to get married, but we never talked about a timeline—or anything happening anytime soon.
I turn to look at him, seeing the seriousness on his face. “Sorry, if this isn’t the most romantic. I think by now you know I’m sort of impulsive.”
I shiver. Maybe it’s goosebumps. I’m stunned by whatever is going on. “So, that was an accident?”
“No.” He pins his somber gaze on me, a faint echo of his smile lingers there. “Not an accident. Just interesting timing. It’s been on my mind a lot lately. I guess it just tumbled out. I know you had wanted to get a teaching job and all that first, but you’re subbing. It’s practically the same thing. What are your thoughts?”
“Of course I want to get married.” I place my hand over my heart as it seems to be pounding harder by the minute. I never planned on Jackson. I honestly believed I wasn’t worthy of a man who loves me and Bella as much as he does. I didn’t think those types of men actually existed. Now that I’ve found him, I definitely don’t want to risk this slipping through my fingers, but I’ve always wanted to take things slow, for me and for Bella. “I-I,” I stutter with the knee-jerk reaction to try to come up with a reason we can’t get married now. There’s really nothing. No red flags. Bella adores him. Honestly, it’s my heart’s biggest desire.Just thinking about it cracks a smile wide on my face. “I-I think I’m ready too.”
The creases by his eyes deepen as his smile inflates. He leans over and presses a kiss to my forehead before whispering, “Just making sure we are on the same page.”
Bonus Epilogue
Jackson
Sunday night when Kaci goes to pick up Bella from her dad, I make my own pickup at Jackie’s house to grab Rigsby. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out together. Jackie and Tom have settled into a routine with their little family. Baby Royan is no longer a baby, as he’s already one and an early walker. He’s a lot of fun to be around, if you can keep up with him, but I’m looking forward to spending some time with just Rigsby. It’s more than just some funcle time.
Tonight, I have a mission.
Not just any mission.
It’s all hands on deck and that includes Frankfurter.
When Rigsby walks out to my car, he proudly steers Frankfurter in a harness and leash. That harness was a nonnegotiable from Jackie when she allowed Rigsby to keep him. It wasn’t too hard to break the news to Jackie. She didn’t even seem that surprised. I suspect she knew all along but went along with it to see how far Rigsby would go. After all, the ferretlived in his room while he was in school all day. It’s absurd to think she never looked in the back of his closet. She did comment that she had found it interesting that over the summer Rigsby had taken a sudden interest in always putting away his clean laundry. She also laughed when she recalled how she noticed a musty odor in his room, but she blamed it on the fact she'd cut down on housekeeping from being sick and pregnant. Boy, was she wrong.
Rigsby scoops up Frankfurter, he opens the door and drops the ferret in first before he plops down and shuts his door. “What’s the big secret?” he blurts out, his eyes finding mine in the rearview mirror.
Shifting the car into reverse, I back out slowly. I actually can’t wait to tell him. I can’t wait to tell anyone. I’ve been holding this in all day, but of course I’m going to tease him a little. “Well, I can only tell you if you promise to keep it a secret.”
“Yeah, of course.” He leans as far forward as his seatbelt will let him.
I shift the car into drive. “First, sit back in your seat.” I pause, watching in the review mirror to make sure he scoots back. “Now, I need to know that Frankfurter can keep a secret or—”
“He can,” he cuts me off. “He lived in my closet for months. He’s cool. I promise.”
I take an extra long time and rub the scruff on my chin, pretending to mull it over. “Okay.” I drop my voice almost to a whisper to make the news even more exciting. “If you promise, I’ll tell you.”
“I promise!”
“Well, you know Kaci and I have been together for a year, right?” I pause to run my tongue along my bottom lip as everything about what I’m about to explain makes me unnerved in all the best ways.
Like, I can’t sleep at night.
I just lie awake, thinking about how I’m the luckiest man in the world. All my dreams are about to come true. Even though I’m not sleeping, I’m not at all exhausted. If anything, I’ve never felt more at peace with any decision I’ve ever made. “I’m going to ask Kaci to marry me tonight, but I need you and Bella to help. Oh, and Frankfurter,” I tack on as that little ferret actually has the most pertinent role in all of this.
Rigsby’s jaw dramatically flops open, and no words come out. I get it. At his age, he thinks girls should have cooties. Marriage isn’t exciting for him, but I couldn’t do this without him or Bella. They are the reason Kaci and I even got together. In a way, they were our little matchmakers. “So, what do you say?” I ask, one eye on the road and the other on him in the rearview mirror. “Will you help me out?”
His eyes narrow, locking his gaze on mine. “Do I get root beer and wings?”
A chuckle bleeps out of my chest as he’s getting to be a good negotiator. “Of course,” I say, a mischievous smile blooming on my lips. “Food first and then I’ll explain everything to you…”
Back at Kaci’s apartment, Bella drags me into her room, “to show me something Little B did,” which is our code to get away from Kaci. Kaci just laughs and excuses herself to the bathroom. We have only a few seconds to get organized. I quickly tie my surprise on a string, attach it to the Frankfurter’s waist and then hand Frankfurter to Bella with a wink. “Alright, Bella,” I say as she takes him into her arms and cradles him like a baby. Even though Frankfurter is Rigsby’s pet, he often accompanies us onour visits to Kaci’s house, and we’ve all come to love him and his entertaining antics.
