Why are you my best friend again?
Eric
Because you love me.
And none of the other guys will put up with your shit like I do.
I chuckle and grab the food bags from the seat of my car. There’s a chance I called in a few favors to get everything Phoebe wanted. There’s also a chance that the three bags I’m carrying into the hotel cost way more than this amount of food has any right to. But that doesn’t matter. The woman I love wants certain foods, so I get them, even if I have to pay a late night holiday premium for them.
Eric’s texts are running through my brain the entire trip back up to the hotel room. The ring is still burning a hole in my pocket, and I’m not sure how I’m going to ask the question. The only thing I’m sure about is that I need to do it tonight. I can’t wait much longer without asking Phoebe Fox, the love of my life, the mother of my son, to be my wife.
First things first, though. I need to get her fed before the hangryreallykicks in.
“Phoebe?” I call out as I enter the hotel room and set the bags on a table. “Food’s here.”
“I’m still in the bath,” she yells back. “No kids’ toys and no muddy dogs. It’s pretty much heaven. I’ve added hot water three times since you left. I’ll be right out, though. I’m starving.”
It does sound like heaven, but not for the reasons she thinks. No. The reason that bathtub is heaven is that right now it’s occupied by the most amazing woman to ever walk the earth.
And I’m getting carried away. I need to ask Phoebe to marry me before I revert to a pimply faced teenager and start writing her awful love poems. My heart rate increases and my mouth goes dry. I’m nervous.Now. I have to do it now.
“Hey. You alright?” Phoebe steps out of the bathroom wearing a fluffy hotel robe, her hair in a loose pile on top of her head. She is so beautiful. She runs a hand up my arm and into my hair as she looks back and forth between my eyes. “Is everything okay?”
I wrap her tightly in my arms, ducking to bury my face in her neck. “Everything is perfect. You’re perfect.”
She chuckles and runs her hand through my hair. “I mean, I am pretty impressive. But I wouldn’t say I’m perfect.”
This is it. I’m doing this. I inhale deeply, Phoebe’s scent filling my nose, then step back and take her hands in mine.
“You’re better than pretty impressive, Phoebe. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re gorgeous, that’s obvious, but you’re so much more than that. You’re loving. You’re kind. You’re a wonderful mom to Lincoln. You’re the best partner for me. And you’re hilarious. When we met that night at the hotel bar, I didn’t know it, but my life was about to change for the better. I laughed harder that night than I had in years. Years, Phoebe. The stress of my life washed away that night because of you. No matter how hard everything was, you made it better for those blissful hours we spent together.”
Her eyes search mine, and I smile. “And then you disappeared. While you were gone, I felt something was missing, but I couldn’t figure out what. So I buried myself in work. Spent all my time making Fade Toys something to be proud of. And I am. I’m so proud of what I’ve done with Fade Toys. But it doesn’t hold a candle to how proud I am that I get to love you. Or how proud I am of being Lincoln’s dad. I know it’s not what either of us expected that night, but I am so thankful that we got Lincoln from it. And that having Lincoln led you to find me again.”
“I’m so glad I found you, too. What’s this all about, Archer? You’re freaking me out.”
I bring her hands up and place a kiss on each palm before sliding down to one knee. “Phoebe Fox, everything in my life is better because you’re in it. You showed me what being part of a family should feel like. You gave me a son. Phoebe, I wake up every day knowing I’m the luckiest man on earth because I have you next to me. And I want you to be next to me always. Phoebe Fox, will you marry me?”
I slide the ring out of my pocket and offer it to her with a shaky hand. Her face is blank, and I can’t tell if she’s stunned in a good way, or a bad way. My stomach clenches with a stab of fear. Maybe Phoebe isn’t ready for this. But when her face splits in a brilliant grin, and all my worries disappear.
“Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” She drags me to my feet and throws her arms around my neck. “I love you, Archer.”
“I love you, Phoebe. I love you so fucking much.” I smash my lips against hers in a fierce kiss, letting our tongues dance. A moment later, her stomach growls. I break away with a chuckle. “Now, will you put this ring on so I can get some food into you?”
She holds her hand out and I slide the ring on. “Oh wow, Archer. This is so beautiful.” Phoebe holds her hand up to admire the ring before a sad smile crosses her face. “It’s a shame I’ll only be able to wear it for a few months before I’ll have to take it off.”
My thoughts screech to a halt, and it’s suddenly hard to drag in a breath. “Take it off? Wha…what do you mean?”
Her smile becomes radiant. “Relax, it won’t be forever. It will only be until the swelling goes down.”
I shake my head. Nothing she’s saying makes sense. “Swelling? What swelling? What are you talking about?”
She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Do I need to spell it out for you? Here. I have a visual aid. One sec.”
She goes into the bathroom, then returns a moment later with a white pen-like object. “So, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been a little off lately. Extra hungry, extra tired, extra cranky?” I hold her gaze, forcing my head to remain still rather than nodding in agreement like I want to. She’s been a little strange the last few weeks, but she said she wasn’t feeling well, so I put it down to that. “Anyway. I had my suspicions, so I brought this with me and took it while you were out getting food. Here.”
I take the object and look at the screen. One word is written there: pregnant.
Every thought flies out of my head, leaving that one word.
