“I’ll leave you two to get settled in,” Kyle said. “You’ve got the key, brother?”
“Right here.” Elias took the house key out of his shirt pocket. He’d been by the house earlier, bringing Penny and Chuck and a couple suitcases. His truck was parked out front.
“Thanks, Kyle.” Wren hugged the tall man, catching him by surprise, Elias thought, judging by the look in his eye.
“Good night.” Kyle gave them a chin lift and headed for the front yard and the road up to his home and Arden.
Elias turned and pulled Wren into his arms.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day, baby.” He swayed her gently while the crickets sang around them and the first stars glittered in the darkening blue sky above. He nuzzled in her hair as she lay her cheek against his shoulder, right where it fit perfectly.
“I know you’re worried about the next part.” Her breath was soft and warm against his neck. “But I’ll be all right. Today was way more risky, honestly.”
Elias disagreed. Strongly.
But that was not tonight’s problem. Tonight was all about pleasuring his woman.
Right after something even more important.
Wren lifted her head. “Your heart suddenly sped up. Please don’t be worried and give yourself a heart attack.”
“Well, if I did, I know what hospital Iwouldn’tgo to.”
Wren barked out a laugh and immediately covered her mouth. “Oh God. I’m slap-happy enough to laugh at that. So inappropriate.”
“It’s just gallows humor. You’d be shocked and appalled by what we say back at the station after a rough shift. But it eases the tension.”
Wren dropped her hand and frowned up at him. “I’m sorry you’re so tense about what’s going on.”
He shook his head. “It’s about not that, baby.”
“Then what?”
“It’s about this.”
Elias dropped to one knee.
Wren’s hands flew back up to cover her mouth. “I thought you already did this like ten days ago after that amazing “marry me” ribeye I cooked for you.”
He pulled her hands down away from her face and held them. “Baby, that was not the proposal you deserved. I’m not sure this one is, either. You deserve to be proposed to on a tropical beach, or someplace fancy and romantic like Paris. And by someone way better than me, because you are, in all ways, far above my paygrade.”
“I don’t want someone way better than you. I don’t like guys who are way better than you. Because they actuallyaren’tway better than you.” She closed her eyes and threw her head back. “I’m spoiling this with my babbling, aren’t I?”
Elias successfully fought back a laugh.
“Open your eyes and look at me, Wren Stapleton.”
Using her full name got her attention. She looked back down at him.
“I realize we’ve only known each other for a month. But I knew from the moment you made me laugh that you were the one. And if you do me the great honor of marrying me, I swear that I will always break your rules by cooking you dinneranddoing the dishes.”
She giggled.
“And I will fill my closet with clothes for you to steal.”
She snickered.
“And I will make sure your life is full of laughter. Because I really want all those laugh points.”
