Savanna claps her hands in excitement and jumps up to meet him. When she sees what’s on it, her cheeks turn beet red before she covers her face with her hands. Vitaly laughs, and I quickly walk over to see what the hell he’s up to. I see theHappy 20th Birthday, Savthat’s written across the top, but I’m pretty sure it’s the decorative image of a cougar that’s making my girl blush.
“Really?” I ask my uncle, who’s just grinning at the two of us like the smartass he is.
“What?” he asks. “She’s in her twenties now, Niki. You’re officially dating an older woman.”
“I don’t think being three months older qualifies as a cougar,” my dad says.
My uncle just shrugs. “She’s still older.” He brings the cake closer. “Come on, Sav, blow out the candles and make a wish.”
Savanna lowers her hands, smiling at my uncle because it’s impossible to stay mad at him, and then she meets my eyes before taking a big breath and then leaning closer to blow out the candles in one go. All the nieces and nephews cheer and get excited because they know that if anyone is going to sneak them loads of sugar, it’s going to be the guy holding a slab of cake in his arms.
Wrapping my arms around Savanna, I kiss her head while my uncle lowers his voice and asks me, “So you want me to save you a big piece of this pus?—”
“Kitty cat,” my Aunt Katya loudly says, chiming in and shooting her husband a warning look that only makes him laugh. She looks at Savanna and sighs. “I can’t take him anywhere.”
“You know you love it,” he says, winking at his wife.
She returns the wink and then smacks his ass before walking off to help get plates for all the kids. My uncle grins and then stares at her backside until she disappears into the crowd.
“God, I love that woman,” he says, before turning his attention back to us. “I’m glad you’re joining the family, Sav. You’re perfect for Niki. I knew it from the beginning.”
Savanna nudges my arm and shares a look with my uncle. “Technically, I haven’t been asked to join the family yet.”
I cup her face and tilt it up to mine. “We’re getting married, Van. I was just giving you time to heal before I officially ask.”
She shoots a quick look at my uncle, who I’m guessing is looking happier than a pig in shit, and says, “I look pretty healed up, don’t I?”
“Absolutely,” he says, and I can hear the giddy sound of his voice because the man lives on gossip and butting into private moments. “Better put a ring on her, Niki. You can’t send her back to that university looking unclaimed.”
Ignoring him, I lean in close so only Savanna can hear me. “You sure about this, baby? I’ve been trying to find the right moment, but I wanted you to heal, and then I didn’t want to take anything away from your birthday.”
“Take away?” she asks, looking at me like I’m the slowest kindergartner in her class. “How on earth would that take anything away? Wouldn’t it just make it the best birthday I’ve ever had?”
I lean closer and whisper in her ear. “I thought my finger in your ass this morning did that.”
She chokes on a laugh while I grin and kiss her cheek. When I reach into my pocket, her blue eyes widen in surprise. “Wait, you’ve been carrying around a ring this whole time?”
The velvet box is hidden away in a drawer because I didn’t want to make it obvious, but I’ve been carrying around the diamond and sapphire ring that’s cupped in my hand and hidden from her curious eyes for four days. I met with a jeweler before she was taken, and once it was ready, I snuck out to get it while she was taking a nap. I was just waiting for the right time, and apparently that moment is now, in front of my entire family and her parents.
I’m usually a pretty private person, but Savanna’s big heart means she likes to include everyone in everything, so with everyone starting to stare and wonder what’s going on, I grab her hand and lower down onto one knee.
“Holy shit,” I hear my Uncle Vitaly say, still standing way too close and holding the cougar cake.
I’m guessing he looks ridiculous, but once my knee hits the carpet, everything disappears except the woman in front of me. Her blue eyes are already filling with tears, and when I open my hand and she sees the large diamond, her mouth drops open in surprise. She shouldn’t be. She knows me well enough by now to know this was never going to end with a tiny diamond on herfinger. The large stone is surrounded by sapphires. It’ll match her bracelet perfectly, and the necklace and earrings she doesn’t know she’s getting.
“I knew you were it for me the second I saw you,” I tell her. “Sasha tricked me into going out that night, knowing I wouldn’t have gone if he’d told me Cindy was trying to set us up. My life has always been my computer, but when I saw you that night, everything changed. For the first time in my life, I wanted more.”
A tear runs down her cheek as I caress her hand and she squeezes my finger.
“You are everything to me, Van. I knew it then, and I know it now, and I’ll know it sixty years from now. My heart is yours, and no part of me will ever belong to another. I will always love you, I will always be faithful to you, and I will always take care of you and as many babies as you want us to have.”
She grins and whispers, “Six.”
I swear my heart skips a beat. The love I feel for her is overpowering, a tangible thing that my body can’t help but respond to.
“Six,” I repeat, smiling even bigger when her dimple appears. “Will you marry me, Van? Will you be my wife and let me spoil you and love you for the rest of our lives?”
Tears stream down both her cheeks and her voice is shaky when she says, “Yes,” but it’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. Our families cheer when I slide the ring on Savanna’s finger and then stand so I can kiss her. There are catcalls and whistles as I kiss my fiancée for the first time. I cup her face and savor every second of this kiss before I finally let her go so we can turn to face everyone. Most of the women are crying, and the men are all smiling and raising glasses in our honor. Apparently, at some point my Uncle Vitaly switched the cake out for a bottle of vodka. He’s grinning and pouring another drink as he walks over to us.
