She turned toward him. “So are you going tell me what—”
He was facing her, one elbow on the console, wearing an intense look she hadn’t seen before. A whisper of moonlight filtered in, caressing the planes of his face, making him more handsome than ever.
“I couldn’t think of another place to do this,” he said.
He looked down, and she followed his eyes to see him opening a box. It took a moment to realize the spark of light was a diamond twinkling in the space between them.
She gasped. “Brady.” She’d hardly even thought about rings.
“I know we’re not a traditional couple . . .” He pulled the ring from its nest. “But you’re a truly special woman, Hope. I’m so honored that you agreed to spend the rest of your life with me. I promise to spend the rest of my life working to be worthy of that decision. And I hope you know I’ll always treat you with the respect you deserve.”
Her heart softened at his words. Shoot, it may have actually melted just a tiny bit. She blinked against the sudden sting behind her eyes. He didn’t have to do this. She sure hadn’t expected it. But it was just like him. So thoughtful.
“Darn, Collins. You got game.”
He looked down, and she suspected the darkness hid a flush.
“You deserve a real proposal, Hope. You probably deserve a lot more than I’ll ever be able to give you. You know that, right?”
There was a thread of worry in his voice, and she wanted to alleviate his fear. “Is this the beginning of that courtship I mentioned earlier?”
He lifted his shoulders. “Gotta start sometime, I guess.”
She gave him a sideways look and lightened her tone. “You’re hoping for a real wedding night, aren’t you, buddy?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Geez, Hope. I’m not going to rush you. You know me better than that.”
She chuckled at his discomfort. “I know that. You’re just such an easy target, I can’t resist teasing.” She held out her left hand, waggling her fingers. “Now bring that baby over here, and let’s see if it fits.”
chapter nine
Brady was packing up the diaper bag when the knock sounded at his door. Hope was upstairs changing Sam into a fresh outfit, so he tossed a clean burp cloth into the bag and opened the door.
His former sister-in-law wore a wary smile. “Hey there, Brady.”
“Hi, Heather. Come on in. I have the diaper bag all packed, and I just fed him.”
The Parkers had Sam for the weekend, and Heather had offered to be the go-between. Things were likely to be a little awkward between them after Thursday’s hearing. Heather might like Brady, but the Parkers were still her parents. She was bound to feel loyal to them.
The stairs squeaked as Hope descended them. She’d dressed Sam in a pale-blue romper and brushed his baby-fine hair.
“Here he is,” Hope said, her eyes landing on Heather.
“Heather, this is my fiancée, Hope Daniels. Hope, this is Heather.”
“Nice to meet you,” Hope said, extending her hand as she reached the bottom of the steps.
Heather cocked her head. “Hope Daniels . . . not the radio DJ?”
“The very one.”
“Oh wow. I was so upset when the station changed ownership. I listened to your call-in program almost every night.”
“Aw, thank you. That means a lot.”
“Congratulations to both of you on your engagement. I hadn’t realized you were even dating, Brady.”
“Thanks, well . . . Hope and I have known each other forever, and things just kind of . . .”
“Progressed quickly. When you know, you know, right?” Hope turned Sam around so he could see his aunt. “Look who it is, Sammy boy. It’s your Auntie Heather.”
Sammy kicked his legs excitedly, and when he reached out, Heather scooped him up and kissed him on the cheek. “Hey there, buddy. How’s our boy?”
“He’s been fed and changed, so he should be good for a while.”
“He’s gotten pretty adept at rolling around, though,” Brady said, “so you really have to watch him.”
“Is that true, little guy?” Heather pinched Sam’s dimpled chin, eliciting a smile. Her mouth wobbled, and her eyes grew shiny. “He’s changed since I saw him last. His face has filled out a bit.”
“You’ll see him every other weekend now,” Brady said. “How are your parents doing since the hearing?”
She gave Brady a strained smile. “They took the news pretty hard.”
