“Well, I’d tell you how I proposed, but it was when we were both over swept by a moment and not fit to share,” Cody says with a smile and a look at me. My whole face has to be bright red.
“This is beneath you,” he looks pointedly at me. I just shrug. “Fine. Prove to me that you’re engaged. I guess I’ll be staying here for a while,” he challenges. Oh, shit.
So we do what any normal people caught in important lies do, we lie some more and hope we don’t get caught. So, Cody pays for our lunch and walks me to the jeep. Jackass climbs in the front passenger seat before I can and I am reminded of some of the things that drive me nuts. Like his always taking the better seat everywhere. The better meal choice. The better side of the bed. What the fuck? Cody looks annoyed but just shakes his head.
He climbs in the driver’s seat and leads us home, to hopefully find some kind of a ring before we get caught in this shit show. At least we’ve been staying together for a while so it’s not going to be awkward when we fake close quarters interactions.
We reach the big gate of the ranch and pass through the arch way that I have come to love. Cody pulls the jeep in front of his parent’s big farm house on the left. Before Cody even opens his door, his mama is opening the front door and stepping out onto the big, white porch. Steve is bolting out of the house and jumping on me. Joe makes a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.
“Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?” I ask him as his tail wags back and forth. “Oh, my good boy. I always miss you. I wonder if I could take you to school with me.”
“Hey, baby,” Mrs. Reynolds says to Cody. “What brings y’all by?” She asks but she winks at him. That sly fox knows. I don’t know how but she knows.
“Well, mama, Angel and I are getting married,” he tells his mom with a proud smile on his face. She pauses two point five seconds before she gives the best excited squeal ever and jumps up and down wrapping her arms around Cody and giving him a huge hug.
I can’t help but be a little jealous that I will never have a moment like that with my mom, even if she was still alive. She would have hated that I settled here and loved to see me married to a rich asshole like Joe. Mrs. Reynolds walks down the porch steps and wraps her strong arms around me in a real hug and whispers in my ear the words I have always wanted to hear, even if they are fake.
“You are the daughter I have always wanted. I could not be more excited that you are joining our family. Ooooohhh, and won’t your babies be pretty!” She jumps up and down, clapping.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” I tell her, but Cody is nodding in full agreement, traitor!
“I agree. Babies. Lots and lots of babies,” he smiles at me. “I can’t wait to see you with a big round belly and my baby in it.” And I almost believe him.
“Well, let’s go get your ring!” Mrs. Reynolds claps. “Now, I was thinking of a little something different,” she tells us as she leads us all into the dining room where there are little velvet boxes lined up on the table.
“Is that what I think it is, mama?” Cody asks softly and I can swear there are tears in his eyes that he is holding back. They match his mother’s as she answers.
“If you mean the Williams ring, then yes it is,” she says softly.
“Mama,” Cody whispers.
“You could use that ugly little thing you got, but our Angel is the next woman to wear the Williams ring. It chose her. I swear it. I opened the safe and it fell on my head. If that’s not a sign, then I don’t give a hoot what is,” she declares.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Cody says as he gives his mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then he slowly grabs the black velvet box in his hand and closes his eyes as he tips his head ever so slightly forward in thought.
“Cody?” I ask. But he gently grabs my left hand as he drops to one knee and says the words I wish with all my heart he was saying to me for real.
“Angellica Andrews, I come to you a humble man who is madly, desperately in love with you. You have woven yourself into my life so strongly, I cannot imagine the rest of my life without you. You are so amazing, so smart, so beautiful, great ass, and so, so loving. Please, say you’ll marry me and let me give you babies and a long, beautiful life.”
“Yes,” I say, with tears streaming down my face. Because I’m a decent enough person, but who says no to all of their hopes and dreams in one perfect package. I’m strong but not that strong. So it’s with tears and laughter, and not just mine, Cody puts a large diamond on my finger and kisses the hell out of me.
“What the hell is a Williams ring besides a big piece of glass?” Joe barks, breaking us all free from the magic spell we’ve woven.
“The Williams ring is an engagement ring that was commissioned by my grandfather for my grandmother in 1900,” Mrs. Reynolds explains calmly with narrowed eyes. “It is a nine carat oval diamond surrounded by another carats worth of smaller diamonds including a delicate leaf pattern on each side that leads into the band.”
“Are you sure you want me to wear this ring? It’s so special. And Valuable,” I ask.
“Yeah,” Cody says softly.
“The Williams ring was left in trust to my mother and me for Cody. It was always intended that he have this ring to give to his wife. That is as long as we were sure she was worthy. And you are so worth it. Take care of my boy,” she tells me. I just nod. “Well, then. I suppose you’ll be off to show Mable. Bring her back here for supper and we’ll all celebrate with a big dinner at the main house.” She claps her hands and dismisses us.
So we all pile back in my jeep. Cody growling a little when Joe shoves me in the backseat of my own car. They keep shooting side eyes at each other. Me, on the other hand, am wondering what the fuck just happened as I sit and stare at the giant fucking ring on my finger. I feel eyes on my face so I look up and catch Cody’s golden gaze in the rear view mirror. He winks at me and I give him the best smile I can muster. I am so fucked.
