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She nods softly. “Yeah. I do. But thank you for making sure.”
I pull up at the restaurant in our brand-new minivan. Loren finally caved and allowed me to drive her old Toyota to our appointment in Baton Rouge with Dr. Rowan today, then we stopped at a dealership for a quick swap. I think she only agreed to it because it was getting too difficult and dangerous for her to climb in and out of my truck, but she seems happy with her decision, having already named it after one of the horses fromThe Lord of the Rings. I’m also hopeful it’s a sign of her growing trust in me.
Today feels big, even though neither of us have acknowledged it. But it’s all giving me that same buzz I always get from being with Loren.
I turn to face her and pull her in for a kiss, then I rest my forehead against hers for a second. “I love you, Lo,” I say on a sigh. “And I’m so proud of you.”
She draws in a ragged breath. “I love you, too.”
A smile spreads across my face, because I still haven’t gotten tired of hearing her say that, and I don’t think I ever will.
I walk Loren inside, where her mother and brother are already waiting at a table. Her mom covers her mouth in shock when she sees Loren’s belly, then comes around to hug her tightly, waiting to give me a hug too. Lunch goes better than I expected, with Loren soaking up some well-deserved attention, and after a while, I ask Landry if he’d like to check out her new ride.
“You should take Shadowfax for a spin,” she says with a soft smile, acknowledging my attempt at giving her some alone time with her mother.
I motion for Landry to lead the way, and we walk out to the parking lot.
“I have to say, a minivan might just be the craziest sign of commitment I’ve ever seen,” he poses as we sit in the front seats and watch Loren and her mom through the restaurant window.
I chuckle softly. “Yeah, I guess twins will do that to you.”
“Hmm. Is this your way of asking my permission to marry my baby sister after you’ve already knocked her up?” He cocks an eyebrow at me, but he’s also smirking.
Isthat what I’m doing?
I blink at him, and it takes me a second to find my voice again. “I obviously don’t need your permission, Reed. I’m looking for your blessing. There’s a difference.”
“Do you have a ring, or were you just using this van as a gesture?”
I snort. “There’s a ring. I just need to get it sized.”
I think of my mother’s ring, sitting in a box inside my nightstand. I know it’s there because I’ve taken it out and looked at it more often in the past month than I have in the last few years combined.
“When are you planning to propose?”
I clear my throat. “I guess I need to make sure she actually wants to marry me, first.”
“You mean to tell me that Blake the Snake is afraid to get shut down?” He glares at me strangely. “You’re the cockiest guy in history, and she’s been obsessed with romance novels since she was a little girl. All you’d need is a big, cheesy proposal. I don’t see a problem.”
I stare out the window for a second before I respond. “Loren doesn’t usually put much stock into what other people think, the only exception being your family. And whether you realize it or not, you’ve all had a hand in convincing your sister that we couldn’t possibly work.”
He huffs. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I know you’re just trying to protect her, and it’s not your fault that your parents’ shitty marriage messed you guys up, but you’ve been sabotaging her and screwing with her self-worth for years. Between that and the constant reminders of my embarrassing track record, I haven’t had the easiest time getting Loren to buy into the idea of making our relationship a permanent thing.”
“Who the hell are you to talk about my parents’ marriage?” Landry fires back.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” I say, lifting my hands. “You and your sisters deserved better. But I want to do this right for Loren and our daughters, so if you really love Lo and want to see her happy, you’ll show her it’s okay to believe in me.”
“Maybe you’ve changed, and I can respect the way you stood up for Loren the last time we talked. But I still don’t know if I can trust you.”
“Landry, do you remember that party when we were kids, the one where I sucker punched you in front of everyone after you accused me of messing around with Loren in the pool house?”
He glares at me strangely. “Yeah, I guess.”
“She gave me my first kiss that night. And it was hot.” He scoffs, and I smile as I continue. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with her since then on some deep, subconscious level, even though I spent the better part of the past seventeen years in denial while I unsuccessfully searched for another woman that could measure up to her.”
Landry stares blankly at me. “Um. All right.”
