Chapter 12 #2
Killian almost cracks a smile. There’s a nearly imperceptible twitch that I’m sure no one else noticed.
But again, for him, that might as well be shouting.
He’s a very quiet guy, doesn’t make a fuss over anything.
The most calm dude. So he must really like chess.
Which is great—for him. I would be bored to tears.
He agrees to teach her, and when Lou announces she’d also like to learn, he suggests he come over and teach both of them over the next few Sundays. It’s kind of cute, the whole interaction. Even if it is chess.
As the chatter calms and the quiet sets in, Ridge clears his throat, getting everyone’s attention. He slowly rises, holding his beer into the air.
“I think I’d like to propose a toast,” he says, looking around as we all hold our drinks up. “But actually, I think I’d just like to propose.” And with that, he sets hit drink down and gets on one knee in front of Darcy’s chair.
“Wait, what’s happening?” Darcy asks. She’s the picture of shock. There’s a pinkish hue filling her cheeks and chest pretty much immediately.
Ridge reaches into his pocket and pulls out a rather sizable ring. It’s gold with three pristine diamonds on the band. There’s a bigger stone in the center and two smaller stones on either side.
Darcy gasps, her hand falling onto her chest. Her eyes are wet as she searches Ridge’s face.
“Darcy, from the moment you entered my life, it’s been immeasurably better in every way.
You bring more joy to me than I could have ever hoped for.
I’ve found myself more in love with you every day since.
Your love and patience with Lou, your devotion to her happiness…
I can’t imagine a better mother figure for her.
I love you. Will you marry me? Will you become part of my family?
And this one, too?” Ridge gestures to all of us around the fire pit.
“Yes.” Her voice cracks, but she managed to get it out. “Yes, I will. I love you. And this family.”
Ridge slides the ring onto her finger, and then they embrace for a long moment. We all clap and whistle, and then we hoot as they kiss. Tater is put on alert by all the noise and begins running around in circles and barking at all of us.
As Ridge and Darcy giggle and whisper to each other, I look over at Lyric. She’s staring at them with a fondness in her expression. Her eyes are wet, lip quivering. She never really struck me as a happily-ever-after girl, but seeing her filled with so much emotion now has me thinkin’ otherwise.
As if she can sense my gaze, Lyric looks over at me, our eyes connecting in the fire’s light.
She presses her lips together in a line like she’s trying to bite back her emotions on my behalf.
The look in her eye is eerily similar to that first night we shared when everything went wrong.
Raw emotion—the kind that burns. The type that’s hard to bite back no matter how hard you try. It’s pure and powerful.
It’s that look right there that scared the shit out of me. I swallow back the urge to look away. She’s feeling this for her friends this time, not me. Because the look I’m talking about isn’t sexual or romantic. And it’s because this is about them that I keep my cool.
I wink and smile. She rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to them. When there’s an opportunity, I excuse myself with promises of champagne to celebrate and slide inside. It’s true, I will get the champagne. But I just needed a minute away from the group… and her.
After retrieving the glasses from the cabinet and the bottle of bubbly from the fridge, I turn to the faucet and splash a little cold water on my face. My eyes are still closed when I suddenly hear footfalls near me.
“What the hell did I just see?” Killian asks.
I tilt my head. “Uh, our friend got engaged.”
Killian crosses his arms over his chest and waits, like if he looks at me hard enough I’ll know what the fuck he’s talking about. I shrug at him to drive home my point.
“That little moment between you and Lyric. I saw it,” Killian says.
I gasp dramatically. “You mean when we made eye contact for like ten seconds? Oh no! Alert the town elders.”
“Listen, smartass, we both know it wasn’t nothing.”
I turn the faucet back on and splash my face again just to avoid confirming what he already knows.
“Oh, you guys definitely fucked.” He’s nodding his head vigorously, and his mind won’t be changed.
“Just stay in your lane, dude,” I say, tone slightly biting. “You got enough going on in your own love life. You don’t need to be poking around in my nonexistent one.”
“Trust me, man, I know. She’s my neighbor and she just kicked her loser boyfriend out, and I saw her throwing up, so I’m pretty sure she’s pregnant,” Killian says. This is his third recap saying the same thing. He’s got it bad.
He makes this part-laugh, part-sigh sound, and it’s pretty pitiful.
