by Maree Green
But Amy didn’t let me get too carried away, eventually pulling back and laughing that soft laugh of hers that always seemed to make my heart miss a beat.
“God, I love you,” I said, wishing I could just take her right there on the lawn.
“I kinda figured that from you asking me to marry you, but I love hearing you say it.” She grinned.
I shook my head and stared at her with wonder. I had no idea how I could’ve possibly been so lucky to have her come into my life, but I was immensely grateful.
Her eyes twinkled as she gazed back at me. “I feel like I’m living out a fairy tale or something.” She shook her head a little. “I mean, Mom always made it seem like the fairy tale was marrying someone who was rich beyond measure and could provide for my every wish, but she was wrong. It’s love. The fairy tale is love, and I honestly didn’t know it could be like this.”
My heart dropped a little with her words. I knew what she was saying, because I believed that one hundred percent too. It was the whole providing thing. I knew she didn’t mean I couldn’t provide for her, but I also knew she didn’t understand just how much I wanted to be able to give her the world.
“So, do you have any idea when you’d like to marry me?” I asked, more to get my thoughts off the dangerous path it was balancing on than anything else.
Her eyes narrowed in thought as she sucked on her bottom lip. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
“I’m not sure. Can we just let the fact that we’re now engaged sink in first and work it out later?”
My lips curved up automatically as her words drifted through my mind. We were engaged. Holy fucking shit. I had a fiancée.
“I mean, weddings do cost a bit of money, so we’d have to save up for a while, I think . . . ” she said, her mind obviously ticking over.
My smile grew wider. “Whatever you want, Princess.”
Her gaze met mine again and she flushed, her bright smile making me forget to breathe. After a few minutes of us smiling at each other like lovesick idiots, I pulled her in for a long, slow kiss.
When I pulled back, she sighed and melted further into my arms.
Burying my face in her hair, I breathed her in. “How about I go have a quick shower, then we can go get you a ring?”
She sat up and blinked at me. “You want to go get a ring today?”
“Of course. I’m pretty sure that’s how these things work. Well . . . I think I’m supposed to actually have the ring here for you when I ask, but I’d rather we chose it together.”
She frowned at me. “Daniel, I don’t want you to waste your money on me.”
I raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. “I have money, Princess. Of course, probably not as much as your mother would require spent on such an item, but more than enough to get you something that’ll suit.”
I watched her bite her lip, worry etching her face. Reaching out, I placed my thumb over the plump fullness and gently released it from its torture. “Honestly,” I said softly. “It’s fine, Princess.” I paused. “Unless you’re worried about something else . . . ?”
She blinked at me, a slight look of confusion in her gaze.
“Like maybe you don’t want to wear a ring . . . ?”
Her eyes widened as if horrified by the thought. “Of course not! I just don’t want you to feel like you have to spend a lot of money on me. I don’t want to be that girl anymore. The rich princess—”
I felt myself warm to her even more. “I know you’re not, baby. You’re my princess.”
Her gaze softened. “Forever.”
Chapter 23
Amy
Walking into Amber’s house, I deliberately kept my hand in my pocket to hide my new sparkling diamond ring. Over the course of the evening, I’d grown more and more used to the idea of being engaged, but I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to tell Amber.
I worried at my lip as I moved up the stairs. I knew I was bound to get some negative reactions to my news, but I really needed Amber on my side. And Seth. Everyone else could scoff and tell me I was being stupid, but not those two. I needed them to be happy for me.
Steeling myself, I knocked on her door, waiting for her sing-song voice to tell me I could come in.
Cracking the door a little, I peered in and, seeing her perched at her desk, hesitantly moved inside.
“Hey!” she said, throwing her pen down on top of the papers she was scrawling on. “How was your date?”
I smiled wistfully. “Amazing.”
She gave me a deadpan look that was immediately ruined by the smile that crept onto her lips. “You two are just too cute.”
I inhaled deeply. “I have something to tell you . . . ” I started.
Her head cocked to the side, her attention complete.
My heart was beating out of control. “This is kind of big. I mean . . . I don’t have Mom and Dad anymore, so you’re it . . . ” I stammered, more nervous than I thought possible. “Of course, I still have Seth, and I will tell him too, but . . . ”
Amber’s gaze had grown with curiosity. I knew she’d never seen me like this before, so I knew she could tell it was going to be huge.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, I withdrew my hand from my pocket and held it out for her to see. “Daniel asked me to marry him.”
Her eyes grew as large as dinner plates, and her mouth fell open as she gawked at my ring. She sat like that for a very long moment, my nerves growing more and more with each passing silent beat of my heart.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before she blinked and her gaze flashed up to meet mine. “Shut the fuck up!”
