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“Nope. We make our own luck.”
The excitement of the evening keeps me wide awake the whole way home. I can’t stop staring at my pretty ring and thinking about the house. Our baby will have a safe neighborhood and beautiful yard to play in, although we’ll have to do some serious babyproofing to certain parts of the house.
“I know we have a lot of things coming up but when do you want to get married?” Gray asks when we return to his apartment. “Soon, before you’re showing more? After baby gets here? When?”
I squeeze my hand into a fist. “We don’t have to…”
He shakes his head. “Come here, I want to show you something.” He tosses his coat over the couch and stalks into his bedroom.
Curious, I follow. “I’ve seen it all, Gray.”
“Cute,” he quips. “I’m serious, though.” He stops in front of his dresser and pulls open the top drawer. Paper crinkles and he withdraws a yellow handwritten receipt. Folding it in half and placing a finger over part of it, he thrusts the paper at me.
I reach for it, and he yanks it away. “No. Look at the date.”
My eyes scan the visible text. Exquisite Baubles.
I gasp when I read the date. “That’s the day I found out I was pregnant.”
“Yeah.” He folds the page again and tucks it away in the drawer. “I stopped there and put a deposit on a ring before I came back to the clubhouse and found you missing.”
“You…you did?”
“Yes. So, I want you to understand I didn’t ask because you’re pregnant. I already planned to propose. I wanted time to figure out how and when, get the ring right, all that stuff, first. But I already wanted to make you my wife.”
“Really?” I squeak.
“Yes, really.”
I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He gently lifts me.
“I’m very excited about our baby, but that’s not why I want to marry you.” He presses a quick kiss to my lips. “Thank fuck I overheard you and Shelby talking about rings before yours was finished. I had time to have him change it.”
“Wait, what was the one you picked?”
“Doesn’t matter. Do you like yours?”
“I love it.”
“If you don’t, I give up. I’ll take you to pick out whatever you want.”
“No, this is it.” I glance at the ring over his shoulder. “I can’t believe you got it this perfect from overhearing one little conversation.”
“It pays to be nosy.”
In his arms, I feel cherished and loved. This is the special spark that’s been missing my whole life. Plenty of men have desired me, and I confused that with love. But it always burned fast and left me feeling empty and used—or worse.
The love Grayson and I share, the way he treats me, it isn’t frantic, rushed, or desperate.
It’s lasting, secure, and permanent.
Epilogue
Grinder
“It fits! It fits!”
I glance up from baby Link as Serena runs out of her closet, heels clicking over the hardwood. She throws her arms wide and sways from side to side, making the bright yellow plaid skirt swing against her upper thighs.
My gaze slowly travels up to the white T-shirt clinging to her chest. “I thought we agreed no student-teacher role-play scenarios?”
“No.” She huffs, not finding my joke as funny as I meant it to be. “It’s like Cher’s outfit in Clueless. But I couldn’t find a matching blazer.” She swings a bright yellow cardigan around and slips her arms into it. “It’s cute, right?”
“It’s sexy as fuck. What’s the occasion?”
“The Clueless theme party we’re having at Shelby’s.” She shrugs. “I bought it before I got pregnant and didn’t think I’d ever fit into it again.” She tugs on the waistband of the skirt. “It’s vintage. No spandex.”
Link coos and gurgles, waving his little hands in the air.
“Aw, I’m here Lincoln.” Serena kicks off her heels and hurries over, scooping him into her arms.
“Careful he doesn’t spit up on your outfit,” I warn.
She shuffles closer and thrusts her hip my way. “Unzip it for me?”
“Gladly.” I help her strip off the skirt and set it to the side, leaving her in the T-shirt and her underwear. I tease my fingers around the edge of her shirt. “This too?”
“I don’t care about the T-shirt,” she says without taking her eyes off the baby. “But I think I’m going to feed him.”
I help her get situated in the rocking chair in the corner and leave them for a bit.
When I return, Link’s stone-cold asleep against Serena’s breast.
“Here.” I hand her a bottle of ice water.
“Thank you,” she rasps. Her eyes land on the box in my other hand. “What’s that?”
“Well, I was going to give them to you for your birthday.” I set the box on the end of the bed. “But you looked so frickin’ cute in that skirt, I don’t want to wait. And I want you to have them for your party. I think they’ll match.”
