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I’ve also been spending time with my parents. My relationship with my dad has gotten better over this past year. Not perfect, but better. He actually started therapy not long after I brought it up, and to all of our surprises—his, mine, and my mom’s—he’s liking it. We still have a way to go there, but we’re headed in the right direction. Time with him no longer feels like an obligation or a chore, but something I look forward to.
“You know,” Lucy says, giving me a warm smile, her fingers playing with the hair at the base of my neck. “You’re my first official date for New Year’s Eve.”
I lower my brows. “Really?”
“Well, there was this one guy, but he left before midnight.”
“What a tool,” I tell her.
“He really was.” She rises up on her tiptoes and plants a quick kiss on my lips. “Anyway, you’re a much better-looking date.”
“So it’s only my looks that matter?”
She pretends to think about it. “Yes.”
I chuckle as I pull her close to me, closing my eyes as I hug her, loving the feel of her in my arms. I wasn’t sure what love was all those months ago when I went to Lucy’s apartment after figuring out we’d been unknowingly talking to each other over a dating app. But I know what it is now. Loving Lucy has been one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.
“Okay, you two,” Morgan says, tapping me on the shoulder.
“Yeah, break it up,” says Ryan. “You’re gross.”
“And you’re on thin ice, Ryan,” Lucy mutters, holding onto me like she has no plans to let go.
My eyes move to Morgan who gives me a look that says Are you ready for this? and I give her a quick nod.
“So, new year, new challenge,” Morgan says.
This has Lucy pulling slightly away from me so she can scrunch her adorable nose at her best friend, now sister-in-law. Morgan and Ryan were married last summer in a beautiful mountain top ceremony. I think it was beautiful, but I only had eyes for Lucy that day. She looked amazing in her yellow maid of honor dress.
“I’m living a whole new life thanks to your challenge,” Lucy says, gazing up at me with a soft smile, looking as content and happy as I feel. I squeeze her hips in response. “I don’t think I need another one.”
“You’re welcome for that, by the way,” Morgan says, a satisfied grin on her face. Lucy rolls her eyes.
“Anyway, it’s just one challenge,” Morgan says.
“And what is it?” Lucy asks, looking at her friend, a weary sort of expression on her face.
“The challenge is that you two should get married,” she points to me and then to Lucy.
Lucy covers her face with her hands. “Morgan, would you stop with that already?”
This isn’t the first time Morgan has brought this up. It wasn’t long after we told Lucy’s family we were dating that Morgan started making comments. We’d both laugh it off, but every time she’d say it, a little jolt of ... something moved through me. Like my own body was confirming that Lucy was my future. The crazy thing is Morgan’s little half-joking nudges never scared me away like they would have in the past.
Of course, sometimes that little voice would worm its way into my brain, telling me I wasn’t good enough, or that I wasn’t worthy of Lucy. Sometimes I still get that feeling. But I push it away like Gloria taught me.
I did, however, listen to the voice telling me not to rush things, to take this slow with Lucy. But I’m kind of tired of doing that. Maybe a year is too fast, but who makes the rules for these things, anyway?
“You know you want to.” Morgan keeps it up, just like we planned when I asked her to help me with this.
“I don’t know,” I say. “It sounds like a good challenge to me. What do you say, Price? You up for it?”
Lucy’s face turns quickly toward me, her eyes wide. “I ... what ... are ... ya-you,” she sputters.
I release my hold on her and take a step back, pulling out the ring that has been burning a hole in my pocket all night. It’s a round diamond set on a gold band. Simple, because I knew that’s what Lucy would want.
“Oh, my gosh,” she says, her eyes filling up with tears as I get down on one knee.
This is yet another thing old me would be losing his mind over. Me, Graham Shackwell, the self-proclaimed eternal bachelor, actually settling down. I’m so glad I’m no longer that guy.
