Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
CHELSEA
P resent
I smile at my daughter’s friends as they greet Tony and I beside our businesses’ combined float for the Christmas parade. We abandon the sign we were hanging as the rock on Skyler’s left hand steals our attention. I jump when I feel Tony’s hands slide around my waist as he rests his chin on my shoulder. I’m still not used to him touching me so intimately in public, but when I see Tracey’s smile as she bumps my shoulder, I relax.
If I’ve learned anything from Tony’s patience with me the past ten years, it’s that he’ll never push me to take the next step. I’m more than ready to show the world how much Tony means to me, but first, I have to show him .
“Are you ready to show him our surprise?” I coo as I pull Mistletoe from his carrier before making sure the gold band is still dangling from his collar.
Tony laughs as I transfer the purring cat into his arms like a sleeping baby. He looks down at Mistletoe before his eyes flash to mine in shock.
I reach between us to unclasp the collar and pull the ring free as I look into Tony’s eyes. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to realize that the rest of the world’s opinions don’t matter. Because our whole world is right here.” I wave my hand toward my daughter and the group of people we consider our family. “And they’re all happy to see us together. So, to hell with everyone else. I’m ready to spend the rest of my life with you, Tony. Will you marry me?”
Tony
“Hell yes, I’ll marry you, Hellsy !” I say through the lump in my throat.
I pass Mistletoe to Tracey and hold my left hand up for Chelsea to slide the ring on my finger as I reach into my right pocket for the ring box I’ve been carrying around for weeks.
“I want the world to know you’re mine, too.” I hold my right hand up and Chelsea gasps when she sees the princess cut diamond. “I’ve had this for years. I was just waiting for you to accept it without running away.”
“I’m so…” I put a finger to her lips.
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry. Just tell me you’re mine.” I hold the ring up like she did moments ago.
“I’m yours,” she whispers.
I slide the ring on her finger as everyone around us cheers.
I slide Mistletoe onto his new bed in Chelsea’s family room. Our family room, I guess, since she spent the entire ride here talking about how happy she is that I’m moving into her house.
She wraps her arms around my waist and her eyebrows furrow at whatever expression my face is showing. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong .” I don’t want to erase excitement she’s had since our combined proposals, but I can’t lie to her. “I just don’t know how I feel about living in the house you shared with your late husband.”
“Ted never lived here,” Chelsea says softly. “Tracey and I moved here when she was two.”
“But I though his father gave you this land as a wedding gift...to build your dream house.”
“He did, but Ted procrastinated.” She shrugs as she explains, “After he died, I used part of the life insurance to put a down payment on the construction of my dream house.”
Chelsea giggles at my sigh of relief before her voice turns serious again. “I’ve spent two decades living in the shadows of what my life was supposed to be. You are who I was always meant to be with. It just took me too damn long to step out of those shadows and into the light you bring to my life just by being you.”
“You’re my light too, Hellsy .” My voice is husky with emotion. “You have been since the day I met you. If you want me to make this house mine, I will. But only once you are mine.”
“I am yours,” she says earnestly.
I shake my head. “You’ll be mine when your last name is Grant.”
“Okay.” A bright smile overtakes her beautiful face, and I revel in the laugh lines that I know are because of the years of happiness I’ve already brought her. “Let’s get married on…”
“Christmas Eve,” we both say at the same time.
It’s perfect since all of our friends and family will be here for our dinner party anyway.