He probably would have been content to sit there all night and look into the eyes of the man he loved, but Steve gave a small smile and indicated Corey’s dessert. Corey picked up his soon and dug back in.
Steve watched every spoonful he took, appearing to get more tense with each bite. He was either paranoid Corey was going to choke or worried that he wouldn’t find a lucky coin. Corey had nearly finished when he finally felt the small disc of metal. He plucked it from his tongue and held it up in triumph.
Steve seemed strangely disappointed when Corey showed it off.
He peered at the coin. “Hey. This is pre-decimal.”
Steve nodded. “It’s a sixpence. They were my grandma’s coins.”
Corey looked at him in wonder. “I can’t believe you went to so much trouble. First your mum’s home-cooked pudding—that I still don’t understand how you got—and now your family coins.” His throat grew thick with emotion, just thinking about how much effort Steve had gone to. “Thank you. It’s an awesome Christmas Eve.”
Steve smiled. “Second only to the pudding disaster, of course.”
“Of course,” Corey echoed, although he hoped that by the end of the evening tonight would surpass the first Christmas Eve.
Steve indicated the plate again. “C’mon, finish your dessert.”
As much as Corey appreciated to the special meal, he didn’t want more pudding. He wanted to get to the main event.
“I can hardly fit in another bite. We’ve both got our lucky coin, so how about I save this for tomorrow?” Corey lifted his brows. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you served me a huge slice and yours was only a sliver.”
“I don’t like pudding much, remember? C’mon, there’s only another mouthful or two.”
Corey chuckled, giving in. “You sound like my mother.” But he dutifully ate another couple of mouthfuls until there was only one left. “If I explode, it’s all your fault.”
He placed the last of the pudding in his mouth, chewing carefully as he’d done with every mouthful up to this point.What the—?
The heavy weight on his tongue was no coin. He pulled it from his mouth and stared in amazement at the ring, totally speechless. He looked across to Steve, then back to the ring and back to Steve again.
“Is this…?”
Steve nodded.
Words escaped Corey as his throat choked with emotion. The band he held between his fingers drew his gaze. A black band broke the silver. It was gorgeous.
“A ring,” he finally managed to get out.
“Is that all you’re going to say?”
Corey lifted his eyes to Steve’s again. Steve looked like he was about to throw up.Oh, God, he’s been on edge all night waiting for me to find the ring, waiting for me to give him an answer.
He filled with warmth. As if there would be any doubt as to what the answer would be. Corey shoved back his chair and stood, holding a hand out to Steve. “Come with me.”
Steve looked uncertain, but he grasped Corey’s hand and allowed himself to be led around the table over to the sideboard. At Steve’s unspoken question, Corey gestured to the tree. Corey had to smile as Steve looked between the tree and Corey, obviously confused by what was going on and most likely wondering why Corey hadn’t just said yes.
Corey placed an arm around Steve’s hips, standing next to him in front of the tree. “Look closer.” Every nerve was on edge as he waited. He knew the moment Steve finally noticed.
Steve tensed. “Oh my God,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He reached out and from amongst all the decorations from nature—the gumnuts, shells, stones, feathers and flowers—plucked the one man-made item from the branch. Corey had hung the simple brushed silver band from a piece of twine.
They faced each other, both holding rings. Corey was aware he had a dopey smile on his face but didn’t care, because Steve was smiling back.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
This time when they spoke at the same time, it was with the very same word.
Corey couldn’t contain his joy as he looked at Steve’s beaming face. “Yes?”
