worry about forgetting the people she already knew. But demanded she still be close enough for me to come visit. She’s been there for almost a year now.”
I cuddled against him. “I can’t imagine losing anyone like that. By degrees. By inches.” I pressed a kiss to his chest.
“It sucks. And it's one of the worst things that’s ever happened to me. The gradual. Like you said, she’s dying by degrees. Sliding away in inches. The good days are becoming less frequent. The bad ones more normal.”
I gathered up my courage as an idea flashed through my mind. “If we were to get married—”
“I’m pretty sure you mean ‘when’ we get married,” he interrupted with a growl.
I snickered. “You didn’t let me finish, Mr. Bossy. If we were to get married soon, how quickly do you think we could put it together?”
His arms tightened around me so much, I struggled to breathe. I could feel the pounding of his heart under my cheek. The thud, thud, thud was heavy and racing. “Ryker…air,” I gasped.
He let me go with a curse. “Fuck, sorry.” He pulled away for a second. The light blinked on. “You’d do that? Get married faster so she could be there?”
I nodded. “I know—I see—how much she means to you, Ryker. Of course I would. Other than the Amatuccis, Jessa, Nik, and your mom, I’m not sure I need or even want anyone else there. Beverly arranged my last wedding. I want this one to be as small and easy breezy as possible.” I looked up into his face. “If that’s okay with you. Did you want a big wedding?”
He snorted. “Fuck no. You, Grams, Baxter, and a JOP is fine with me.”
My brows rose. “You don’t even want your mom? Your sister?”
He shrugged. “Sure, it would be nice. But it honestly wouldn’t bother me one way or the other if they weren’t there. Grams and Baxter are my must-haves.”
I smiled. “So less than twenty. We could do that pretty quickly.”
He sat up. Pulled me up with him. “Wait right here.” He jumped from the bed and went racing off.
I stared after him. If he was getting a pad of paper and pencil, I was going to murder him.
He rushed back in just as quickly as he’d taken off. He crawled up on the bed. He grabbed his phone up off the wireless charger. Stabbed at a few buttons. Music filled the air.
He stabbed at a couple more buttons. He turned the screen towards me. It was full of flickering candlelight and rose petals. He set the phone down between us. Rising up on one knee, he pulled something from his pocket.
My eyes widened as I gasped. “Ryker?”
He smiled. “Grams gave this to me when I turned twenty-five. Told me it was good luck. Told me I could only offer it to one girl.” He looked at me. “That girl is you.” He opened the ornate gold box. Inside was a ring that took my breath away.
A center oval diamond was surrounded by little half-moons of filigree. Inside each half circle was another diamond. The sides of the diamond were bracketed by a set of double round diamonds. A matching wedding band set with sapphires nestled directly below the engagement ring.
“Willow Koa Chase, the moment I met you, I kinda wanted to throw you down the stairs and storm away.”
I blurted a laugh.
He smiled. “But as soon as you fell into my arms I knew I was going to be forever changed by you. I just didn’t want to admit it. I am the jagged pieces to fill the broken holes of your heart. You are the light that banishes my darkness. Together we are whole.” He took a deep breath, his love shined from his eyes. “Will you marry me?”
I nodded as tears welled in my eyes. “Yes. I’ll marry you, Ryker Anthony Penn.”
He took the ring from the bisected pillow of the box. His hands were trembling the slightest bit as he slid the ring on my left ring finger.
It got stuck on my last knuckle.
I winced as he tried to shove it down. “We might need to get it resized,” I said quickly.
He looked up at me. His eyes were a little wild as he shook his head. “You have to wear it. You have to wear it all the time.”
I grabbed his face in my hands, put my lips against his. I waited until I felt him settle down enough to hear me. “And