Page 23 of Garden Daddy

Eden

“He literally hid it in cheese?”Eden snorted, even as she admired the sparkling diamond on Bree’s hand.It was perfect for her—small but extra sparkly and nestled between two emeralds, her favorite stone.Owen had done a good job picking it out… of course, he’d had a little help.Seeing Bree’s glowing happiness, Eden felt a little smug.

“In brie, no less,” Rita teased, grinning widely.“He’s the ultimate cheese Daddy.”

“Oh, like Andres is any different,” Bree retorted, though she was smiling so wide, her face might crack if it got any bigger.She was clearly perfectly happy with her fiancé’s cheesy proposal.“He’s lucky you didn’t gulp down your ring.”

Andres, Rita’s now fiancé, had put hers in a margarita… because that was her real first name, even though she went by Rita.He’d paired it with one of his infamous birria tacos, and he’d put a little too much heat in the taco.Rita really had gotten close to accidentally swallowing her ring, all thanks to the extra spice.It was a gorgeous princess-cut pink sapphire with rectangular diamonds on either side, which was perfect for Rita.Also, partly thanks to Eden’s influence.

Laughter from the kitchen made all of them pop their heads up, looking over their shoulders, but the guys weren’t quite visible from where they were sitting together on the couch.Andres and Owen were in the kitchen making dinner with Marcus.At least, that’s what they were supposed to be doing.

“Do you think you’re going to get one of these soon?”Bree asked, lowering her voice so there was no chance of the guys hearing it, wiggling her ring at Eden.

“Marcus and I haven’t talked about it.”Eden shrugged.Was she envious that her friends were getting engaged and she was left out?Yeah, a little bit.But she and Marcus also had a lot of baggage about marriage that neither of them did, so she was trying not to have any expectations.

Just because both of her best friends had gotten engaged in the past two weeks didn’t mean she would be getting engaged any time soon.She and Marcus had only been back together for a few months, after all.

Though it was long enough for her to know that when—if—he asked, she would say yes.

He was a completely changed man.Everything she’d loved about him the first time around was still there, but he was far, far better.More attentive, more thoughtful, more engaged, and a lot less stressed.It made all the difference.She’d blossomed under his care over the past few months, and she didn’t feel so on edge all the time or as though she had anything to prove.

Her hair was still pink, and she still wore the sassy t-shirts she loved, but she felt more relaxed now.Less angry at the world.Less confrontational.Funny enough, it was Marcus and living among all his plants that had helped make her calmer.The yoga didn’t hurt, either.

They fit better this time around.She wasn’t going to go asking for a ring just because her friends had one, though.Whether or not they ever got married again, Marcus was still who she wanted to spend her life with.

Her love.Her Daddy.And if he was her ex-husband but current boyfriend until the end of their days, they’d make it work.

“Okay, ladies, we’re almost ready,” Andres said, coming out of the kitchen and walking by them with a salad bowl in his hands.He grinned at them, an extra sparkle in his eyes when he locked gazes with Rita.Sending her a wink, he kept on going to the dining room table to set down the bowl.

“Hey, Eden, come help me with the meat?”Marcus asked, exiting the kitchen and heading in the opposite direction of Andres, toward the door to the back porch.He was holding an empty tray to put everything on.

“Oh, I’m always happy to help you with your meat.”She grinned and bounced to her feet, leaving her friends cracking up behind her.Marcus shook his head, but he was laughing, too.

“I know you are.”He popped her on the bottom with the tray as she sashayed past him.“It’s one of the many things I love about you.”

Giggling, Eden scampered in front of him, opening the door and turning so he didn’t have another opportunity to spank her before going out the door.He brushed a kiss against her forehead as he walked by instead, making her sigh with happiness.

Yeah.Things were really freaking good between them.

“Here, hold this,” he said, passing the tray to her as he went to lift the grill top.Eden took it from him, waiting patiently.

Then blinked as the grill top went up.

There was no blast of heat.

No array of meat.

Instead, there was a giant bouquet of flowers.Not just one kind, many kinds.It was a sprawling bouquet, more of an arrangement, really.Eden recognized all the flowers she’d come to love the most from Marcus’ shop.Marcus lifted it and turned to her, grinning as he placed it down on the tray she was holding.

Holy crap, that was heavy.

Not that she had time to really think about it because right smack dab in the middle of the arrangement was a little black velvet box.

“Marcus?”she asked, her voice coming out in a croak.

Rather than answering her, Marcus picked up the box and dropped to his knee.The tray almost tipped over onto him as her grip quavered.

“Marcus!”

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