AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Honey,” she said. “I have so much to—”
“In a minute,” I told her, reaching for the knob, pushing open the door, and—
She froze. “What is this?”
Our family—the family we made—is all here, filling chairs on either side of a makeshift aisle, all eyes on us, smiles on their faces, thrilled to be in on the surprise for Beth. For the big bright woman who cared so much and gave so much and didn’t expect anything in return.
I turned her toward me, lifted her hand up so she’d notice something else she’d been too distracted to earlier.
When I’d slipped it onto her finger.
Slipped it on and settled the band of diamonds right next to her engagement ring.
“What?” she breathed, eyes going wide, mouth falling open.
Then…
“Raph,” she said, free hand plunking onto her hip. “Are you freaking serious right now?”
Laughter in the air, drawing her focus back to our family and friends filling the chairs.
“You really slipped a wedding band on my finger?” she hissed, leaning close, eyes flashing, but I knew she wasn’t really pissed, not when her lips were creeping up into a smile, when humor was beginning to shine in her deep blue eyes shone.
“You keep getting busy, honey,” I told her, smoothing back a tendril of bright red hair. “It’s beyond time that we get this taken care of.” I dropped my forehead to hers. “So we can get other things taken off.”
A shaky exhale. “Oh, Raph,” she murmured, eyes going glassy now. “What the heck am I going to do with you and all your romance?”
“Marry me?” I asked softly.
She huffed out a laugh then straightened, shaking her head. “Yes,” she said. “I guess we should do that, considering I have an event to get back to.” She turned to the chairs, jabbing a finger at the collective crowd. “When this is over, I expect you all to get back out there and hock your silent auction items because it’s for—”
“The kids!” they called back.
Her nose wrinkled, but, as usual, it was fucking cute.
Which was why I dropped a kiss on the top of her head, nodded toward where a certain grumpy hockey player—Lake Jordan—was standing, anxious to head back to California because the man apparently had a woman now who would tolerate his annoying ass. Still, he was doing me a solid because even though he was a surly bastard and a pain in the ass on the ice…
He was ordained in forty-plus states.
Including Maryland.
So…he’d stayed an extra day after the game.
And he was going to marry us.
Right now.
No more delays. No more worrying about planning something.
Just me and Beth and our family.
“Oh my God,” she whispered as I started drawing her up the aisle. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“My heart,” I told her as we stopped in front of Lake, as I took her hand, pressed it to the spot on my chest where the organ beat,onlyfor her below, and stared deeply into her eyes. “My fuckingheart.”
“No,” she whispered. “Myheart and soul and every bit of love and joy and happiness you’ve ever given me.”
“More,” I whispered back. “You gave us more.”
