And even happier.
“Thanks for being you.”
His arms tightened and the humor was gone when he repeated, “Not a problem, Cassie.”
“Thanks for letting me be me.”
More tightening, then, “Definitely not a problem.”
“Thank you for loving me,” I whispered.
No reply. Just his arms got so tight I could barely breathe.
When he released the pressure, I went on.
“And thanks for letting me love you.”
“Makin’ this easy,” he said weirdly.
“Sorry?”
He let me go but didn’t move away. One of his hands caught my left one, the other one disappeared.
It came back.
And when it did, I stopped breathing.
This was because he was sliding a princess cut diamond set in a thick platinum band on my ring finger.
“Marry me,” he whispered into my ear.
Sheesh. Deacon was so totally rejoining the citizenry.
My eyes started stinging.
His hand curled around mine tight.
“Right here, in this gazebo, soon as you want, late as you want, big, small, grand, quiet, I don’t give a fuck. Whatever you want, just so when it’s over, you’re tied to me legally and got my name.”
My head fell back so it wouldn’t fall forward. I turned it and pressed my forehead into his neck.
“We get hitched,” he went on, “we find our time, then we make a baby. But you go off your pills, the first time it could be a go, we start that work in my bed in cabin eleven.”
Cabin eleven.
God, I so loved Deacon.
To share that, I replied, “I’ll take your name, Deacon. I’ll take anything you want to give me. And I’ll make a baby with you in cabin eleven, in our bed at the house, on the moon.”
“Then give me your mouth, woman, no argument, right now.”
Like I’d argue.
I tipped my head back but didn’t give it. He took it. He did this a long time. He did this until Bossy joined us and started licking our faces, wanting in on the act.
We broke it off but Deacon’s arms were back around me so it was me who drove my fingers into her ruff and asked, “You gonna wear a big pink bow when Momma marries Daddy in this gazebo?”
She panted and licked my face.