Brady took that to mean they were angry. That was their default emotion any time things didn’t go their way. Their lawyer had already been in touch with his. They were going to put up a real fight, and heaven knew they had the money to do it.
A heaviness settled inside him, but he forced himself to shut it down. He grabbed the diaper bag and accompanied Heather to the door. “I’ll walk you out and move the car seat over.”
“No need. I have Dylan’s, and I’m used to managing with three kids in tow, remember?”
“Right.” Brady hooked the diaper bag over Heather’s shoulder. “Okay. He should have everything he needs in here.”
“If he doesn’t, I’m sure I do.”
“If you or your parents need anything, don’t hesitate to call. He likes his blue bear when he gets sleepy. And he still takes a morning nap.”
“Got it. Thanks, Brady.”
He opened the door for her. “His pacifier is in the side pocket. He’ll get himself to sleep, but he’ll need that. And he gets hot easily, so dress him lightly at night.”
Heather touched his arm. “He’ll be fine. I promise.”
He exhaled the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Sorry.”
She patted his arm. “Try to relax and have a good weekend. I’ll bring him back tomorrow around one.”
“All right. See you then.”
The door shut behind Heather, and he watched her through the window loading Sam into the car. Watched her minivan roll down his drive, a cloud of dust blooming in her wake.
“He’ll be fine.” Hope’s touch was reassuring. “You said you trust her.”
“I do. It’s just hard to let him go.” He tried not to think about how it might feel to let him go for good.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Speaking of which . . .
He turned toward Hope and offered a smile. “I’d better get a shower. We’ve got a big night ahead of us.”
“Yes, we do.” She grabbed her purse from the counter. “I’ll see you there in a couple hours.”
Saturday night at the Rusty Nail was the perfect time and place for their engagement announcement. All of their friends came to hang out and listen to whatever band was on the schedule. Though Hope was usually on staff as weekend manager, she’d called off tonight.
Brady entered the building at nine o’clock, the smell of grilled burgers making his stomach rumble as he passed the crowded bar and headed into the dining area. The rustic feel of the place, with its beamed ceiling, wavy metal walls, and wood plank floor made a man feel right at home.
The din of chatter competed with the country tune blaring through the speakers. As much as he’d hated sending Sam to the Parkers for the night, he was glad he’d be able to focus on Hope and their announcement.
He found his group in the back corner, farthest from the stage. The round wooden tables had been pulled close to form an awkward chain. It appeared Hope had yet to arrive.
Zoe and Cruz were there, however, with little Gracie. Noah and Josephine, recently remarried, sat beside them. They were a gorgeous couple. Josephine owned the local barbershop, and Noah ran a home-improvement company with his brother. Noah was currently holding their sleeping baby against his shoulder and trying to one-hand a messy burger.
Next to them was Noah’s best friend, Pastor Jack, and Daisy Pendleton, who owned the local flower shop. Those two would soon be the only singles of the group, Brady realized.
He greeted his friends and took one
of the empty seats beside Cruz. He’d just caught the group up on the good news from the hearing when he spotted Hope skirting the tables on her way toward them.
She looked pretty in trendy jeans and a sparkly top that left her slender shoulders bare. Her left hand was tucked into her front pocket, no doubt to conceal her engagement ring. Her dark hair hung in loose curls over her shoulders, and when her smile fixed on him, he felt a little punch in his gut.
She was his. Or soon would be.
“Hey, y’all,” Hope said over the music as she slid into the seat next to Brady. “What’s up?”
“Hey, Hope.” Josephine pushed her short blonde hair behind her ear. “Aren’t you working tonight?”
“Nope. I got the night off.”
“Brady was just telling us how well the hearing went.” Noah set down his burger and patted baby Nicolas’s back.
“I know,” Hope said. “Great news, isn’t it?”
“The best,” Daisy said, then looked at Brady. “Sammy must be sleeping better. You look well-rested.”
“He’s sleeping through the night most of the time.”
