“Anytime.”
Before I could say anything else, my sister hissed from somewhere deeper in the hedge. “Theo, get down!”
He ducked back out of sight. “See?” he muttered. “Stealth.”
I rubbed my temples. This had been his idea—having the families there. At first, I resisted. A proposal should be private. But he’d made a compelling argument.
“You already married her in secret,” he’d said. “You can't hide the proposal.”
Which is how both families ended up crouched behind my hedges like very wealthy garden gnomes. I checked my watch. She’d be here any minute. My hand slipped into my pocket, brushing against the velvet ring box.
She reluctantly gave me her rings just hours prior so I could 'get it cleaned' and while I did, that wasn't the reason for taking them.
Footsteps sounded from the house. My spine straightened immediately. The garden doors slid open. “Callahan?”
Her voice carried across the quiet evening air. I turned just in time to find Vani standing at the top of the garden steps, looking slightly confused. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, catching the glow from the lanterns. The soft cream dress she wore moved gently in the breeze.
For a moment, I completely forgot the speech I’d spent the entire afternoon rehearsing.
“Maria said you were looking for me. What is it?” she asked, stepping outside.
Her eyes slowly moved across the garden.
The lanterns.
The flowers.
The glowing fountain.
Her brows pulled together. “This looks suspicious.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that slipped out. “Why is it I'm always doing something suspicious in your eyes?”
“Because you are.” She descended the steps, folding her arms. “You'd never randomly decorate the garden.”
“That’s not true.”
“It absolutely is.”
She stopped a few feet away from me, narrowing her eyes.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s exactly what someone who did something would say.”
I laughed quietly. “You’re very difficult to surprise.”
“I read a lot of mystery novels.”
“That explains a lot.”
She tilted her head slightly, studying me. Then something in her expression shifted.
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
