I tilted my head back to look at him.“You did?”
“Yeah.I told him how much I loved you and how all I wanted was to take care of you.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me,” I reminded him.
“Shh, I’m being sweet,” he grumbled, which made me laugh.“He looked into my soul, recognized the truth of my devotion, and gave his approval.”
“I don’t need that either.”
Declan plowed on, ignoring my interruptions.“He gave me this pearl and said it would never dull or crack.He recommended I hold the pearl and think about everything I love about you, everything I admire, everything I cherish.I told him I was a null and you wouldn’t feel it, but he told me to do it anyway.
“So I did, quite happily.Your dad had told me to make sure the jeweler only wore gloves when working with the pearl.I don’t know how he knew, but when it was finally done, I brought it home and your dad was waiting in the workshop for me.He asked to see it, then took it in his hand.He said he erased all traces of the jeweler, the wholesalers, the miners, anyone involved in the platinum and the opals, so all that would be left was my love in the pearl.”
I thought about Dad being so angry when I was talking to him underwater, him saying he’d given Declan his approval.Why wasn’t I allowing my mate to help me?That conversation made more sense now.“So you two have been scheming, huh?”
He scratched his beard.“Not too much.Only a little.But then you had that dream that we’d not only have Quinn, but Mac too.We’re staying together and happy.I wanted to ask you then, but I was so overwhelmed, my brain and tongue wouldn’t work together.There was something about Osso referring to me as your boyfriend last night that gave me a kick in the ass.I’m not a boyfriend.I’m your mate and I want to be your husband.”His hand moved up to cradle my face.“Will you marry me?”
I stared up into his warm brown eyes.How’d I get so lucky?“Do you promise to always make me breakfast?”
He grinned.“I do.”
“And pick me up and carry me places for the hell of it?”
“I do.”
“And be a kind, patient, loving father and mate?”My vision was getting blurry.
He kissed my chin.“I do.”
“Okay then.”
He laughed and kissed me until I’d lost the thread of our conversation.When we came up for air, he was slipping the ring on my finger and I was hit with a wave of love.Gasping, my eyes flooded with tears as I crushed him to me, riding the wave.
“You feel it?”he whispered.
I nodded, my heart bursting.
On a quick intake of breath, he spread his hand over my abdomen.“She kicked or moved or something.Did you feel that?”
I shook my head, laughing.“I’m too busy feeling everything else.”
He brushed his fingertips over me.“Maybe she feels it too.”He gave me another kiss and rolled out of bed, grabbing his pajama bottoms and slipping them on.“I need to go make my girls breakfast.It was one of the vows I recently took.I’ll be back with your juice in a minute.”
My hand replaced his over our growing daughter.“What do you think, Quinn?”I whispered.I felt her flutters answering me.
As it was Sunday, he made us toad-in-the-holes, with fresh fruit.And bacon, of course.We made it to the gallery as Elizabeth was dropping off Faith and Frank.I invited her to come in for a minute so I could talk with them about last night.
“It was that man, wasn’t it?”Frank asked.“I knew he was trouble.There was something about him that felt off.”
“And you were right,” I told him.“Here’s Carter’s truck.And Hester is right behind him.I’ll tell everyone at once.”
He caught my arm.“I’m sorry, Arwyn.We should have stayed.”
Declan patted Frank on the back.“She was covered.Carter stayed, then I came.Thank you, though, for wanting to protect her.”
I threw my hands up in the air as I led the group toward the front door.“Why does everyone keep forgetting I can protect myself?”
I opened the door, walked across the gallery, and out the back door.“Bracken?”I called.
