Twelve
twelve
Rhone
W hile Tegan entertains Albert, I follow her advice and study the people around me, focusing mostly on my brother. I am out of practice. Steve and his date, Amy move in a slow circle around the room. He, like usual, remains silent while she chats with everyone. Their shoulders or hands brush often and, there, he squeezes her fingers.
Then he strides toward where I’m leaning against a doorframe. He stands at the other side and turns to look into the small crowd. His gaze moves restlessly until he finds Amy. The hint of a smile makes me wonder who this man is. Certainly not my dour brother.
“Rhone, you’ve done well here. I’m impressed. I had no idea you’d accomplished so much in such a short time.”
A compliment from my brother? Mark this day on the calendar. “Thanks. I had a lot of help.”
“Tegan’s a great girl.”
“Yeah, she is. Your help was invaluable as well.”
His eyebrows lift. “My help?”
I chuckle. “Without the milk and cream from your animals I wouldn’t have created my artisan cheeses. Definitely a team effort.”
He remains silent for a long moment. “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.” There’s a wavering in his voice. More emotion than he’s expressed since they died.
I clasp his shoulder. “You, too, Steve. They’d be proud of you, too.”
With a nod, he returns his focus to Amy. I can’t contain my curiosity. “So Amy is Walt’s sister and she’s working with you?”
“Yep. I didn’t realize I needed help until she started showing up to learn about my goats. Now she’s at the farm every day. Her beliefs mirror mine and she’s passionate about what we…what I do for my animals.”
“You like her a lot, don’t you?”
He turns toward me, his eyes as serious as I’ve ever seen. “Bro, I love her so hard I can’t think straight.”
“I know the feeling,” I mumble. “Just not sure what to do next.”
Steve gives me a long, thoughtful look. “Amy knows how much I care for her. I’ve said the words. So has she. I have a ring wrapped and already under the tree.”
“You’re going to propose?”
An uncharacteristic soft smile eases his expression. If Amy does this for him, I’m welcoming her to the family with open arms. “I am,” he says. Then his normal Steve face returns. “I used to think there wasn’t enough time in my life to start a business and have a personal relationship. I thought if I paid attention to one, the other would fail. That’s not true. You can make time for both. Love will flourish even when you think you’re focused on other things. Don’t let untrue beliefs like that stop you from living your life. Loving who you want.”
He pauses and his lips twitch. “You know, it won’t hurt my feelings at all if your engagement announcement comes before mine. Might be a good thing. Keep some of the spotlight off me.”
A laugh bursts from me. “There’s the brother I know and love.”
He snorts. “Love you, too, little bro. Know I don’t show it enough, but I do.”
In unspoken agreement we move into a hug. Not a ‘bro’ hug, a real brother hug. When he steps back, he’s smiling and cants his head toward where Tegan is talking with the tall woman who runs the business association. “I’ve got my woman and plan to keep her. You need to go get yours.”
Steve returns to Amy and takes her hand. Eyes on me and with arched brows, he lifts her hand to kiss her fingers.
Subtle Steve isn’t.
I circle the issue and the room as the gathering winds down. I’m not planning on opening officially until after the new year but promise to take some special orders for Christmas.
I’m not sure what magic Tegan wielded. By the end of the evening Mr. Omato and I come to an agreement. Monday before he leaves town, we’ll go to the bank to complete our transactions.
As everyone leaves I notice the biker who always sits in the corner of the Sandy Sipper and who I now know is Boots’ friend, waiting across the street. There are some undercurrents in Boots’ life I haven’t figured out and I appreciate how protective he is of her. So even though she offers to help clean up, I practically shove her out the door.
Once I lock up and pull down the huge shades that cover the front windows and the door Tegan wraps her arms around my waist from behind. “This evening turned out fabulous, don’t you think.”
Wrapping my hand around one of her wrists, I turn so we’re facing each other. “Very successful. Thank you.”
“All I get is a thank you? I was hoping for something more.” She slips her hand between us to caress my cock.
“Ah, yes.” I press my reaction harder against her palm. “More will be later. Haven’t you always said, business before pleasure?”
“We could break that rule, couldn’t we? Just this once?”
As the more I want to give her coalesces in my mind, I shake my head. “It’ll be worth not worrying about having to come back to a mess.”
“I’m willing to come…”
“Oh, you will, sweetness. The sooner we’re done here, the sooner…” I leave my promise hanging in the air.
She slaps playfully at my shoulder. “Oh, you. Fine then. You wash and I’ll dry.”
