"Shut up," I mutter, but there's no heat in it.
"No, this is unprecedented." He's grinning now, enjoying my discomfort. "Axel Slade, perpetual bachelor, tamed at last. I need to mark this day on my calendar."
I flip him off, but I'm smiling too. "Yeah, well. Things change."
"Clearly." He leans back in his chair, still watching me with that perceptive gaze. "So when do I get to meet the woman who accomplished what half the female population of Colorado couldn't?"
"Sunday dinner," I tell him. "She's coming with her daughter, Poppy."
Aiden's eyebrows shoot up. "Daughter? You're dating a woman with a kid?"
"Yeah." I can't keep the pride out of my voice. "She's sixteen months old, smart as hell, and has me completely wrapped around her finger."
"Jesus, Ax." Aiden shakes his head, but his smile is genuine. "You really did go all in, didn't you?"
"When you know, you know." The words come out more serious than I intend.
Aiden's expression softens. "Mom said her name is Sadie? Runs that new coffee shop in town?"
I nod, taking a long drink of tea to hide the emotion that wells up whenever I talk about her.
"Sadie Calloway. She moved here with her sister, Rowan, about seven months ago."
"So, Oregon. You want to tell me what that was about?"
I hesitate, weighing my words carefully. "Sadie's ex was causing problems. Trying to take Poppy from her. We went to handle it."
"And did you? Handle it?"
"Yeah." I can't help the satisfaction that creeps into my voice. "Permanently."
Aiden nods, not asking for details. Another thing I've always appreciated about him, he understands some stories aren't his to know.
"Good." He drains his glass, setting it down with a decisive clink. "I'm glad you were there for her."
"Always will be," I say, the words a promise.
Aiden studies me for a long moment, his expression shifting as something catches his eye. He reaches across the counter, plucking something from my shirt pocket, a receipt, I realize. Not just any receipt, though. The one from the jeweler in Denver.
"What's this?" he asks, though his knowing smile says he's already figured it out.
I snatch it back, shoving it into my jeans pocket. "None of your business."
"Custom design consultation," he reads from memory, his grin widening. "Final payment for?—"
"I said drop it," I growl, but there's no real anger behind it.
Aiden holds up his hands in surrender, but his eyes are dancing with amusement. "What's going on with you?" he asks, though his tone says he already knows the answer. "You're acting like a man about to do something stupidly romantic."
I can't help the smile that breaks across my face, my hand unconsciously patting the pocket where the ring box sits. "Maybe I am."
Aiden's eyes widen, and he reaches across the counter to grab my wrist. "Holy shit. You're actually going to propose."
I pull the small velvet box from my pocket, turning it over in my hand. "Tonight."
"Tonight?" He looks genuinely shocked. "As in, hours from now?"
"That's generally what tonight means, yeah." I open the box, revealing the ring I spent weeks designing, a delicate vintage-inspired setting with a center diamond flanked by tiny sapphires the exact color of Sadie's eyes. Nothing flashy or ostentatious, just elegant and timeless. Like her.