“Must be nice,” Noah said. Though the tender way he looked down at Nicolas belied his complaint.
“At least there’re two of us to take turns,” Josephine said. “Brady’s on his own.”
Brady slid Hope a look from the corner of his eyes, and she gave him a private smile as the group segued into a conversation about the effects of insomnia on mental health.
“How are your folks doing?” Daisy asked Hope during a lull in the conversation. “Still in Ecuador?”
“Yeah, they’re helping with a new church plant now.”
“How long have they been missionaries?” Josephine asked. She hadn’t grown up in Copper Creek like the others.
“They did some short-term trips while I was in college, and went full-time right after I graduated.”
“Aw, you must miss them something fierce,” Josephine said.
“I do, but we keep in touch. It helps to know they’re doing exactly what they’ve always wanted to do. It truly is their calling.”
When a server came around, Brady and Hope ordered. He tried to follow the conversation at the other end of the table. He was conscious of Zoe and Cruz’s silence and knew they were probably nervous for him and Hope.
Service was slow, so a while later Hope left the table to get a refill at the bar. Brady watched her go. She had a nice, confident stride, and her legs looked even longer in the heeled sandals she wore tonight. She was trim but filled out those jeans just fine.
He appreciated that she dressed modestly. While other women their age tended to show off their cleavage and bare legs, Hope’s clothing merely hinted at her figure—which he was beginning to notice was actually pretty darn sexy.
Cruz nudged him with his elbow.
When Brady looked his way, Cruz lifted a brow, smirking.
So he was checking out his fiancée. Hardly a crime. He scowled at his friend, but a minute later he found his eyes swinging back toward the bar where Hope waited for service.
Rawley Watkins was talking to her. Rawley was the lead singer of Last Chance, the local country band playing later tonight. He made some kind of frantic gesture, making Hope throw her head back in laughter.
Brady frowned as he watched the two of them. Rawley was tall and lanky, and being a musician, he drew a lot of interest from the ladies. Brady supposed his longish blond hair and dimpled smile didn’t hurt matters either. He was known for dating around but generally was considered a nice guy.
But Brady wasn’t feeling especially generous as he watched Rawley squeeze his fiancée’s shoulder. Brady leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table.
Suddenly that engagement announcement couldn’t come soon enough. The possessive thought surprised him. He hadn’t expected to feel territorial about Hope. He was still a little peeved as she approached the table a couple minutes later. As her gaze collided with his, her smile dimmed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she slid into her seat.
“Nothing.”
She leaned in until her familiar scent teased his nostrils. “Are you worried about the announcement? It’s going to be fine. The hard part’s over.”
“Not really.”
“Then what?”
He took a sip of his Coke, his eyes darting around the table before he responded. “It’ll probably be easier to convince them this is real if you aren’t flirting with other guys, that’s all.”
She gave him a blank look, a slight shake of her head. “Flirting with . . . Rawley? Are you talking about Rawley?”
“There’s going to be enough suspicion as it is.” He was starting to feel a little foolish for even bringing it up. “It’s not like we’ve been dating. This is going to seem sudden.”
“I wasn’t flirting with Rawley. We were just talking.”
Hadn’t looked that way to him, not with Rawley’s casual touches and dimpled smiles. Maybe Hope liked him. They’d never gone out as far as he knew, but clearly Rawley was interested. Maybe Brady was getting in the way of something.
His gaze found hers, looking deep. Needing to be sure. “Are you sure you want to do this, Hope?”
She blinked, looking at him with disbelief. “What has gotten into you? Of course I’m sure. We’ve talked about this at length. I’m wearing your ring.”
Hurt flickered in her eyes, making his chest tighten. What was he doing? Hope was as loyal as they came, and she didn’t play games. She wasn’t Audrey. Not even close. Maybe he had more baggage than he realized. He became aware of an ache in his jaw and realized he was clenching his teeth.
