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"Jagger."

"Don't freak out."

"Oh, my God."

I point at her. "That's freaking out."

"Is that a ring?"

I glance at the box. "Pretty sure."

Her hand flies over her mouth.

I return to the bed and kneel in front of her.

She shakes her head. "Jagger, what are you doing?"

"Something I've wanted to do since about five minutes after I bought this."

"Five minutes?"

"Maybe two."

A strangled laugh escapes her.

I take her hand. "Listen to me before you start telling me all the reasons this is crazy."

"It is crazy."

"I know."

"We haven't even hung out together for the length of a year," she states.

"We aren't exactly hanging out at this point." I hold out my finger so Charlie grabs it, and I say to her, "Tell Mommy to breathe."

"I am breathing!"

"Are you?" I question, peering closer.

"Jagger!" She bites on her smile.

I put my hand on her cheek. "I know it's soon. I know we're doing everything out of order. Hell, we made a baby before I even knew your last name."

A laugh breaks through her shaky breath.

I glance at Charlie.

She's sitting between us with her pacifier in her mouth, completely oblivious to the fact that her daddy's heart is trying to beat out of his chest.

I look back at Lainey.

"But I also know I spent eleven months without you and still couldn't forget you."

Her face crumples a little.

"You walked back into my life, and nothing has been the same since. You're the one I want to wake up to every morning. Hell, Charlie can climb all over me at two in the morning. And I want you bitching at me because I bought her too many Christmas presents."

"I don't bitch."