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I laugh in response, but her mention of later has me wanting to hurry up and get a move on with our day. It’s been torture not telling everyone I know that I’m finally going to make Scarlett my wife, and now that I can, I don’t want to waste any more time.
By the time our house has transformed into a full-blown circus, both Scarlett and I are bursting to shout our news and get the secret off our chests. I’m not sure how we made it through dinner without spilling the beans, but with how crazy our dinners get with the size of our group now, there was no way we would have been able to get a word in, even if it was to announce something as exciting as an engagement.
Now, an hour later, Cooper and the older kids are in the yard, most likely terrorizing the younger ones with water guns or Nerf bullets, while the grown-ups sit on the back patio, chatting and getting wine drunk.
Scarlett adjusts herself on my lap until her back is flush to my chest, and her head falls back to my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her middle and pull her as close as possible, loving the way she feels pressed against me. All warm and content.
“We should just blurt it out, you know. They won’t stop gossiping until something more exciting comes along,” I whisper, brushing my nose over the tip of her ear.
She shivers. “True. The ring is in your pocket, right?”
I answer her by reaching into said pocket and pulling it out, carefully sliding it on her finger. “Maybe just stick your hand out and see who’s the first to notice.”
Ava’s laugh carries across the yard, and I look to see her flicking Oakley in the ear and pointing at the group of kids. Following her finger, I find Adalyn sitting on Maddox’s butt as Cooper shoves his face into the grass.
“Cooper!” I yell, trying to grab his attention. “Hands off!”
“No way! This asshole just nut punched me!”
Adalyn starts to giggle and pull at Cooper’s hair. “He did! He did!”
He reaches up to swat at her while keeping his other hand on Maddox’s head. “Don’t pull my hair, or I’ll pull yours,” he grunts.
She does it again anyway, pushing his boundaries like she always does.
Muffles come from the ground as Maddox tries to say something. Cooper eases off enough to let him speak.
“I nut punched you because you called me Doxxy Poxxy again. It’s not funny anymore.”
“So, what? Only your girlfriend is allowed to call you that? I invented that nickname.”
“For the last time, Braxton is not my girlfriend!” Maddox shouts.
Cooper grins smugly. “I never said anything about Braxton.”
“Cooper, you’re the oldest. You know better than to shove someone’s face into the dirt,” I scold, albeit half-heartedly.
He and Maddox have been like this since they were kids. They fight over everything but are also closer than any two people I think have ever been. They’re brothers in the strongest sense of the word. No amount of scolding will ever change their ways.
My son fully looks at me now, annoyed to the max. “You’re seriously pulling the oldest card right now?”
Scarlett intertwines our fingers and squeezes. I shut my mouth and look at her. There’s mischief in her eyes, and just like that, I know exactly what she’s thinking.
One second, we’re staring at each other, and the next, she’s turning to face the group, saying, “We’re getting married.”
Silence, and then a bomb goes off.
“Finally!” Ava shrieks, jumping out of her seat and hauling ass toward us. As soon as she gets close enough, she’s pulling Scarlett into her arms and squeezing her tight enough that I worry I’ll have to butt in before she pops her.
“What about me, O? I’m not feeling the love right now,” I tease her.
With a scoff, Ava peels herself off my fiancée and gathers me in a hug just as tight. “I love the shit out of you, A. And I’m so proud of you.”
I swallow a sudden lump of emotion and kiss the side of her head before she backs up. “Love you too, O baby.”
The rest of the group makes their way over to us next, showering us with love and congratulations.
Braden tells me he can’t wait to be my best man and then acts offended when I tell him I could never trust him with that much responsibility. Oakley, the only guy in the group who knew when I was planning on proposing, hugs me tight and tells me he couldn’t have hand-picked anyone better for me. And Tyler, well, he hugs me for the first time in our entire friendship and tells me not to bring it up again, or he’ll put my face in the grass.
