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Roxanna walked in and took the cupcake Ho
nor passed over without a word. She took a bite and mmmed her pleasure. “I love sharing a wall with you. And pretty soon, it’ll be a last name, too.”
She lifted her left hand and Mae’s jaw dropped at the sight of a diamond solitaire on her ring finger. “Oh my God! Loyal proposed!”
Their friend’s smile lit up the kitchen. “Last night.”
After hugs and congratulations, they took a few minutes to admire the ring before Honor cocked her head and narrowed her gaze. “It’s almost ten—how come I didn’t see this the moment you got here this morning?”
“I was waiting for Mae so I could tell you both at the same time.”
“Aw, thanks,” Mae said with a grin.
Honor put a hand on her hip. “And if she hadn’t come in this morning?”
“I’d have texted her to stop on her way home later.” Roxanna huffed out a sigh. “Relax, already. You guys are the first to know.”
“All right then. You’re lucky.”
“I am lucky.”
Mae knew Honor had been teasing, but Roxanna had replied with all seriousness as she brushed her fingertip across the diamond. “Tell us all about it,” she requested. “How did he ask?”
“It was exactly a year ago that I accidentally climbed into bed with him upstairs after the fire, so he did this whole romantic scene up there with dinner and wine and candles.” Happiness lit her eyes. “It was amazing.”
“Is there a save the date yet?”
“We have to decide that yet, though we both agree sooner than later. If you can believe it, Loyal’s anxious to get in on this grandkid thing you guys started.” She paused before admitting with a soft smile, “Actually, we both are.”
The baby kicked as if in agreement, and Mae laid her hand against the side of her belly. “Another cousin to play with the two on the way sounds great.”
“Janine’s going to love planning another wedding so soon,” Honor predicted.
Roxanna half-smiled, half-grimaced at the mention of her future mother-in-law. “I love Janine, but Loyal’s going to talk to her about not going overboard. Neither of us wants a big wedding, so it’s going to be immediate family only. After his two previous engagements, I’d assumed he wouldn’t even consider marriage and had made my peace with it. I didn’t think I needed a piece of paper to prove we’re committed to each other. And I don’t need it, but the moment he asked, I realized how much I wanted it. Not the paper, but the vows and the family.”
At that moment, Mae found herself longing for her own engagement story to tell. She tried to force her thoughts in a different direction. She and Merit were fine as they were, and still adjusting to living together. He’d never brought up marriage—other than when Grayson pranked him with the apology advice—and she wasn’t about to bring it up herself. She was a bit old fashioned in the idea that was the man’s step to take.
Old fashioned? The voice in her head snorted. Sure you are, as you stand here six months pregnant from a one-night-stand at your best friend’s wedding.
But was it still a one night stand if they were in a relationship and planning a future together with the baby and Ian? And if they were planning a future together, did marriage figure into Merit’s plans? Because they would definitely fit into hers. She didn’t need the piece of paper either, but she already knew she wanted it if he were to ask.
“Earth to Mae.” Honor waved her hand between them. “Where’d you go?”
She banished the word marriage from her thoughts. “Sorry. I just remembered something I have to pick up on the way to the job site. I should probably get going.”
After another congratulatory hug for Roxanna, she left for work. Merit was assigned to the second crew that had been hired so she could commit to the expanded contract with their current client. It was a thrill to catch a glimpse of him during the day, but like her two employees who had husbands employed by the company, Mae kept things between her and Merit strictly professional while on the clock.
Still, she gave him a warm smile on her way to the office trailer, and again when they met the client, Steve Brennan, inside the lobby of the newly roofed building shortly before lunch to go over some changes Merit had proposed.
After he explained the adjustments to the inside layout, Mr. Brennan countered with a few of his own ideas. The two poured over the plans, and Mae watched silently as Merit held his own in a position where no one else had been willing to give him a chance. Pride rose up as Brennan shook his hand with appreciation before turning to her.
“I’m loving the way this is going, Mae. You got a good find in this guy.”
She grinned at Merit. “I know.”
“My interior designer will be in touch next week. It’s a little early, but she likes to get started finding local artists to feature in the lobby and common areas.”
Mae’s heart skipped, and she shot Merit a quick glance. “What exactly are you looking for?”
