“I know. You’ve been shieldin’ her your whole life,” he said, slapping my shoulder as he passed me. “But she can handle more than you think. Come to dinner.”
Teddy was waiting for me in the doorway as I climbed the porch steps. Her hair was tousled, and her cheek had a little mark from her pillow.
“You’re home,” she said softly.
“Go inside, baby,” I whispered, crowding her back into the house. “It’s cold out here.”
“I thought you wouldn’t be home until tomorrow.”
“It is tomorrow.”
“Latertomorrow.”
“Didn’t take as long as I thought it would,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.
Her eyes searched mine.
“It’s all good, Teddy,” I told her, hoping that she could read between the lines because there were some things that I’d never be able to tell her, and this was one of them.
“Allgood?”
“David Granger was killed yesterday mornin’,” I said, dropping my shit on the floor so I could fit my hands against the sides of her throat, tracing the delicate skin of her jaw with my thumbs. “Some kind of dispute over his business.”
“Seriously?” she breathed.
“When he’s ready, Finn can start walkin’ down to Draco’s again,” I said, holding her stare. “All right?”
I knew the moment that she understood it. Her eyes closed, and her shoulders slumped in relief as she tipped toward me, landing against my chest.
“You got a big day ahead of you,” I said, bending so I could grip the backs of her thighs. She gave a little hop and wrapped her legs around my hips as I straightened. “Better get you back to bed.”
“Don’t think I could sleep at this point,” she murmured against my neck.
“Who said you were sleepin’?”
She laughed silently as I carried her up the stairs. When I reached the second floor, the hallway was dark except for the light filtering out from beneath Dylan’s door. He still slept with it on.
Inside our room was a little lighter with the rising sun coming in through the windows, and when I set Teddy on her feet, I was able to see the soft expression in her eyes.
“Smooth sailing,” she said, repeating the words I’d said to her on the night we met. “Now, it’s time to get started on a life.”
“Life’s already built, baby,” I reminded her.
“Yeah, it is,” she replied, smiling.
“Will you marry me?” I asked.
Her smile fell as her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“I want you to have my name. Want the kids to have my name. If somethin’ happens, I want you to have the protection—”
“I’ll marry you,” she said quickly, cutting me off.
“Yeah?”
“I love you,” she said, her face transforming instantly into a blinding smile.
I grinned back and reached for the hem of her sleep shirt, pulling it off over her head.
