“To get something I should have gotten a long time ago.”
By the time we reach the store, Kyle’s in my arms, and Connor insists he wants to sit on the bench outside.
“You sit right here by the window where I can see you,” I instruct him. “And keep Bernie with you, okay?”
I walk into the store with Kyle, knowing exactly what I want.
“Daddy!” Kyle squirms in my arms as I carry him through the building. “Why are we here?”
“I’m buying someone a present,” I say. “We’ll just be a minute, buddy.”
I put Kyle down as I stop at the counter and nod hello at the saleswoman.
“Do you know what you want?” she asks me.
“Yes,” I say. “I know exactly what I want. It has to be custom-made, though.”
“Not a problem, sir. We have a jeweler on site, and he can get started right away.”
“What’s cupsom?” Kyle asks as he tugs at my shirt.
“It means there’s only one like it,” I say.Just like her.
* * *
Olivia
A couple days after meeting Donald, Jenson invites me over for dinner. As soon as we’ve put Kyle and Connor to bed, we snuggle on his couch, and he pulls a jewelry box out of his pocket and puts it on my lap.
I look up at him and joke, “You’re proposing? Don’t you think we should deal with some other things first?”
His green eyes sparkle. “It’s not an official engagement ring. Not yet. But you can think of it like that.”
I put my hand on his cheek before carefully opening the box on my lap.
I gasp at the beautiful ring inside. It’s got tiny diamonds around the top half and is a pretty white gold.
“This is beautiful.” I lift it out of the box. “You know exactly what I love, J.”
“You showed me before,” he reminds me, his eyes intense on mine.
My heart comes up into my throat. “But that was a long time ago. We were still in high school.”
“But I never forgot.” He leans forward until our foreheads touch. “I never forgot a single thing you told me, Olive.”
“It’s so perfect for me.” I turn away from him in an effort to rein in my emotions, which are getting the best of me. Tears are threatening behind my eyes, and I try to force them back. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and you’ll be back in Pittsburgh, and I’ll be here.”
“Olive.” Jenson takes my chin in his hand firmly. “Listen to me. Everything we’re doing is for real. Just because we’ve decided not to let people in on our reality yet doesn’t make it any less true.”
I hold out my hand, and he slips the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly.
I lean in and give Jenson a long kiss. “I love it. I love you.”
* * *
Later that week, the Wilds and their significant others fly into town. The Cougars play a preseason game against Philadelphia, and Dylan and Colton were nice enough to give Jenson a block of tickets. Because it’s preseason, the players have a little more leeway than they normally do during the regular season, so Jenson’s organized for everyone to come to his house the night before the game for a cook-out.
The Wilds mean so much to Jenson, and they always will. And they’re all really good guys—I just want things to feel natural between us.
