Chapter 32
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
Jory
I have never been so tired in my life.
“How do you feel?” I ask, sitting on the edge of Markie’s bed. The mattress dips with my weight. “Are the painkillers helping?”
She nods. “Yeah. Lying with my foot up in the air like this will get old really quick though.”
“I happen to like your legs up in the air, although I prefer to be between them.”
She grins sleepily. “Me, too.”
Rain pelts the glass and the sky is dark. We spent the majority of the afternoon at the hospital. After some tests, they decided that Markie has a nasty sprain but should recover if she manages to stay off it.
I assured them she will.
I’ll be right here watching her.
“Did you talk to Gus?” she asks, yawning.
I stretch out beside her, careful not to bump her foot. “Yeah. He called about an hour ago. His grandpa died around four o’clock.”
“Oh, no. How was he?”
“Sad, of course, but I think he’s okay. He mentioned a couple of times that he’s happy he got to tell him he loves him. I think that gave him closure.”
“I bet so. That was one of the hardest things about losing my parents. There was never any closure.”
“I was older when I lost my dad. Eighteen, but older than you and Gus. I hate that we all have that in common, but I’m grateful Gus has people in his corner who know how it feels.”
She pulls my arm toward her and rests her head against it.
“Last night though,” I say, sighing. “That fucking hurt. Leaving you here. Realizing what you probably thought, but there really wasn’t anything that I could do about it.” I kiss the side of her face. “How should I have handled it? How can I do that better next time?”
“There won’t be a next time. I won’t be the fake girlfriend afraid to ask you for more.”
I chuckle. “You’re my more.”
She looks at me with her brows pulled together, but she doesn’t ask.
“So, do you want to talk about the logistics of this, or do you want to wait until you’re sober?” I ask, teasing her.
“It’s all the same to me.”
“That’s not true. Your family’s here. Your friends. The logistics of our life together will matter to you.”
She hums against my skin. “Why don’t we keep my house here? Gus loves it in Sugar Creek, so we could always visit in the summers or on his school breaks. And then when he goes off to college, we could always move back here, if we wanted.” She grins. “I think our babies would love it here, too.”
My dick hardens at the insinuation of having children with her.
“Babies?” I ask. “Plural?”
“I was thinking two or three, if that’s okay.”
I snort. “If you want fifteen, I have no problems with that.”
“Fifteen?” She bursts out laughing and then cringes when her foot moves. “Two or three is great. Don’t get crazy.”
“So, does this mean you’re okay with moving?”
She kisses my bicep. “I told you. I think I’ve always been waiting on you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love this little town, and I’ll miss Lolly and Mira and my friends. But my life is with you and Gus.”
“So, it’s safe to say that when I get a ring, you’ll marry me?”
Her eyes lift to mine.
“I’ll propose in a much better way. I promise,” I say.
“But I’m never going to not say what I’m thinking or let there be any doubt in your pretty head about what my intentions are.
” I brush her hair out of her face. “I love you. I know it’s been fast, but when you know, you know.
And I know,” I whisper. “I want to marry you. I want to spoil the shit out of you. I want to have children with you, and grow old with you, and have you there to teach Gus math.”
She laughs, touching my face. “I love you. I want all of that, too. And if that was your way of proposing, my answer is yes.”
I drop my lips to hers and kiss her like my life depends on it. Because, really? It does.
I came to Sugar Creek uncertain about the future, and yet somehow, due to this amazing woman, I’ll leave here with my future.
Funny how that works out—how the world puts you where you’re supposed to be.
And I’m supposed to be right here, with Markie in my arms.