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“Yes.”
“But if we’re engaged, it’ll be easier to…”
“Yes?” She laughs as I catch up.
“I mean, I do need a place to live now,” she shrugs.
“My fiancée has jokes, huh?”
“Fiancée has a nice ring,” she lifts her left hand and wiggles her a particular finger, “to it.” Then she looks at said bare finger and says, “Or maybe not.”
Taking that as my cue, I reach in my duffle bag, withdrawing the jewelry box I’d stashed there after we got back from shopping. When she’d shooed me away so she could purchase my gifts, I’d taken advantage of the opportunity to return to the store we’d passed and the wedding set that had caught my eye.
Audrey’s, too.
Hoping she’d had jewelry in her room, I’d asked for Catherine’s help in determining the size. My sister had come through, and demanded I tell Audrey she’d done so in her bid to be maid of honor.
Sliding it on her, I see when she realizes, “I saw this the other day.”
“I know.”
“You’ve had this since…Even then you knew…And it didn’t change…
“I’m in this for the long haul, Angel. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” This time she screams it, and my whole family about bursts through the door.
“Finally,” Violet declares. “We were getting tired standing there.”
“Do you guys mind? We’d like celebrate our engagement.”
Damon, taking pity on me, helps out. “All right, everybody. We can see them when they’re done.” Looking at me, he smirks, adding, “Carson just needs a minute, remember?” I curse him as he scurries out, threatening retribution.
Three hours and a minute later, we leave the room and accept the congratulations.
Epilogue One
Carson
January 8th, the next year…
“What is it with my men coming back from Christmas and New Year’s married? That’s the second year in a row,” Bowers asks. For those who don’t know him, they’d think he was honestly upset. Instead, he’s grinning as he rubs his hands together in glee. “Who’s next?”
“Should we bet on it?” Kirk tosses out there, waiting to see who catches it.
None of us are surprised when Thomas jumps on it. He’s the most organized of all of us and this stuff gets his nerd boy heart excited. Case in point, “I’ve got this.”
“Anybody?” Kirk inquires, pretending not to see or hear Thomas. “Come on, guys. It’s all in good fun.” A sigh. “Guess I’ll have…”
“I will kick your ass if you take this from me,” Thomas threatens. Kirk cracks up.
“You are so easy.”
“If I wasn’t a good man, this is where I’d insert the obvious, ‘That’s what I told your mom last night.’ But I am, so I won’t.”
Since the immaturity has begun, I chime in with, “You said insert.”
“Children. I’m in charge of children.”
