I glanced at Liam, who was looking at something on James’s phone. “Not yet. After dinner. We will probably stay up late.”
“If you stay up too late, Santa won’t come,” she teased.
“We won’t be too late. I just want some alone time with him.”
She pointed to my couch. “That couch is new, Victoria Renee. Don’t you dare—”
“Mom!” I exclaimed, interrupting her. “I won’t defile your couch, okay?”
She nodded once. “Good. Now let’s get them to the table so we can eat.”
After dinner, when my mom and James had gone to bed, Liam and I cuddled on the couch. When I told Liam what my mom had said, he laughed. “No defiling. Check.”
I was sprawled on his lap, his hand in mine, as I played with the band around his finger.
“I love you,” he said. “And one day, that ring is going to mean something.”
“It already does.”
“You’re right, it does. Okay, fine. One day, I’m going to give you a new ring, with new promises. I said yes to you before, but you were a stranger then. Next time, I will make that promise knowing all of you.”
My stomach fluttered like a whole army of butterflies were about to lift me far and away from here. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” He moved my hair out of my face and gazed at me tenderly. “I could make those promises to you now. But I’m patient. I will wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“You’re a woman who surprises me every day. I want to surprise you when I get down on one knee.”
“When...” I echoed his choice of word.
“When. Not if. I have a ring. It’s not made of paper this time.”
I felt faint. “But I love my paper ring. It’s in my jewelry box.”
He grinned. “I know it is.”
“Did you go snooping?” I dropped my head onto his shoulder, feeling a little weak from the topic of conversation.
“Your mom told me.”
“My mom?” I asked incredulously. “You talk to her?”
“She’s the most important woman in your life. And since you’re the most important in mine, it seemed right to talk to her.”
“I love you,” I blurted out, my heart aching. “A whole lot.”
“Good.” He tapped me gently on the chin. “Because I love you too, Victoria McLaughlin. A whole lot.”
I winced. “Don’t call me Victoria, please. Victoria is fancy. Tori is—”
“You,” he interrupted. “I know. Sorry, Victoria.”
Laughing, I pinched him. “Stop it. Or I won’t tell you my news.”
“Your news?” He lifted one dark eyebrow. He was so handsome when he did that. “What’s that?”
“You said that I surprise you every day.” I ran my hands over his shirt, reveling in his closeness. I wanted it all the time. Every night. Every morning. “I applied to one of the colleges in Vegas, as a workforce instructor. And, well, I got the job. I start next month.”
He looked dumbstruck. “What?”
Smiling, I tugged on his earlobe. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“Yes.” He pressed his lips to my neck. “You sure you want to move to Vegas?”
“So sure.”
“That makes this question so much easier to ask...”
I paused, my heart in my throat as I stared at him with wide eyes. “What question?”
“Will you...”
I held my breath.
“... move in with me?”
It took a full five seconds for me to form a single word. “Liam.”
He grinned mischievously.
“You asshole,” I said without heat. “I can’t believe you.”
“I told you. I’m going to surprise you.”
“I would’ve been surprised!” I crossed my arms over my chest, looking at him like a petulant child.
“Maybe. But this is kind of fun. I like watching you squirm.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I bet you do.” I relaxed into his arms again. “Hey Liam?”
“Mm?”
“Truth or dare?”
“I’m not falling for it, Tori,” he said as he laughed. “You can’t dare me into marrying you.”
Damn it. “I was dared the first time I married you.”
“Yes. But then it was for everyone else. This time will be for us.”
I guess I couldn’t argue with that. “Are you sure you want me to move in with you?” I asked, remembering what he had said earlier.
“Not even a question. Please, move in with me. I’ll let you hog George all you want.”
“She likes me more anyway.”
“You’re right. Which should make it easy on you to answer.”
“Yes,” I said immediately. “Easiest answer of my life.”
“So far,” he said, tipping his head down.
“So far,” I agreed. “My plan is to follow you back home after Christmas, with all my shit. Since you have your truck, that should make unloading my storage