She was still wide-eyed, but a tiny smile had started creeping onto her lips. I didn’t know if that meant she was happy or if she was ready to laugh, thinking I was joking.
As quick as a snake attack, she grabbed my hand and pulled it toward her. “Are you fucking serious?” she squeaked.
I felt myself smiling despite my nerves. “Yes.”
She stared at me for a while, her gaze showing me the disbelief she was feeling. I squirmed a little, still unable to get a solid read on how she felt about my news.
Her gaze swung back down to my ring. “Holy shit.”
Out of nowhere, a lump rose up in my throat. “It’s too soon, isn’t it? We’re too young . . . ”
Startled, Amber looked up at me. As she studied my panicked face, she dropped my hand and sat back a fraction.
“Amy,” she said calmly, “I’m assuming you thought about those things before you gave Daniel your answer.”
I paced the floor between her desk and window. “I did . . . but maybe I was too rash . . . maybe I should’ve waited, slept on it or something. ”
“If you’ve already thought about it, can I ask what your answers were that made you decide to say yes?”
Walking over to the window, I stared out without really seeing. I paused, trying to get my thoughts in order. “No one really knows what tomorrow’s going to bring, do they? You never know if someone you love will be with you then, or if they’re just here for a little while, do you?” Drawing in a shuddering breath, I tried to calm the upset inside me. “I know without a doubt I want to marry Daniel. My upbringing says to wait until it’s perceived as acceptable, but what happens if tomorrow never comes? What’s the point in knowing that you want to marry someone, but choosing not to because society says you’re too young, and then finding out it’s too late? That you ran out of time? Where’s the sense in that?”
Was there any sense in that? No, there wasn’t. I loved Daniel with all my soul. When it came to him, I didn’t want to have any regrets. Ever.
When I turned to look back at Amber, I found her smiling at me. A genuine, happy smile. She squealed and rushed for me, wrapping me in a bone-crunching embrace that spoke more than words ever could.
“Oh, my God! I’m so happy for you!”
I laughed and squeezed her back, finally able to relax enough to breathe properly. “You�
�re really happy for me?”
She released me and stepped back before placing her hands on my shoulders. “Babe,” she said seriously, “you know I’m not into all that fairy tale bullshit. I don’t get all gooey and clap my hands every time I hear the words ‘love’ and ‘marriage.’ In fact,” she said, screwing up her face in contemplation, “I think I actually gag when I hear those words . . . ”
I grinned.
“Anyway,” she continued, shaking it off. “My point here is that if I am, in fact, being all gooey and clapping my hands ”—she clapped her hands to emphasize her point—“it means I really am excited, and I really do think it’s an amazing thing. You and Daniel are meant to be. I could see that from the first time I saw the two of you together. And I think you’re right. Saying no would only be delaying the inevitable. Why waste time?”
I exhaled with a smile and felt a tear fall down my cheek. I was sure she had no idea just how much her words meant to me. I knew deep down I didn’t need her approval to marry Daniel, but having her, and hopefully Seth, by my side made it feel a little less like it was just me against the world.
“Thank you,” I said. There was nothing I needed to say other than that. I was just so very thankful to have her in my life.
She beamed at me, and her eyes lit up. “So, now, let’s get to the important stuff. I’m going to be your bridesmaid, right? No, wait . . . your maid of honor. That’s it.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. That fits me perfectly. I’m made of honor!”
I laughed. “You’re a dork. Of course you’re going to be my maid of honor. Who else would I ask?”
“Damn straight,” she said, placing her hand on her hip. “You’re my bitch.”
Giving her a tiny shove in the shoulder, I laughed before gazing down at my new bling-adorned finger. “I can’t believe I’m engaged.”
Amber gave me a knowing smile. “But it’s so you. ”
I tried to give her an indignant look but failed miserably when I blushed. “I know. People keep telling me how hard it’s going to be, being a military girlfriend, wife, but I really like the idea. When I picture being married and making a home, it’s just like that, you know . . . ?”
“You’re going to be an amazing wife, babe. And an amazing mommy when the time comes.”
I couldn’t help the dreamy smile that came to my lips. There was nothing I could think of that would make me happier.
Chapter 24
Daniel
Sitting at the island in Mom’s kitchen, I watched her put the finishing touches on the roast before putting it in the slow cooker.
I was still floating on a high after Amy had agreed to marry me, and it was hard not to keep grinning like an idiot.
Mom wiped her hands on the dish towel before coming to lean on the counter across from me. “Right,” she said with a smile. “I’m done. So what’s up?”
I stared deep into her eyes, trying to gauge her mood and possible reaction. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, I took the plunge. “I asked Amy to marry me.”
She didn’t move. Not an inch. She didn’t recoil. She didn’t blink. She didn’t even narrow her eyes. The only part of her that moved was her gaze as it flickered over mine as she processed my words.
