Page 102 of Tanner

“I might not know what’s going on with my family or our business, but I do know that I don’t want to figure life out without you. Because you are my family. You, Harper Doyle, are my family. I choose you. I want a life with you. I want you by my side. I want to live this life with you. Fight with you. Make love to you. Create life with you.”

A gasp and laugh-like cry escapes her lips as a tear slips out of her eye. I run my thumb over to remove it.

“My sweet Harper, I choose you for eternity. I want to marry you.”

She curls up into my side, pulling me into her, wrapping her arm around my neck, before bringing my forehead to hers.

“You’re sleep-drunk,” she says.

“I’m love-drunk.”

“People make bad decisions when they drink.”

“Good thing I’m sober.” I kiss her mouth. “Be my wife.”

She leans back with the tilt of her head to search my face. “Seriously?”

“Dead.”

She half-laughs. Her brows furrow in an attempt to hide the emotion her glassy eyes are giving away.

“For the record, you can wake me up anytime with a proclamation like that.”

I laugh and pull her back into me. “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

“When?”

“Today if possible. When a man realizes he wants to spend the rest of his life with someone, he doesn’t mean in a week from today.”

Her head rolls back with a laugh. When she looks back at me, it’s with a scrunched-up face. I tilt my head in question of what she could be confused about.

“Being with you? I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. Yes, Tanner. Yes, I will marry you. It’s just …” She waves a hand in the air. “Never mind; it’s silly.”

I wrap my arms tighter around her waist. “What? Tell me.”

Her skin turns pink with a blush. “Monica proposed to Chandler in Friends. She proposed to him, and … well, I always thought that was romantic. I wanted to be the one to propose to you.”

I have many questions about that statement, but I settle on one big one. “You’ve thought of proposing to me?”

She bites her lip. “Yes. Ever since the night you moved your ring to your left hand. I’ve daydreamed about it. A lot.”

Goddamn if that information doesn’t make me happy.

“I rescind my proposal.”

“You can’t take back a proposal. Wait. Did you actually ask me?”

I stop and think. “No. I suppose I didn’t.”

Her smile grows wide across her face. She sits up on her knees and pulls me up with her. She’s shorter than me, even in this position, so it’s kinda cute to be looking down at her while she takes my hands in hers.

“Tanner Sexton, will you marry me?”

A laugh of happiness and a choke of tears escape me as I push her onto her back, leaning over her, smiling at the face of my future wife. Now, I know why guys do the proposing. It’s hella emotional.

“Yes, sweet Harper. Yes.” I kiss her lips a few times more. “Yes.”

She laughs out loud. “My fiancé.”