Page 32 of Tice's Kind of Trouble
When he leads me into an opening, my breath catches. “Oh my God, Tice. This view is incredible.”
Clutching Bruno to his chest, he looks out over the incredible vista and the valley below. Sun sparkles off the river, the green velvet mountains dipping along its edge.
“It’s a perfect place for a wedding.”
“A wedding?” I choke.
“But first, I need to do this.”
I’m swaying a little—confusion and hope and lots of butterflies inside of me. Sitting Bruno on a thick patch of grass, Tice drops to his knee.
“This is sudden, and you have to think I’m crazy, but I can’t let anyone else steal you away, Bethany. You’re my future. I know it with all of my battered soul.”
“Tice?”
“Marry me, sweetheart?”
My vision swims with tears as he slides a diamond and emerald ring onto my finger. “When did you get this?”
He chuckles, kissing my knuckles. There’s definitely a vulnerable hope in his serious eyes. “Earlier, in town. But you didn’t answer my question.”
Heat spikes up my neck—of course I’d mess up his proposal. “Oh my God. Yes!”
Lurching forward, he wraps his arms around my waist, burying his face in my stomach. Bruno thinks this is grand, his loud puppy barks echoing off the trees surrounding us.
“I love you, Tice,” I whisper, sliding my hands into his hair, kissing his forehead. “We’re gonna make that house a home.”
He scoops me up. Voice rough, he speaks against my temple. “I know, baby. I know.”
TWENTY-TWO
Tice
The next twenty-four hours are a sweet kind of heaven I didn’t ever imagine could exist.
It’s a blur of lovemaking, long talks by the fireplace, puppy antics, and my heart growing painfully large.
And when Chase calls with news that he caught the person who hired Billy, he demands a celebration.
With food.
Man’s always thinking with his stomach.
To keep him and the others out of my house, I suggest Bethany’s favorite restaurant—which everyone agrees to. Amen.
My fiancée is on the lawn, crawling around with the tiny gray and white puppy, my engagement ring sparkling in the light.
God.The visceral gravity of the moment makes my lungs contract.
The woman is going to keep me short of breath—I can just feel it.
I tug her to her feet and introduce her to Kelly, the town’s most sought-after pet sitter. The one who said yes to my over-the-top offer for a last-minute job.
Then I grab Bethany’s hand and drag her away, because even a moment alone with her feels like a stolen diamond right now.
Kenneth’s Grill is packed, as usual for this time of evening.
“How did we get in so easily?” Bethany asks as I guide her to the 6-top table in the back.
