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I grin, wrapping an arm around my best friend’s shoulder. “I’m pretty sure Tracy’s gonna be happy when she sees this waiting for her at the end of the aisle,” I say.
“Fuck yeah, how could she not,” he says, making us both laugh. “Right, let’s snap a quick picture for Simon, then get out of these suits, go have some lunch and then find a jewelry shop. I need to buy my future wife a wedding present and you need to find a ring.”
We grab lunch at a small Mexican place that’s off the main street, ordering tacos and beers as we settle into a booth.
“So, some things you need to think about,” Brandon starts as we clink bottles and take a sip. “Cut, color, clarity and of course size,” he says, giving me a wink. “But most of all, you gotta think price tag.”
“What are you going on about?” I ask, as I take another sip of beer.
“Diamonds,” he says, waving a hand at me. “And definitely go with a platinum setting and band. But you also need to consider wedding bands and eternity rings, apparently those things are important.”
I laugh, shaking my head at my friend. “I see, so you like propose once and suddenly you’re an expert with all this, huh?”
“Ethan, dude, trust me on this. This shit is important.”
“I know,” I say with a nod. “I get it.”
“It’s like the most important piece of jewelry you’re ever gonna buy her. And if you’re smart about it, it’s the one piece of jewelry she’ll be wearing for the rest of her life.”
“Yeah, Brandon, I know,” I say, laughing as I take another sip of beer.
“Obviously you gotta go big, minimum two carats. I’d say solitaire princess cut, and like I said, definitely platinum band.”
I hold up a hand now, still laughing as I shake my head at my best friend and his insistence. “Brandon, seriously, I’ve got this.”
“A band of diamonds for the wedding band too and—” He pauses, hitting me with a look as I sit across from him. “Wait a minute,” he says, narrowing his brows at me. I just smile back at him, waiting for him to connect the dots. “Fuck, you’ve already got a ring, haven’t you?” he asks.
My grin widens as I lift my beer for another sip, my brows raised as I neither confirm nor deny his assumption.
“You sly fucking dog,” he says, laughing as he shakes his head at me. “When did this happen?”
I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “A while ago,” I admit, not elaborating on the fact that I basically started looking the week after we got back from Seattle, I was that certain about me and Zoey.
Brandon smiles across at me. “Nice and when are you planning to…”
He trails off as the server drops off our tacos, asking if we need another drink. Once she’s gone, I grab a taco from the platter and lift it to my mouth for a bite. Brandon just watches me, that stupid grin still on his face as he waits for my answer.
“Ethan?” he eventually prompts.
I swallow my mouthful, chuckling a little at my friend. “Soon,” I reply, knowing I’d do it today if I could. But I really want to ask her in a way that’s absolutely perfect, and not clouded by this shit that’s still hanging over us.
I want to be able to enjoy and celebrate our engagement, not continue to hide the fact that we are together or worry that whoever is watching us could ruin the moment. So, I’ll wait until these fuckers are caught. Until they’re locked up and unable to hurt Zoey ever again.
Then I absolutely will make sure she knows I want to spend the rest of my life with her.
CHAPTER20
ZOEY
“God, I needed that,” I say to Delaney when we meet up in the relaxation room after our massages. “How was your massage?” I now ask, sitting down next to her with a glass of water in my hand.
The room is dim and the music that plays softly is far more soothing than anything. This is a place I love, and I am so grateful to Ethan for reminding me that sometimes I need to unplug. I’m sure Delaney feels the same way. She’s been working so hard to get the ski school up and running, something I know she believes in as much as Ethan and I do.
“It was amazing,” Delaney replies, her head falling back against the lounge chair she’s sitting on. “How was yours?”
“So good. It always is, but it’s always like the shortest ninety minutes of my life,” I joke, but it’s true. It’s been a while since I’ve just turned off my phone and done nothing, and finally doing it now, the time went faster than I could have imagined.
“Totally,” Delaney says, falling quiet as we both sit in silence. I know she wants to ask me something. We’ve been friends long enough that I know when she stops talking that she’s mulling over how to say it.
