I don’t bother turning. “Mind your business, Hawk.”
“Your business is my business. That’s literally my job.” He comes to stand beside me, following my gaze. “She fits.”
“Yeah.”
“Took you long enough to figure it out.”
“Hawk—”
“Just saying.” He holds up his hands. “We’ve all been waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass. Glad it finally happened.”
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. Club business that needs handling—something about the security rotation for tomorrow’s rally. I sigh.
“Go,” Hawk says. “I’ll keep an eye on things here.”
I find Josie first, pulling her aside.
“I need to handle some shit. Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.”
I wait for the disappointment. The frustration. The argument about priorities that I got every time the club pulled me away from family time.
Instead, Josie just rises on her toes and kisses my cheek.
“Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“You’re not upset?”
“Stone.” She cups my face in her hands. “This is who you are. The club needs you. Go handle it.”
She says it so simply, like it’s obvious. Like she’s not asking me to choose, because there’s no choice to be made—just a life to be lived, together, with all its complications.
God, I love this woman.
I kiss her properly—deep enough to earn a few whistles from nearby brothers—and force myself to walk away.
The security issue takes longer than expected.
By the time I get back to the party, the moon has risen and the string lights have taken over, casting everything in a warm gold. I scan the crowd for Josie, expecting to find her waiting for me, maybe looking a little bored.
She’s not waiting.
She’s in the middle of a poker game with Ginger, Andi, and Maggie, and from the pile of chips in front of her, she’s winning. She throws her head back laughing at Ginger, completely at ease, completely happy.
She didn’t need me to have a good time.
The realization hits me like a punch to the chest—but not in a bad way. She’s built her own place here, made her own connections, found her own joy.
And she’s still going to be in my bed tonight.
She’s the one.
I’ve known it for a while, but watching her now—laughing with my family, fitting seamlessly into my world—the certainty crystallizes into something unshakeable.
I’m going to marry this woman.
I tuck the thought away for later and head toward the back porch, giving her space to finish her game. That’s when I find Lily.
She’s sitting alone on the back steps, clutching Mr. Flopsy, her little face pinched with worry.
