Page 143 of Hidden Nature

At that moment, Theo looked so young to him. Impossibly young and open, and the next thing to shiny.

“Maybe doing it right should involve a few more months of being with someone.”

“I know it’s quick.” The dreaminess cleared with an easy smile. “But she’s it. Nash, she’s it for me. I knew it the first time I saw her, and I feel it more now. I didn’t know I could feel this way about somebody, anybody. Like I can see us together in a year, in ten years. Building a life together, having a family.”

Theo gave a quick little shrug. “When you come from what we did, you wonder if you can ever have that. I know I can with Drea.

“You like her.”

“Sure I like her. She’s likable. Her whole family’s likable.”

“I love her,” Theo said simply. “She loves me. So I need you to come with me when I buy the ring. I don’t want to screw up there.”

“What do I know about buying a ring? I’ve never bought one.”

Because Tic made his needs known, Theo let him out.

“You won’t let me go overboard. She wouldn’t want something overboard. It’s not her. She’d want classic. And if she says yes, you’d be my best man, so you could start now.”

“Jesus Christ. You’re absolutely serious.”

“Absolutely serious. Positively sure. I haven’t ever been this sure about anything. Coming here, talking you into taking me into the business, that comes close.”

Theo finally made the coffee.

“And I was right about that. So, you’ll come with me, won’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ll come with you.” Nash dragged both hands through his hair. “It might—hell, it will take me a while to process this.”

“If she says yes, I’m hoping we can get married in the fall, whatever kind of wedding she wants.”

“One giant step at a time, Theo.”

“Yeah, but. Drea deserves whatever kind of wedding she desires, and time to plan it. I don’t want to push for sooner because I really want to get started.”

He turned back with his coffee. “I’m not going to invite them, Nash.” His eyes went hard, determined. “I know if they find out, they’ll hit at you about it more than me.”

“Don’t think about that now.”

“I have thought about it. We both know how they’d react, how they’d take shots at Drea, and I won’t have it. And I’ll make it clear it’s my decision.”

“Have you talked to Drea about them?”

“Yeah. She knows it all. She knows why it’s just you and me. She said how some people don’t know how to be parents, or family. And we were lucky to have each other, you and me, because we knew how to be family.”

A little dreamy again, Theo let Tic back in.

“See why I love her?”?

“Yeah, I do. I may end up half in love with her myself. Where the hell do you buy an engagement ring around here?”

Theo grinned. “I’ll find out.”

“Later. Now get to work. Since it looks like you’ll be moving out by or before the fall, I need to wring all the work out of you I can.”

Then it hit him. “Do you want her to move in here?”

“No. I mean there’s room, sure, but it’s going to be a construction zone for a while.”

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