He nodded. “Yeah, but I need the words.”
“I love you,” she said, cupping his face and smacking his lips. “Better?”
“I’d feel a lot better if you put this on your finger.” He opened the box and held it out in front of her. Itwasn’t a huge diamond, because he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want that.
“Nicholas Emmerson Sarich,” his mother’s voice yelled from somewhere a little too close.
The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention. Nothing terrified him more than when his mother used his full name.
“The door is locked, right?” Leandra asked, staring at him, while he still held the engagement ring in front of her.
The door rattled.
“I guess not,” he said softly as the door flew open.
“Logan tells me Leandra is here…” His mother’s words trailed off as she planted her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
“You didn’t tell her I was coming?” Leandra asked.
Nick wanted to crawl under the bed. If he had told his mother, they wouldn’t have had a second alone the moment he’d set foot in this house.
“No, dear, he didn’t. I thought I was going to have to fly to New York to meet the woman strong enough to bring this one to his senses.” His mother grabbed him by the ear and yanked.
“Mom, really?” Heat spread across his cheeks. “You’re embarrassing me here.”
“Well, maybe if you’d told me, I wouldn’t have to come barging in.” His mother let go of his ear and held out her hand. “I’m Catherine Sarich and the mother to this idiot. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
He watched Leandra and his mother shake hands right next to a ring he still held in his palm.
“Well, breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late,” his mother said, turning on her heels, but she stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. “I’m going to tell you two something similar to what I told Logan and Mia.”
“Oh, God, Mother, please don’t.” He rubbed his ear.
“I know you’ve both been married before, and I’m never going to be mother of the bride, so do what you want about that. But do not make me wait too long for lots of Sarich grandbabies.”
“You’ll only have to wait about seven and a half months,” Nick said with a smile, enjoying the way his mother’s eyes widened with her mouth hanging open.
She let out a breath and shrugged. “Well, it’s only fitting we have another shotgun wedding since that’s how your father and I did it.”
“What!?” That was news to Nick. “I’m shocked, Mother.”
His mother laughed as she gently closed the door.
“Well, that was entertaining,” Leandra said, taking the ring out of the small box and sliding it on her ring finger. “Embarrassing, but highly amusing.” She reached out and snagged his ear.
“Ouch!”
“I’ll have to thank your mother for showing me how to keep you in line for the next fifty years.”
Nick batted her hand away. “Interesting way to say yes to a marriage proposal.”
“I have a feeling our life together is going to be very interesting.”
