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I couldn’t wait to see what he did next.
29
Cade
The holiday season was ending, and I had to admit, I was glad. I’d been waiting for the New Year to mark our fresh start…Hopefully,she said yes.
I felt the diamond ring I’d bought thirteen years ago in my pocket as I drove us to a fancy hotel in Minneapolis. Tomorrow we would spend New Year’s Day at the Knight’s Legion MC compound. Storm had wanted us to be there tonight for the big party, but I’d told him no. I had special plans, and nothing would interfere with them.
I hadn’t got the chance to propose all those years ago because she’d broken up with me. My chance had been lost, and I wouldn’t let it happen again. I was determined to put the ring on Shelby’s finger tonight.
The past two months had been the best of my life. I didn’t want to rush Shelby, but she’d been dropping hints since Thanksgiving. If I read them right, she was ready too.
But with all the activity on Turkey Day, I’d refrained from dropping onto one knee.
Reflecting on it now, I should’ve seized the moment. Our family and friends could’ve witnessed me asking Shelby the most important question of our lives, the one everyone had been waiting over a decade to hear.
I’d missed my opportunity because I’d been caught up watching football games with my dad, Miles, Holden, and my farmhands, Lance and Boone.
The women had prepared a grand meal of traditional fare: roasted turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, praline yams, buttered carrots, and homemade yeast rolls. It was all made from scratch with ingredients grown on their farm… even the turkey.
It’d been like old times, except for one thing. Shelby had served herself tiny portions of everything to sample as usual, but she hadn’t cleaned her plate. She probably thought I hadn’t noticed, but I had. When the guys were in turkey comas and the women were back in the kitchen cleaning up, I’d seen Shelby go upstairs. When she didn’t return shortly after, I’d gone looking for her, and found her resting on her bed. She’d told me she had a headache, which I’d believed.
But after we watchedA Christmas Story,a Smithfield family tradition, Debra had brought out a tray of pies and a carafe of coffee. My Shelby had been obsessed with pie—every kind—since she was a baby. Nothing would stop her from eating a slice of pumpkin and apple pie, yet she’d only had a bite or two of each. That hadn’t been the Shelby I’d known my whole life. Something had been going on with her, and I’d been keeping a close eye on her the entire month of December.
Her eating habits had changed and so had her sleep pattern. Naturally, I had my suspicions, which was why tonight would be the night I popped the question. I couldn’t do it on Christmas because Shelby had made it clear back when we were teenagers that proposing on Christmas was cliché.
“We’ve arrived.” Shelby pointed at the valet parking line. She’d been so excited to get out of Burntwood. Her lunatic ex hadn’t come out of his underground cave, and I couldn’t justifykeeping her on lockdown any longer. She’d been a trooper about it, though.
If I knew Jake-ass was gone for good, I could relax. But I wasn’t about to take any chances with Shelby. I’d even had back up behind me. Graves and his small crew had followed us from Burntwood. He’d even brought his little guy, and planned to take him to the Mall of America after Shelby and I went to Bastion.
“It looks super nice.”
I nodded as I parked my pickup. “Stay put and I’ll help you out.”
“Why do you keep treating me like I’m fragile?”
“Because to me you are.” I winked, getting out of the cab and went around to her side. To be fair, it was winter and there’d been fresh snow overnight. I didn’t want her slipping and hurting herself… Or anyone else that might be in her belly.
I waved at Graves, parked behind me.
“Evening, sir.” The valet approached and handed me a ticket. “Would you like us to carry your bags to your room?”
“No, thanks. We can handle it.” I opened Shelby’s door and helped her out, then grabbed the one suitcase and tote bag we brought.
“Brr.” She shivered. “It’s a lot colder here than in Burntwood.”
“A good fifteen degrees.” I ushered her into the lobby, went to check in, and then we went up to our room.
“Remember how we used to talk about all the places we would go together?”
“That was you doing all the talking, Honeybee. I was just agreeing with everything you said.”
“You were never into traveling like me.”
“Nope. But I’ll take you anywhere you want.”
Her eyes twinkled as we stopped at our room’s door. “And I adore you for wanting to make me happy, but I think I’m finally ready to settle down.”
