“Okay?” I can feel the trepidation rise up. I don’t want to be on a first name basis with the family attorney. Let’s be real, I don’t want tohavea family attorney.
“Your insurance company settled. Paid fifty thousand to each of the movers. It’s done.”
“Is it me or does that seem low?”
“It’s stupid actually, but because they accepted, they cannot pursue anything with you or me.”
“So it’s done done?”
“It’s done done.”
I scrunch my nose. I’m glad we’re not going to court. I’m thrilled that chapter is over. “That window wasn’t very big for us to fall in love, you know? If you’d held out even a little longer…” I let my words trail off wondering, as I stare toward the front door, if he had a do-over if he’d take it.
“Lorien?”
I turn my head back to him as he slides off the sofa, with an annoyed meow from Poe, and onto one knee. He takes my left hand in both of his. “I want you to be my wife, and I want to be your husband. I want you to keep being my wife. And like hell I’ll ever be anything but your husband. Marry me? Again?”
Warmth hits the back of my nose as tears prickle my eyes. I nod. I choose him. He chooses me. What started as an arrangement with a list of rules is now the two of us building a life. “Yes.”
“Good.” He kisses my ring finger, just below where the ring rests.
I cup his face, scratching through his unruly beard, and kiss his lips.
He returns to the sofa, propping my hand on his firm thigh. “Now, when do you want to tell your family?”
I think for a minute. “Tomorrow. Today is for us. Well, the last few months have been for us, but not today. Wait. What does this mean with the owner and the nephew and all of that?”
“I don’t know, but we’re surrounded by security cameras. I’m not interested in owning a moving company, so I hope they give up. Owning a pharmaceutical company is enough.”
I laugh at that. “Oh, poor put-upon William Murphy, owning so many things and having so many assets it’s annoying.”
“I’ll show you assets.” He raises his eyebrows several times like an old Vaudevillian actor might.
“Did you leave your piercing in when you met my family?” I’m still so curious about all of it.
“I didn’t change who I am for them.” He lifts his hands and flexes his fingers. “These indicate more underneath, but we didn’t discuss them.”
“And no one said anything?”
“Did you think they would?”
I shrug. My mom doesn’t have much of a filter, and my dad’s old school. “I don’t know.”
“They probably expected a researcher or an academic for you. Your dad didn’t ask what I did. He asked if I loved you. That’s what he cared about.”
“Oh. And what did you say?” I’m fishing, and we both know it.
“I told him I couldn’t imagine a life without you, that you’re what I want and what I need. And that I’d lay down my life to protect you. I told him I’d love and serve you every day of your life.”
Oh.
“Your mom cried. Your dad did what he could not to, but I know he was affected. I told him my brother and sister here would take care of you, too, and that I would do the same for Sam and Strider.”
I’m trying to picture him taking care of Strider, who’s older, grayer, and more… brotherly. But the man found a way to, didn’t he? The stocks.
Swoon.
“I can’t believe you flew there. Flew. For the day and were back in time for my doctor’s appointment.”