Slowly, a buzz of excitement began burning in their depths, and a grin curled up the corner of her mouth. She laughed a tiny, breathy sound and shook her head slowly. “Why does that not surprise me?”
Happiness flared up inside me, and I smiled.
“You’ve always been such a romantic,” she told me, then laughed again. “I hope she said yes . . . ”
I laughed, relief and happiness overwhelming me. It wasn’t really for my benefit. I didn’t care what anyone else thought. I knew what I felt for Amy, and it was my life, my choice. But I knew it would upset Amy if she thought my own mother was against us getting married. She already had to deal with her parents being against our relationship. She didn’t need mine too.
Mom scampered around the island and threw her arms around me, squeezing harder than I thought possible for her tiny frame. “Congratulations, baby! I’m so happy for you.” She pulled back to grin at me, but then her expression sobered a little. “You’re going to wait for a while, though. Aren’t you?”
“We haven’t really discussed it yet, but yeah, I’d say so. We need to save for it and all.”
She inhaled and sighed as though she was completely satisfied. It was a good feeling.
I smirked at her. “I’m a little surprised at how well you’re taking this.”
Mom only smirked right back. “I’ve been saying since you were ten that you were going to fall in love young. My only worry was that you’d fall for the wrong kind of girl, who’d end up breaking your heart, but Amy’s perfect for you. She has this natural, homey, maternal kind of aura about her. I think you both have the same kind of values and ideas of what a marriage and home should be like.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Honestly, age has nothing to do with it, really. Your father and I were supposedly old enough to know better at twenty-seven, but look how that ended. Yes, you’re both only twenty, but you’re both very mature for your age—settled, if you know what I mean.”
I did know what she meant. Neither Amy nor I were into the party scene or felt like we were going to miss out on ‘life’ if we got married. I certainly didn’t feel like I needed to experience a hundred different girls before I was ‘tied down’ to one.
“Does Ryan know yet?”
I glanced up at Mom’s wary tone. I had thought about how I was going to tell Ryan, but I still hadn’t figured that one out yet.
Pressing my lips together, I shook my head. “Not yet.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Sooner’s probably better than later.”
Exhaling a huff, I nodded in agreement. Giving her a quick kiss and another hug, I headed upstairs to find Ryan, not feeling thrilled about the prospect in the slightest.
Knocking on his already open door, I saw him look up from the cell he’d been tapping on with surprise. “Can I come in?” I asked.
He shifted where he sat perched on the edge of his bed and shrugged his assent.
Moving to sink down on his desk chair, I turned to face him, resting my elbows on my knees before looking across at him. Needing to get a feel for his mood first, I paused and watched him carefully.
“What’s up?” he asked, his gaze seeming uncomfortable.
Fleetingly, I wondered why I made him feel that way before I realized I didn’t care. “I asked Amy to marry me.”
Ryan blanched. His eyes widened with obvious horror. “What?”
“Last night,” I said quietly. “She said yes.”
His hand tightened around his cell, and what appeared to be panic rolled across his expression. “She said . . . ? What the fuck?” He stood up and moved toward his closet before turning again. “Why the hell did you ask her to marry you? You don’t love her,” he said, his expression somehow turning angry and confused at the same time.
His words struck a nerve. I tensed, biting my tongue.
Spinning to face me, his gaze turned accusatory. “Not like I do. I love her. Me! She’s supposed to marry me. Not you.”
I stood. I couldn’t stop myself. “Ryan. Man, you’re my brother and I love you, but do not tell me I don’t love her. I get that you think you’re in love with her, but man, you don’t know love yet. If you did, you wouldn’t treat her like a possession.”
His eyes narrowed, and anger gleamed in their depths. “I don’t fucking treat her like a possession!”
He was starting to piss me off. “Fine. A business transaction, then.”
Ryan recoiled like I’d punched him, and something that looked an awful lot like guilt came over him. “I do not,” he said, although there was no conviction in his words.
Unease hit me like a fucking wet sponge. Tilting my head to the side like a fucking bull looking out at a red flag, I tried to get a read on him. He looked guilty as all fuck. What the hel
l did that mean? What the fuck had he done?
“I do love her,” he said quietly. Turning his back on me, he put his hands on his hips and stared out the window. “She’s everything . . . ”
I stood staring at his back for a long time, my mind clicking over, trying to figure out why the fuck he was acting so weird.
Suddenly, Ryan turned to face me, everything about him looking defeated. “Look, I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I just . . . I wasn’t expecting that.” He sighed and rubbed his hand over his head. “Obviously, it doesn’t matter how I feel. You guys’ve made your decision. I’m happy for you. I am,” he said, almost like he was trying to convince himself. He shrugged. “Not as happy as I could be, but . . . ” He gave me a humorless laugh.