I know he’s liked her from a distance for a little while now, and I know he kept his distance from her because of the previously mentioned loser boyfriend.
According to Killian, he couldn’t keep a job and drained her savings account.
I guess they’ve been having hallway talks in passing and she’s an over-sharer. But he sure is one smitten kitten.
“How about you don’t mention that Lyric and I are enjoying the convenience of the situation, and I won’t give you shit about being all drooly for a chick who’s literally in no position at all to start dating someone new? Deal?”
Killian nods slowly, relenting. “Here, let me get some of the glasses.”
“Yes, that’s the spirit. Do something useful and help me get the champagne out to the newly engaged couple, you fuck.”
“Fuck you. Fuck, there’s going to be a wedding.”
“Yes, that’s usually what happens next.”
“Do you think he’s going to make us wear suits and all that?”
“Maybe not him,” I say, tilting my head back and forth. “He’d marry that girl wearing a potato sack if that’s what she wanted. But I’m guessing she has higher standards than that for the wedding party.”
Killian looks positively pained at the thought.
But all I can think about is how Lyric is going to look in whatever maid of honor dress Darcy puts her in.
Sure, she hasn’t asked her officially, but we all know that’s who it will be.
I’m personally hoping it’s something silky that shows off her décolletage.
I always liked that word, and I rarely have an opportunity to use it.
Playing that Pals and Words game on my phone against Darcy has really sharpened my vocabulary.
We return fireside with the champagne and offer glasses all around. When everyone has theirs, I lift mine up.
“To Ridge and Darcy!” I shout.
Everyone shouts back in unison, and we all take a sip. When everything settles back down, I catch sight of Lou playing with Tater off to the side, so I walk over and sit right down in the grass alongside her.
“Hey there, Lou Lou.”
“Hello, Uncle Waylon,” she says.
“You having a good time?”
“Yeah,” she says.
There’s a strained quality to her voice, and I know something is bothering her.
“Okay, Lou Lou, tell me what’s going on.”
She sighs and stops petting Tater long enough that he looks up at her like “Hey, lady, what gives?” and then she starts again.
“I’m really happy that Darcy is going to be my mom now,” she says.
“And I know Darcy is very happy to be part of your family, too.”
“But sometimes I feel guilty. Because I already have a mom, even if I didn’t know her.”
“Aww, Lou Lou,” I say, sighing. “Darcy isn’t replacing your mom. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. You’re so, so lucky because you have two moms. And anytime anyone asks, you can tell them exactly that.”
“I can? Are you sure?”
“Of course! You know what? Practice with me now. Go ahead. Say it.”
Lou stands up, which makes her just slightly taller than me sitting. She puffs her little chest out, squares her shoulders, and looks right at me.
“My name is Louise Mae Jessup and I have two moms!”
By the time she finishes her sentence, she’s smiling again and so I clap for her. “Now, why don’t you take Tater inside and get him a treat from the jar.” Then I add more quietly, “And there are fudge pops in the freezer.”
Lou giggles the signature way she does and runs off toward the house.
I make a mental note to confide in Ridge what she said so he can ease her worry about it as well.
He’ll never tell her I told him; that’s not how we do things.
He just uses the information to be more intentional with her. He’ll work it in his own way.
A little while passes around the fire. We talk and laugh, and just as things begin to grow quiet, everyone starts the process of leaving.
We clean up around the pit, grab all the food from the table, and get it inside.
I tell them to leave it all on the counter for me, and there are many thanks for the excellent food again.
Ridge pulls me aside to offer separate gratitude for my help and asks me to pass the same message along to Lyric, who’s busy hugging her friend.
Everyone files out, car lights come on, and then it’s just me and Lyric standing there, silhouettes in the doorway.
“I’m glad they all came over, of course, but I’m also glad they’re gone. Because I’ve been waiting to fuck you all night,” Lyric says, her posture never changing.
“If I’d known that, I would have made them leave five minutes after that ring was on her finger.”
“I need about ten girl minutes, and then I’m coming to your room,” she says, all business.
I shut the front door as Lyric is already starting down the hall, so I shout to her.
“That’s fine, darlin’. But do me a favor?”
She stops and looks over her shoulder toward me.
“Bring that tentacle with you.”