Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
MAX
Kari came out of the bedroom wrapped up in a big green robe.
The color of it made her eyes look like gemstones, all sparkly and clear.
The trip to Payson had done exactly what I wanted it to—it made her relax.
It cut through the shit that drove her crazy, it took away all the triggers that made her think for whatever reason that things would go south between us.
It showed her that she and I were right together.
While she took a long bubble bath to warm back up, I jumped in the shower in Cane’s bedroom. I dressed quickly in a pair of black athletic pants and a white t-shirt. Not what I had planned, but I was panicking a little.
How am I gonna convince her when she says no? How am I gonna make her see that this is gonna happen?
I had grabbed the two boxes out of my suitcase and tucked them behind the boxes of Fruity Pebbles Cane had in the pantry.
I lit a couple of candles and sat them on the edge of the fireplace, along with some wine in my new 180 red plastic cups.
I was standing at the fireplace, trying to convince myself not to blow my plan to smithereens.
I tried to talk myself out of grabbing her and just getting to the point.
She deserves more than that. Calm the fuck down. This will work out.
Dear God, please let this work out.
She took in the scene around her as she walked towards me, a grin on her face. Her hair was wet and brushed back off her face and she didn’t have a spec of makeup on.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” I said, holding her face in my hands. I stroked her cheeks with my thumbs, the smoothness of her skin gliding beneath mine.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me sweetly on the lips. “I love it here. If I was Jada, I’d have Cane just move here.” She turned and sat on the sofa. I picked up a cup and handed it to her. “In a red cup. Why am I not surprised?” she giggled.
“Cane doesn’t have any wine glasses up here. I wish it were in a real glass-”
“No, you don’t,” she laughed.
I shrugged and took a sip, the pink liquid tasting overly sweet. “How do you feel?”
She leaned her head against the cushion, a look of contentment on her face. “I feel great. Relaxed.” She raised her head and smiled at me. “Happy.”
“Good.” I swallowed and left the room. I grabbed both boxes from the pantry. I stuck the small one in my pocket and carried the bigger of the two back into the living room.
My heart was beating like a jackhammer, pounding like I’d never felt it pound before. I was usually so calm and collected, confident in my abilities. But this beautiful spitfire reduced me to a nervous mess. She was the only thing I wasn’t sure I could bend to my will.
But she was the only thing I wanted to.
She was the only thing I had to.
“I have something for you,” I said, handing her the box.
She turned the red foil-wrapped package over in her hands. A little larger than a deck of cards, she looked puzzled. “Why are you giving me a gift?”
“Can’t I just give you a gift?”
“Sure, but I wish I would’ve known. I would’ve gotten you something.” She smiled up at me, a pure, genuine smile. I ran my fingers across her lips.
“This smile is enough.”
She sat the box in her lap and shook her head before she opened it carefully. My nerves were picking up pace with every tear of the foil. Every piece of tape that was removed only made me inch that much closer to losing my shit.
She tore away the final bit of paper and wadded it up and sat it on the table. She looked quizzically at me before opening the lid and lifting out the old-fashioned cassette tape inside.
“Mix Tape 2015,” she read off the label. “You made me a mix tape?” she laughed in amazement.
I tucked my chin down, a little embarrassed with myself. “I did. I put a bunch of songs I want you to listen to as you drive to work or go hiking so you’ll think of me.”
“How did you do this? I didn’t know they even made these anymore!”
“Lucy got overtime for that,” I laughed. “There’s actually a little memory stick inside the cassette. It just looks like that.”
She touched her lips to mine. “I love this. It’s seriously the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. I can’t wait to listen to it.”
A ball lodged in my throat, tightening fast. I anticipated it happening, but not so quickly. Unable to speak for a second, I nodded my head to the sound system. I cleared my throat, willing the knot to go away. “Put it in there. Press play.”
Calm the fuck down, Quinn!
She furrowed her eyebrows but slowly got up.
She made her way to the system and put the tape in and pressed “play.” Train’s Marry Me came out of the speakers softly, the notes floating through the room.
