Page 126 of Playing With Love

“Again, not a problem, give that grandbaby all the snuggles.” She finished the call and turned to me. “Crystal’s granddaughter is sick. She’s going to her son and daughter-in-law’s to take care of her so she can’t come today.”

Family first.

Yeah, it was time.

I finished the last of my bagel, went to the sink to wash my hands, waited for Liza to rinse her bowl, waited longer to see if she was going to put it in the dishwasher or sink. The bowl landed in the sink just like I knew it would. I’d load it in the dishwasher when we got home. I had something more important to do and not a lot of time to do it.

I tagged Liza around the waist, turned her to face me, shifted again so I could grab her hand. My thumb grazed over the fake wedding ring she’d yet to take off. Mine had been removed when I went into surgery. It now sat in the tiny envelope the hospital had secured it in, waiting for the day Liza would slip it back on. The rings were cheap, gold-plated bands, no thought had been put into their purchase, nothing more than a prop.

When I didn’t move or say anything, Liza’s gaze turned searching.

“Everything okay?”

Beautiful hazel eyes—green with flecks of gold and brown stared up at me. I vaguely wondered if she’d give those eyes to our children. I not-so-vaguely hoped she would. Children we needed to hurry up and start making.

I slid her ring off her finger. The searching turned into alarm when I pocketed the fake ring. I felt around for the new one—the one I’d put a lot of thought into purchasing, the one that when I’d found it, I knew would be perfect for her, the one she’d wear for the rest of her life.

“Tucker?”

“You love me?”

“Uh, yeah.”

No fear.

She was long past that.

“Are you happy?”

She tilted her head to the side then answered, “Yeah.”

“Are you going to spend the rest of your life with me?”

“Yes.”

I kissed her naked finger, pulled the ring out of my pocket, and finally—fucking finally—slid my ring onto her finger.

Her gaze dropped to her hand.

“That’s not…” She trailed off.

“Marry me, for real this time.”

Her eyes snapped to mine.

“Yes.”

Now, I had everything. Until she gave me our babies, then I’d have more.

But standing there in our kitchen, my Lizzy—my brave, smart, beautiful Liza, gave me every damn thing I could ever want.

CHAPTER THIRTY

I snatched my ringing cellphone off my desk, saw Shannon’s name, and smiled.

“Hey. How’s everything going?”

There was a beat of silence then conversationally Shannon started, “You know, in the last few weeks I’ve realized in all the years I’ve known you I’ve never heard you happy.”