Page 82 of Fixer for the Billionaire

Carmina's floating around somewhere, camera in hand, capturing every giggle and frolic under the setting sun.

She's glowing more than usual, if that's even possible. And me? I'm the self-proclaimed king of the grill today, serving up my now-famous barbecue ribs.

The air is buzzing—not just with laughter and a never-ending playlist of kids' tunes, but with something else... a gentle whisper of change.

It's in the way Carmina looks at me after capturing a cheesy shot of new girl-dad Ryder and his one-year-old Zara with cake smeared across Ryder's face, and how my heart skips a beat every time. It's in the way the sight of my brothers congregating and singing to my one-year-old niece Zara's mostly-toothless smile shoves my heart to the edge. It's in the way Jenny passes by and squeezes my hand and whispers, "You guys are next," with a knowing smile.

It's in the way Carmina looks this evening, more beautiful than ever. One glance in her direction and I remember why I fell in love with her, even after all these years.

The Seattle breeze flutters across her ankle-length dress, reminding me of that night in San Francisco, where we sat on the hill overlooking the Bay and she stole my breath with just one conversation.

Now, a year and a half later, we have not only our little family but also an expanded circle of friends who feel like family.

Nostalgia sets in, just like the quickly disappearing sun on the horizon. But so does desire.

My hand freezes around the spatula as I watch Carmina laugh, her dark-brown curls bouncing in the wind, her bronzed cheeks flushing as she grins. Suddenly, these ribs aren't even the hottest things on the grill.

Just as I'm plotting my great escape—visions of snatching a quick, stolen moment with Carmina swirling in my head—my path to sweet freedom is blocked by none other than Killian.

He's leaning in with that trademark smirk that screams he's up to no good, the last of us Andersons without a ring. From the look on his face, he's about to complicate my life just a bit more.

"Leaving your post, Q? Or should I call you Chef Love?"

"Are your corny jokes why you're still single?" I fire back, trying to keep my eyes from wandering back to Carmina, who's now sitting with Ryder and my niece, her laughter filling the air.

"Nah, I'm just here to help out. Thought you could use my help."

I raise an eyebrow. "With what?"

"The big question." He glances over his shoulder, amber eyes meeting mine with a challenge. "I'm assuming you've hired a marching band, got doves on standby? Hell, after the release of the third bestselling book in Danity’s Seattle series, you could hire yourself out for excerpt readings of spicy romance scenes and use the money to hire a skywriter. Or are we going full flash mob with a choreographed dance?"

"You know, for someone who dodges commitment like it's an Olympic sport, you sure have a lot of proposal ideas."

"Hey, I live vicariously, man. But seriously, you've got that 'I'm about to do something life-changing' look. Spill it before you spontaneously combust from all the secrecy."

Dammit. Guess it's too late to deny it now.

Pushing the sleeves of my button-down further up my arms, I turn to face him fully. "I'm proposing to Carmina tomorrow.”

Killian's jaw drops open, then he lets out a loud whoop that earns us a few curious glances from the other guests.

"About time!" he hisses, slapping me on the back with enough force to knock the air out of my lungs. "You've been dating for over a year now. How much longer does she have to wait?"

I feel my jaw tighten; his words hit too close to home.

It's true. We've been together for a year and it's been the best one of my life.

But becoming a guardian? A caretaker for Carmina's two amazing little sisters? That's another level of commitment entirely. And now that her paperwork for guardianship of the girls is approved, I want to make sure she knows I'm all in.

"So, what's the plan?" Killian asks eagerly, already pulling out his phone to start researching proposal ideas.

I grin, feeling my nerves dissipate as excitement takes over. "Well, I was thinking of taking her on a stroll through Kerry Park and then popping the question at Sopra or our favorite bookstore, The Rainy Page."

Killian lets out a low whistle. "Classy. Romantic."

"Thanks."

"And still not good enough," he adds with a smirk.

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