Her eyes widened as she seemed to put two and two together and sat back down next to me on the couch.
I pulled her into my side, feeling her heart racing, matching mine beat for beat. The words of the song wrapped themselves around us, creating just the atmosphere I had hoped for.
As the band hit the last chorus, I nuzzled my nose into her hair and began singing softly. I could tell she didn’t know whether to take it for face value or to read into it, but I kept going, my voice getting stronger as her reaction stayed favorable.
I breathed in the smell of coconuts, a scent that I traced back to Kari every time I smelled it. I felt her melt into me as the song ended instead of jumping up like I halfway expected.
With more nerves that I’d ever felt, I eased away from her. I swiped the other box out of my back pocket, my entire world hanging in the balance.
I got down on one knee and sat the box in her lap.
Her eyes were wide, but she didn’t pull away. Her green depths danced with a myriad of emotions, but I was relieved that she didn’t seem fearful, just nervous.
I cleared my throat, willing my voice to work, and put my hands on her knees. “Kari, I’ve asked you a million times to marry me and a million times you’ve said no. I’m hoping this time the little karaoke thing works for me again.”
A nervous laugh escaped her lips and her hands shook as I took them in mine. “There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you, no scenario that I could imagine not being with you. I knew the first time I saw you that you were someone special.”
She kissed me softly on the lips before pulling back, not saying a word.
“But now I have a problem.”
Her eyes darted across my face, her eyebrows furrowing.
“I have this girl that I am so in love with and she won’t agree to marry me.
” I grinned so she would know I was kidding and she reached up and touched my dimple, making me grin harder.
“I racked my brain for a good reason for you to say no and I couldn’t find one.
So I went to your daddy to see what he had to say and he gave me his blessing. ”
“You did?” she asked in disbelief.
“I did. And he said I could marry you if you said yes and I promised him you would. Because I mean it this time, sweetheart. Not that I didn’t mean it before.
..” I felt the lump form again. “This time I won’t take no for an answer.
I know you’re scared and you worry that—” I began, starting my spiel to sell myself to her when she cut me off.
“Yes,” she breathed out.
One simple word, three little letters, had my world halting on its axis. I was prepared to go full-out, explaining every which way why she should marry me and she said yes.
She. Said. Yes.
“Yes?” I asked, not wanting to put too much credence into it in case there was a “but” coming. There had to be. I was dealing with Kari Stanley, after all.
“Yes.” She smiled at me again, wider this time. She shrugged like it was no big deal, like she’d just agreed to go to dinner with me.
Well, hell’s bells.
I couldn’t speak. I was afraid if I said something, she’d backtrack. Instead, I started opening the box I sat on her lap.
“You’re really going to marry me?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper. I could hear the hesitation in it, but not like I expected. She sounded surprised, like she couldn’t believe I wanted to marry her.
I laughed loudly. “Sweetheart, if I could figure out a way to make it legal, I’d marry you right now. But yeah, I’m marrying you—you better believe it.”
Her arms were around my neck before I knew what was happening, her lips on mine, her hands in my hair. She kissed me like I was her last breath, like her life depended on it. Maybe it did because my life sure as hell depended on her.
She pulled back and let me slip the ring on her finger. She took a look at it, a 2 carat brilliant cut diamond set in both white and yellow golds. It had 32 small brilliant cut diamonds flanking the center one.
“Max! Oh my God. This is gorgeous.” Her right hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.
“It was my grandmother’s,” I said quietly, thinking how perfect it looked sitting on her finger. “When I told Mom I was going to propose, she offered it to me. If you don’t like it, I can always—”
“I love it,” she whispered. “It is absolutely perfect. Your mother doesn’t mind?”
I grinned. “Nah, she’s said to tell you to remember what she said and that’s enough.”
Tears began to spill over her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around my neck again. I buried my face in her neck and picked her up, heading for the stairs. “I don’t think I actually got to say the words,” I mumbled in between kisses to her neck. “And I want to actually say them.”
She nodded and I could feel her hold tighten.
“Marry me?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
Finally.