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I can see tears shimmering in her eyes but she laughs lightly. "You better not get a bigger ring than Nathan does."
I grin. "Oh, you know I fucking will."
She sniffs and laughs. "So are you talking maybe marriage after you retire or something?"
"Good question. Maybe. That might be the most responsible thing. When I can fully focus on you and a family. But I don't know if I can wait that long, Dani girl.” I stroke her cheek.
She presses her hand to mine. "As long as you're here, still in my life, we can do this however you want to. I mean, I have no idea if I'm going to be a good wife either."
"Nathan and Michael are going to be the luckiest bastards in the world, sweet girl."
"I hope so. It is a big deal. I know what you mean. Wife definitely feels different and bigger than girlfriend."
"It should. That's the way it should be. It's a huge commitment.” I lean in and cup the back of her head, bringing her forehead to mine. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Dani. Hang in there with me, okay?"
"I'm not going anywhere, Crew.”
Then I kiss her. And I feed her peanut butter and jelly. And we talk about the upcoming championship game. And I realize not for the first time, that I am living with, sleeping with, and someday going to marry my best friend.
And I probably don’t deserve her.
But I’m never letting her go.
CHAPTER 33
Michael
There’snothing as amazing as falling asleep with my fiancee in my arms, sexually satisfied and one hundred percent secure in where my relationship with her and with Nathan and Crew stands.
There’s nothing as startling as waking up the next morning to the sound of someone throwing up in the bathroom.
It’s Dani. I not only sense immediately she isn’t in the massive bed with me and the guys, but I recognize her groans of distress between heaves. A quick glance around the room shows Nathan is gone, most likely at the gym. Crew, who can sleep through a tornado, is snoring, torso covered by the sheet, legs dangling off the side of the bed.
I slide out in the opposite direction, frowning as I try to remember what Dani ate and drank the night before. She hadn’t had any alcohol at all, and I wasn’t with her for dinner. Maybe she ate a bad hot dog or something at the arena?
After pulling my briefs on, I pad across the hardwood floor, appreciating how the original floors creak. Nathan hates the creaking, but I love it. It gives the house character and reminds me it’s stood here for a hundred years. We’re adding to its lengthy history with our own story. One that now includes planning a wedding and a future as a family.
The sight of Dani naked, bent over the toilet, pale and trembling, makes my heart squeeze. “Hey, what’s going on? How long have you been in here?” I ask in concern, shifting in behind her to gather her curls and pull her hair gently out of her face. She’s clammy as hell, the back of her neck damp. Red curls cling to her skin.
She gives a shudder and sits up a little, done heaving for now. “I woke up and had to pee. When I walked across the bedroom it just hit me.”
“Are you dehydrated? Did you drink enough water yesterday when you were traveling?” I lean and grab a hair tie off the counter. Dani’s hairbands are scattered all over our house in cute little reminders of her. I pull her hair into a loose ponytail, wrapping the band twice. Having little sisters, I grew up being pressed into service doing hair in a pinch and I know full well not to pull the roots too hard.
“I thought so.” Dani is on her knees and she leans against the wall, her cheeks pink.
I check her forehead. “No fever.” Grabbing a washcloth, I get it damp and wipe first her face, then her mouth. “Maybe you ate something that was off.”
It’s late in the year for the flu, but stomach viruses can be picked up anywhere.
I get a second cloth, letting Dani finish wiping her mouth after she spits into the toilet. I put the cool, damp fabric against the back of her neck.
She shakes her head. “I didn’t eat anything that would make me sick.”
That makes me frown. “I’m going to text Nathan to grab some electrolyte fluids on his way home. I think he’s at the gym.”
Dani gazes up at me, teeth digging into her pink bottom lip. Her green eyes reflect worry. “Michael…”
Her hesitation scares me. Instantly, my heart rate kicks into overdrive. “Yeah, baby, what’s wrong?”
