She flinched like the words caused her pain, but I needed to say it.
Lay it out.
We couldn’t go into this thing with false expectations.
“I know.”
Why the fuck did I hate her agreeing?
She turned back to rinsing the dishes. “So…how do we do it?”
“We go to the courthouse and get married.” Nerves rattled through me. Fear and a new determination that thudded through my veins. “I will handle the paperwork.”
A few keystrokes and I’d have half the process of what Daisy was asking accomplished. I pushed on to the hard part. “When do we want to do this?”
She laughed a disjointed sound. “Probably sooner rather than later. You know, so you don’t get cold feet,” she ribbed.
“Not going to get cold feet. Made you a promise.”
Her attention swung to me for a beat. All the old promises I once made filtered out into the air between us.
Casting a verdict that I was a liar.
Only with the expression on her face, I knew she wasn’t judging me.
“Monday.” The single word shot out of me.
Resolute.
Surprise wheeled her back. “Monday?”
“You said you wouldn’t feel peace until you knew your kids would for sure be safe, and I want to give you that peace.”
Couldn’t wait until I could give it to her in another way.
Permanently.
I had picked up a bare trail this morning when I was in my office before sunrise. Fucker had been in Florida two weeks ago.
I could taste it.
The retribution that was coming for the girl who I’d sworn I would always protect.
Now that was a promise I was going to keep.
“Okay.” Awe flooded out with the single word. Those cornflower eyes swam and danced with hope and appreciation.
I loaded a few more dishes into the dishwasher.
In the background, Eva screeched, “I wanna watch Paw Patrol! I wanna watch Paw Patrol!”
The title rang a bell. Both Maci and Nolan were obsessed with it, and apparently, it had rubbed off on Finn, too.
Uncertainty parched my insides, my mind screaming at me not to be a fool, but the words were getting loose, anyway. “Think you and the kids should come with me to meet my family tomorrow. They gather on Sundays.”
Surprise left her on a breath, and she fully turned to face me, that little wrinkle denting between her brows. “You want me to meet your family?”
“If you’re gonna be my wife, think it’s probably prudent if you do.” I tried to make it light, the way it used to be between us, but my chest tightened when I said it.
