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“Yeah, it sure is. I know we haven’t known each other long enough to think about jumpin’ the broom quite yet, but I want that with you eventually.”
Aprilia pulled the hinged lid back and gasped. “It’s beautiful!”
After looking through all the rings that Celt’s friend Sterling had in his store, I’d found the perfect one. It was a simple gold band with a platinum setting holding the gemstone. I had Sterling add a couple of fleur-de-lis on either side set with diamonds representing my Louisiana heritage—it kind of fitted both of us as the lily was also the national flower of Italy. The choice of gemstone had taken a bit of detective work, but when Aprilia mentioned that her grandmother’s engagement ring had been emerald but had gotten lost after her death, that had sealed the deal.
She looked down at the ring. “It’s huge, babe. Are you sure you can afford this?”
I shrugged carelessly. “I sold off five acres of land I’ll never use. Plus, I ain’t exactly poor, Rilia. You don’t have to worry about how much things cost when we’re together.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. “I’m not exactly poor either. I know the subject never came up, and talking about money is considered crass, but I inherited from my father and grandparents.”
“Most of my money is tied up in property, compliments of my mémère.” That was something I’d never told a living soul. It seemed silly now to have been so guarded.
Aprilia chuckled. “Well, we’ve established that neither of us are gold diggers. Glad we got that out of the way.”
“If you will have me, I want to marry you, cher. I’ve never felt about anyone else the way I feel about you. I want you in my life forever. What do you think of that?”
One hand clutched at the open ring box and the other drifted down to rest against her stomach and my heart lurched in my chest.
“Maybe getting married sooner rather than later would be best. I don’t want to walk down the aisle with a belly the size of a house.”
An ear-to-ear grin jumped onto my face. “You really think you’re pregnant?”
She nodded. “I didn’t want to take a pregnancy test without you, but I’ve got all the signs—throwing up in the morning, the smell of certain foods making me queasy, and an incessant need to nest.”
I eased forward so as not to rock the boat and took her into my arms. Once she was seated on my lap, I pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “Thank you for agreeing to be my wife. I promise you all I’ll ever need in this world is you and our children. You’ll always come first for me, and I’ll do whatever is needed to make sure you’re happy.”
She looked up at me through her long lashes and responded in a quiet voice, “We’ve got a lot of things to talk about and decisions about our future to make, but I’m confident marrying you will be the best decision of my life.”
I lifted up her shirt and bent my head slightly. “Did you hear that, child of mine? Your mama said yes.”
Aprilia laughed and I liked her joyous expression when she looked at me. She rubbed her belly with both hands and murmured, “Just so you know, your daddy is too hot to say no to. I picked him because he’s going to make beautiful babies. Hopefully, if all else fails in the world, that will give you a leg up.”
I swatted her hand away playfully. “Don’t listen to your mama. You’re going to be smart, resourceful, and have the sharpest tongue in the tri-county area. In fact, I hope you turn out to be just like your mama, because she’s fucking awesome.”
Aprilia cupped my face in her hands and kissed me. My heart was filled with marriage and babies. I was the luckiest man in the world to have a woman who loved me for me and not my hefty estate. In this moment, it felt like my past, present, and future were all coiled into a big ball. One I happily accepted responsibility for and couldn’t wait to enjoy for many long years to come. Aprilia was my happily ever after and I was hers.
THE END