There’s no cheese left to put away, nor any of the chocolates. We finish the last of a bottle of wine as we work. Once the shop area is cleaned and swept, we wash the cheese platters and wine glasses. Since the building will soon be mine, we store everything in the kitchen. The small act makes the store finally feel real to me.
We pause for a kiss in the back doorway before closing the door on the successful event. “Come back to my place tonight?” I ask.
Tegan’s lower lip form a pout. “But my bedroom’s just a few steps away.”
“I know, sweetness. It’ll be worth the wait.”
“Better be.” She starts toward my car. “Well, hurry up then.”
Even though it’s late and traffic is light, all I do is hold her hand and stroke her fingers on the drive home. We’re quiet on the drive, which gives me time to overthink what I’m about to do.
She’s only been to my house a couple times and we’ve never fooled around here, yet she takes my hand and pulls me unerringly toward the bedroom. She sits on the bed—thank god I was restless overnight and put on clean sheets—and holds her arms out to me. I remain standing a couple feet away and her smile wavers.
“There’s a lot to do before officially opening Landon Dairy Cheeses.”
“So, you want to talk business now. Okay. Fine. You’d better make sure it’s worth it later.” She softens her complaint with a smile.
“Based on tonight, I need to up my cheese production, too.”
“Which means you’ll be spending more time out at the farm and I probably won’t get to be with you as often. I understand that. Once you’re open things should even out.”
“What did you think of Steve’s girlfriend.” My switch in topic makes her lower her brows and stare at me.
Then she shrugs. “I like her. I’d enjoy getting to know her better. Tonight confirmed my belief that Steve likes her, too. A lot.”
“He does. If he has his way, she’ll become a permanent part of his life. And the dairy. I’m thinking about asking if she’d like to learn cheesemaking. Take some of the pressure off me.”
“A permanent part? Does that mean relationship wise?”
Of course she’d pick up on that part. I nod. “There’s a wedding in the future.”
Tegan clasps her hands together and sighs. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for them.”
“Don’t say anything yet though, okay. He’s planning a Christmas proposal.”
She makes the zipping motion across her mouth.
“Thank you for your help with Mr. Omata. I hope you don’t mind being fake engaged to me.”
“No, of course not. Albert just needed a bit more evidence of your stability. Not a problem.”
I open my top dresser drawer and remove a tiny cloth wrapped bundle from the small box where I store memories. I hold Tegan’s questioning gaze. “Unfortunately, it is a problem for me. I don’t want to be in a fake relationship.”
She struggles to maintain a neutral expression but when the lights catch the glimmer of tears coating her lower lashes I fall to my knees in front of her.
“Tegan, I want… I need our relationship to be real. I love you, honey. More than I know how to say. To show. Tegan, I love you.” I hold out the bundle on my flat palm and the cloth falls away to reveal my grandmother’s diamond ring.
“Rhone,” she whispers. “What is this?”
“This is a proposal, honey. I love you. Will you marry me for real? For forever?” Her bright gaze dances from me to the ring and back. “This was my grandmother’s. When we were at the store shopping for platters, I saw how attracted you were to the antique jewelry. I thought, hoped, you would like this one. Accept this as a symbol of my love. If you’d like something different, I’ll get you whatever ring you want. Just say yes. Please, Tegan, be my wife, my lover, my partner.”
“I love how this comes from your family. How it’s a part of you. I love you. Rhone, my darling one, yes, of course I’ll marry you. Now and forever. Ooh, put it on my finger.” She holds out her shaking hand, her fingers stiff and spread.
Chuckling in relief I slip the diamond onto the appropriate finger.
“Oh my god, Rhone. It fits perfectly.”
“That means we’re meant to be. We fit together perfectly, honey. Shall we seal our engagement with a kiss?”
“Hmm, I’m thinking this proposal deserves more than just a kiss.”
I cup her cheeks and take the kiss I want then rise and remove my shirt. She watches avidly as I unzip my slacks. I return to the drawer for protection but when I hand her the condom she shakes her head and tosses it across the room.
“Hey,” I complain. “What’s that about?”
“I love you, Rhone. I know we haven’t talked about kids. But I can’t wait to have our baby growing inside me. I want to get started now. Unless we need to talk first. Then grab another condom. I’m not forcing you into something you don’t want. In either case, mister, get undressed and get busy.”
“Being bossy again, aren’t you? What about your clothes?”
“You know I always go after what I want.” She stands and turns so I can unzip her dress and shove it from her shoulders to pool around her feet.
I press my palms over her belly. “You will be even more beautiful carrying our child,” I whisper as I skim my hands lower and under the elastic of her panties.
“Rhone,” she moans. “Make love to me.”
“Now and forever, sweetness. Now and forever.”