Chapter 17 #2
“And you’ll never do anything like you did today again, right?”
“Yes,” she said with a sigh.
“Promise?”
“I promise, Blaine.”
“In that case, I’ll let you come again.”
Laughing, she closed her eyes and held on tight to him and the love he’d brought into her life. “You are just too good to me, Chief Taylor.”
The engagement party broke up shortly after the guests of honor left in an ambulance.
Kara’s parents had tried in vain to salvage the festivities but gave up when it became clear the party was over.
After saying good-bye to their family and friends, Adam extended his hand to Abby to walk the short distance to the house they rented from Janey.
“That, right there, is why we should never have an engagement party,” Adam said as they navigated the crowded downtown, which was overrun with tourists late on that sunny Sunday afternoon.
Abby had no idea what to say to his joking comment.
She’d had reason to wonder if they’d ever have an engagement, let alone a party.
At times, she feared she’d made another mistake by moving in with him before they were married.
Since she was right there, at his disposal, what reason did he have to want to move things forward?
If her father said one more word about cows and milk in regard to her and Adam, she’d never speak to him again.
The sad part, if you wanted to call it sad, was that she’d never been happier in her life.
Adam was everything she’d ever wanted—and their relationship was light years better than the ones she’d had with his brother Grant and her ex-fiancé, Cal.
Adam understood her on a deep, intense level that had created an indelible bond between them.
And the sex continued to be a revelation. All of which had her wondering whether he had any plans at all to take the next step with her.
“Hello? Anyone in there?”
Abby realized she’d zoned out on him. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
“I was making jokes about why we’ll never have an engagement party.”
She glanced over at him, slayed as always by the wavy dark hair, the glasses that made him look like a smart, sexy nerd, the sardonic little smile and the light dusting of stubble on his cheeks that made for one incredibly sexy package.
He bumped her hip with his. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Dan and Kara, and Jim with the knife, and how I hope Dan’s okay. He’s just finally back to normal after what happened on the sailboat, and now this.”
“Is that all you were thinking about?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“You guess. So you don’t really know what you were thinking about?”
His persistence had her looking over at him again. “Why do you want to know so badly?”
He surprised her when he led her across the street to a bench that overlooked the ferry landing below. “Sit.”
“Okay…”
Adam sat next to her, turning to face her. “Talk.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me why you went all quiet on me when I made a joke about our engagement party.”
“You need me to tell you why? Really?” The comment was testier than she’d intended, but honestly, how obtuse could he be?
“Yeah, I guess I do.”
“For someone so smart, you can be rather dense at times.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
“Abby… Come on. This isn’t how we roll. We air it out. Don’t we?”
She wanted to be cool and calm and collected, but this was too important, and she’d already been burned twice before by long romances that didn’t work out in the end. If that happened this time…
“Baby, why are you crying?”
Abby hated herself for the tears that came despite her ardent desire to be unemotional and pragmatic about broaching this subject with him.
She forced herself to look at the face she loved above all others.
“I want to get married, Adam,” she said softly, “and we never, ever talk about that. Which leads me to wonder if that’s what you want, too. ”
“It is what I want.”
“Then what’re we waiting for?”
“The right moment.”
“For what?”
“For this.” Before she knew it, he was on his knees in front of her. “Abigail Callahan, I love you more than anything in this world. You’ve changed my life in every possible way, and I want to be with you forever. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
She was crying so hard that she could barely hear him over the sound of her own sobs, but his words registered just the same, as did the slide of the ring over the third finger on her left hand.
“Where… What… How long…”
“On the mainland, two carats and about three months ago now. Any other questions before you answer mine?”
She gazed down at him and then at the exquisite ring and shook her head.
“You aren’t saying no, are you?”
“I’m not saying no.” She cupped his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. “I’m definitely not saying no.”
“A double negative is hardly what a guy is looking for when he asks the most important question of his life.”
“How about a triple positive, then? Yes.” She kissed him. “Yes.” She kissed him again. “Yes.” She kissed him a third time and stayed there when his arm encircled her neck, keeping her trapped against him.
“I like triple positives,” he said, coming up for air after kids walking by on the street yelled at them to get a room.
“Did you say that about engagement parties on purpose?”
“Maybe. I’ve been waiting for an opening.”
“I’ve always been open to this conversation. Since the day you told me you were moving back here permanently.” She paused, needing to ask him something but unsure of how she should put it. “Adam?”
He rejoined her on the bench. “Yes?”
“We’re going to actually get married, right?”
“Of course we are,” he said, laughing. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I don’t have the best track record when it comes to making the close.”
He waggled his brows. “You have a very good track record for making the close with me.”
“I’m not talking about sex.”
“I know you’re not, honey, and I’m well aware of what you’ve been through in the past. And you know what’s happened to me. I think it’s safe to say we both want to see this through to the finish line. I know I do.”
“So do I. I can’t wait to be married to you.”
He propped his sexy glasses on the top of his head and leaned in to kiss her again.
“Don’t you guys have your own house?” a female voice behind them asked.
Abby looked up to see Owen and Laura walking toward them, holding hands. Abby held up her left hand. “Big news, and you’re the first to know!”
Laura let out a shriek and came over for a closer look at Abby’s ring. “It’s gorgeous! Congratulations, you guys.” She hugged Abby and then her cousin. “Nice job on the ring, Adam.”
“Why, thank you.”
Owen shook Adam’s hand. “Congrats, man. Happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
“We’ll leave you to celebrate in private,” Laura said, taking Owen’s hand and giving a gentle tug. But before she walked away, she gave Abby one more squeeze. “So happy for you. I know you really wanted this.”
“Thanks, Laura.”
“We’re going to be cousins!”
Abby laughed at Laura’s delight and waved as they headed off toward the Surf.
“What do you say we go home and celebrate this momentous occasion?”
“I would like to celebrate, but not the way you have in mind. Until later, anyway,” she said with a giggle at his distressed expression.
“What do you have in mind?”
She took his hand and turned it so the palm was faceup, drawing a line across the inside of his wrist. “I would like for both of us to get today’s date tattooed right here, so we’ll never forget it. And then when we get married, we’ll put our wedding date on the other wrist.”
His smile stretched across his face as he shook his head.
“No?” she asked shyly, uncertain of what he was thinking.
“I love the idea, and I love that my sweet, gentle girl has an inner wild child. I want to see plenty of her after we’re married, okay?”
“Okay.” When he leaned in to kiss her, she met him halfway. “So that’s yes to the tattoos?”
“That’s yes to the tattoos. It’s yes to everything.”