"We told her," Cal said, suppressing a grin.
Evan let out a breath that deflated his entire body. He slumped against the wall. "Oh, thank god. I thought I was about to get fired."
"Don't change the subject!" Lena poked him in the chest. "You knew for years! I was asking you about Silas's mystery girlfriend and you were just sitting there sipping your coffee like a liar! You're the third wheel! You're supposed to tell me things!"
"It's called an NDA, kid," Evan quipped, recovering his composure. "Non-Disclosure of Affection. I was protecting my investment. If they broke up, who was gonna drive the rental car?"
"I hate you," Lena grumbled, but she was smiling. "I'm the only one out of the loop. I feel like the child in a divorce who didn't know the parents were getting back together."
"That is literally exactly what you are," Evan laughed, ruffling her hair. "Welcome to the family, hun. It's exhausting in here."
Shortly after that, we were on the plane, the hum of the engine drowning out the world around us. We were trying to be quiet, unnoticed in our seats.
"Hey," Cal whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember asking me in Scotland if I wanted kids?"
I stiffened slightly. "Yeah. I remember." That had been years ago. We were just kids ourselves then when I asked that.
"You asked me if I ever wanted any," Cal continued. "And I told you I thought so."
"I was embarrassed I asked," I admitted. "I thought I overstepped."
"No," Cal said, his hand finding my thigh under the small airplane blanket. "I have a point. I always figured... I always figured we'd adopt a really young kid. A baby, maybe. But we got Lena instead. And she really does see us as dads."
I smiled, the warmth spreading through my chest. Then I paused.
"Wait." I turned in my seat to face him as much as I could. "You said 'we'. You always figured we'd adopt a young kid?"
Even as we tried to be quiet and unnoticed on the plane, I could see Cal flush. He looked away, embarrassed.
"Well..." Cal cleared his throat. "I certainly wasn't thinking of having kids with other people. I didn't want kids until I met you."
I froze. "Really?"
"Yeah," Cal said, his voice soft and vulnerable. "You made me want that. I wanted to be a dad with you. I wanted to see you be a dad, and a—"
He cut himself off abruptly. His eyes went huge.
"A what?" I teased, a grin spreading across my face.
"Shut up," Cal muttered, looking away from me.
"Say it, Kincaid," I pressed, poking his side. "You wanted to see me be a dad and a...?"
Cal groaned, peeking one eye out. "A husband. Okay? I wanted to see you be a husband."
My heart hammered against my ribs. It wasn't a proposal, not yet, but it was the promise of one.
I leaned in and whispered in his ear, slow and sweet.
"I'd be your husband any day."
28
APRIL - WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA / THE REED LAND, NORTH CAROLINA