Under the table, Hope found his other hand and squeezed. “Are you okay?”
He’d just acted like a jealous idiot, and her only concern was for him. He ran a hand over his face. “Sorry. I guess I am nervous about this.”
She gave his hand a squeeze as she smiled at him. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. I’m committed to this.”
He saw the resolution in her eyes and felt the tension drain from his shoulders. “So am I. I’ll stop acting like an idiot now.”
“Well, when do you want to make the announcement?”
“Maybe we should do it before the band starts. It’ll be too loud to talk.”
“Hey, you two,” Daisy called to Brady and Hope, pushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “It’s looking far too serious at that end of the table.”
Hope and Brady exchanged a look. He read the go-ahead in her eyes. Brady turned toward his friends. “Actually, it’s turned very serious.” He waited a beat, making sure he had everyone’s attention.
“Hope and I have an announcement to make.” He turned toward her, giving her a fond look. The certainty in her eyes urged him on. “As you know, we’ve been friends a long time. And lately, well, we’ve been seeing each other and things have grown . . . serious. We want everyone to know—we’ve gotten engaged.”
The looks on his friends’ faces might have been hilarious had he not been so nervous. Noah stopped eating midchew, his cheeks punched out like a chipmunk. Josephine’s red lips parted, her eyes widening. Daisy’s brows pinched together, and Jack’s drink paused midway between the table and his mouth.
“Congratulations, you two!” Zoe said.
“This is great,” Cruz said. “I’m really happy for you guys.”
Brady was grateful for their enthusiastic responses. The others joined in, albeit sounding a mite confused.
“I . . .” Daisy looked between them, but a semblance of a smile was forming. “I guess I’m a little slow on the uptake here. I didn’t even realize you two were dating.”
“Me neither,” Josephine said. She gave a sassy smile. “But I’ll confess I just said recently you’d make a great couple. Didn’t I, Noah?”
Noah nodded. “She did. Congratulations, you two. I’ll admit to being clueless.”
“They were always flirting,” Josephine said.
“And they’ve been seeing so much of each other lately,” Zoe said.
“I’ve been watching Sam a lot. And all that time together . . . I guess one thing just led to another.”
“I love it when I’m right,” Josephine said. “Let’s see the ring!”
Hope pulled her hand from under the table, and the other women oohed and aahed at the ring. Brady was glad he’d taken the time to choose carefully. The diamond was a simple solitaire, and the white gold band, with its gentle twists and turns, suited Hope well.
She leaned in to make eye contact with Daisy. “We’ll have to get together soon and talk flowers.”
Daisy did a little golf clap. “Yay! Now you’re talking my language. What were you thinking?”
“Well, I know it’s not traditional, but I’ve always been partial to honeysuckle.”
“Aw,” Daisy said. “You know what that symbolizes?”
“Hopefully not death and doom,” Zoe mumbled.
Hope slid her a withering look.
“It means ‘devoted affection.’ Isn’t that just the sweetest thing? So perfect for the two of you.”
“Sounds great,” Hope said. “Let’s do it.”
“How did he propose?” Josephine asked, leaning forward on her elbows. “Tell us everything.”
“Yeah, no holding out,” Daisy said. “Some of us have to live vicariously.”
After exchanging a smile with Brady, Hope told the story, making it somehow sound better than it actually was.
“Very romantic,” Daisy said with a sigh when Hope had finished.
“Well done, bro,” Zoe said. “She wouldn’t have wanted a big production.”
“Give me some credit. I do know the woman.”
“Yes, you do.” Hope gave his shoulder a playful—flirtatious?—nudge.
His eyes locked onto hers, and he got caught in the seductive pull of them. In the inviting little tilt of her mouth. Her top lip had a gentle bow, and the bottom one was plump and supple looking. He wondered what they would taste like.
“Well, congratulations again,” Jack said, pulling Brady from his straying thoughts. “Marriages that start with friendship have a real advantage, if you ask me.”
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