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“I changed my phone number,” I told her, still going down the checklist of things I needed to prove to her. “I wish I’d thought of it sooner. Also, before I did that I sent out a mass message to every single woman I know and told them I was happily married and expecting a baby soon.”
Her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing, before she finally said, “You’re insane.”
“Well, yes. What’s that got to do with anything?”
Her face was solemn now and tender.
“And you love me,” she said.
It was almost a question, stopping just short of it. “I love you,” I agreed. “I’m crazy about you. It started way earlier on than I’d like to admit to. You’ve charmed my socks off from the start. I love everything about you, from the top of your head to the bottom of your itty bitty adorable feet.”
She opened her mouth, and I knew what she was about to say. I covered it with my hand. “No. I do not have a foot fetish. Stop that.”
I took my hand away. “Your turn. You love me too. Say it.”
She was trying not to laugh. It was perfect. “You can’t just tell me to say it like that.”
“I did and I am. Hit me with it, cupcake.” I gave her a give it to me motion with both hands. “You know you want to.”
Our eyes on each other were tender now. And she didn’t have to say it, I knew now how she felt. She’d shown it in the form of the smoke we were both inhaling right at that moment.
But she did say it, thank God. “I love you, Turner. I love you so much.”
I closed my eyes, soaking that up for a moment before I pulled her from the second step to the floor.
I took a ring box out of my pocket and went down on one knee. I grinned, an I told you so grin.
Her hands covered her mouth. She was so ruffled, I could hardly stand it. I wanted to drag her down and ravish her right that second.
Instead, I opened the box, took the ring out and said, “Now marry me.”
I put the ring on her finger. “Nothing to say?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she said simply. “I’ll marry you. Yes.”
“Good,” I said briskly, standing. “We’re going to get the paperwork done today, right now. We’re eloping as soon as it is legally possible. I need that. I’ve spent too much time not married to you. Does that make sense?”
She didn’t answer.
“Tell me that makes sense,” I told her.
“That makes sense.”
EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
I made her call Aaron and dump him on the spot. I wanted to talk to him myself, to do the honors.
She had the unmitigated gall to do it herself and let him down easy.
I shamelessly listened to the entire thing.
He took it with affable good grace, the Boy Scout. Barf.
When she hung up I tickled her to the ground. “You complete me.”
“Like a pin in a hand grenade,” she agreed.
