"Yeah, it is," Vaughn says, sending me a look that tells me he gets it.
I think?
Might need to check in with him about it later, just to be sure. You can never tell with these Montanaian men.
"I see myself being with you forever," I say to him.
His cheeks flush, and he smiles so big it makes my heart want to burst out of my chest. "I see myself being with you forever, too."
"I've been thinking," I say, later that evening once Rove and Leo have left and Mabel is down for the night. Vaughn is snuggled into me on the couch, and we're half-watching some old movie with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, who's character keeps crying all the time for some reason I haven't paid enough attention to understand. "When I was talking about not needing to get married, I got the feeling you agreed with me. But I'm not sure."
Vaughn pauses the movie. "I do. I think marriage is nice, but it isn't necessary."
There's something in the slow, measured way he's talking that makes me not buy it entirely.
"But is it something you would like?"
"Maybe…" He turns around so he's facing me. "It wasn't even in the realm of possibility back home, so I never even dared to dream it. And I'm not materialistic. I don't want you for your money."
"I know that."
He cracks a grin. "Buuut…a huge ring on my finger telling the world I'm yours might be nice."
I try reading his face, his barely there accent making it hard to tell if he's for real or kidding around. "You hardly ever leavethe marina, and everyone around here already knows you're mine and I'm yours."
He bites into his lower lip. "Okay, so maybe I just want, as you Aussies say, a giant fuckoff ring."
I laugh. "Right. I see."
"Is that wrong?"
"Of course not. In fact, it's good to know."
He places his hand over my heart. "Don't do anything crazy. I love how things are with us, I'm so happy with you."
"And I'm happy with you."
"And I really do see us being together forever. Whether it's official or not."
He rolls back around, hits play on the remote, and I wrap my arms around him snugly. I love how things are with us, too. I'm also cognizant of how new this all is. We've barely been together for half a year. I don't like rushing. I want to savor every new moment we share, every discovery we make about each other, every milestone we get to see Mabel experience.
But who knows? Maybe one day my thoughts on marriage might change, and I'll give Vaughn the giantest, most fuckoffery wedding ring ever. Maybe that day isn't all that far off. After all, I was seriously considering proposing to Melinda and River, and what I feel for Vaughn is a hundred times more intense than what I felt for them.
Since I'm cuddling him, I can't exactly reach over and play on my phone. Vaughn seems to be enjoying the movie, chuckling occasionally, so I try to pay attention to it. I've missed too much of the plot to get into it, but I can't help but be reminded of Dad when I see the grumpy character Michael Douglas is playing. Except of course, Hollywood portrays being a grumpy old man as adorable. Dad is a grumpy old man because he's heartbroken and in a dark hole he can't get out of.
Maybe I should invite him to come up here? The warm air, the sunshine, the change of scenery could do him a world of good. It worked wonders for me. Not that I can picture Dad romantically involved with anyone. I'll just take him getting back to how he used to be instead of the shell of a man he is now.
I wonder how his training sessions with Robbie's brother, Jarvis, are going. I still can't believe he got roped into it. All this wondering about how he's doing is making one thing very clear—I'm way overdue to give my old man a call.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table. Vaughn reaches over, passes it over his shoulder, and continues watching the movie.
"Thanks."
I read the text. A few seconds later, Vaughn pauses the movie again and rolls around. "What's wrong?"
"How do you know something's wrong?"
"I felt you tense up."
