Page 21 of Believe in Me
Mike watched as Trish sat there blinking. Before he could saying anything else, he watched a tear roll down her cheek.
“Don’t cry. Shit. I fucked this all up.” Mike jumped up and started pacing. “I meant to take you to dinner. Bring you back here. Watch a movie or something while I held you then asking you.”
Trish reached out and grabbed his hand the next time he passed her. “Mike, calm down. It’s okay. You just surprised me.”
“I’m sorry. Let’s just pretend that I didn’t say anything, and I’ll put this box away. Return it to the jewelers and we can go on as we have been,” Mike suggested as he shoved the box into his pocket.
“Wait one minute, soldier. I want that. You bought it for me, and I plan to wear it for a long time. Now, I think you forgot to mention one little thing and I’d like to hear those three words before I answer you,” Trish said, calmly.
Mike stood there drawing a blank. What else had he forgotten? Three words? He wracked his brain then rolled his eyes. How could he have skipped that part. He dropped to one knee in front of Trish and took her hand in his.
“Trish Peterson, you came into my life so unexpectedly. We’ve got a good start on building forever together. I love you and can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?” he asked as he held out the small box.
She took the box from him and opened it up. Inside was a platinum and gold band with a larger marquis diamond in the center with two smaller diamonds on either side. Trish removed the ring from the box and gave it to Mike, holding her hand flat in front of his chest with her fingers spread apart.
“I love you, too, Michael Mullvaney. Yes, I will marry you,” Trish said as he slid the ring on her finger.
Chapter 14
Mike had to come clean with Trish. She was picking out a DJ and talking about their first dance. Slight problem with that though, Mike couldn’t dance to save his ass.
He’d escaped having to tell Trish when they were in Florida since Kevin and Missy hadn’t done all the traditional things so there were no dances. Oh, Trish had twirled the twins around to the music that was being played at the restaurant but that was more to entertain the boys. Missy had been a complete bitch whenever the boys talked too loud or moved around. Mike thought Debbie was going to kill Missy at one point. Lord knows the heptad minus Kevin were ready to kill her too. Spook almost had to sit on Jeannine to keep her from telling Missy off.
Mike had been embarrassed he’d brought Trish until she whispered, “It’s not your fault Kevin’s thinking with his little head. The rest of the heptad and their wives are amazing.”
Trish called out as she came through the door, snapping Mike out of his own thoughts. “Hey I’m here. Brought dinner. Jess made tons of meatballs and packed up some for us and Christy. Picked up some rolls so we could have subs.”
“Sounds great. Brought over another load of my stuff,” Mike responded. “Threw it in the spare room until we have time to sort it all.”
Trish stopped as she was about to walk into the kitchen and looked at Mike. “Okay what’s going on? Are you deploying?” Trish asked as she put the bag on the table and sat down. “Don’t like the dinner choices for the wedding?”
“Trish, everything you’ve chosen for the wedding works for me. I’m not scheduled to deploy until after we move to Benning next year,” Mike answered.
“So then why are you sitting here staring at the TV. Mackey told me that was your tell.” Trish leaned back against the arm of the couch and pulled her leg under her. “Well? I can wait for as long as it takes you.”
Mike looked into her eyes and knew she wasn’t kidding. “Icantdance,” he rushed out in one breath. He watched confusion cross Trish’s face.
“Can you say that again but maybe a little slower?”
He took a deep breath and tried again. “You’re all excited about our first dance. Me dancing with Mom, you with your father but I’m so bad at dancing I don’t even have two left feet. Years ago, the heptad banned me from dancing when we’d go to clubs. Said they all had a better chance of finding a woman if I hadn’t broken their toes.”
Mike had to give Trish credit, she tried valiantly to hold in her laughter. She went as far as biting her lips but then she had to let it out. Trish didn’t laugh long but it was a full belly laugh.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh when you’re being serious but um, Mike? I can teach you an easy dance so you can dance at our wedding. A simple waltz would be appropriate and since I know you can count to four, you’ll have no problem.” Trish unfolded her leg and stood up. She walked over to the entertainment center and after searching through the CDs, put one in the player. “The first notes of “I’ll Always Be Your Mom” came through the speakers. She held out her hands to Mike and shook them impatiently when he didn’t get up fast enough.
Mike looked around the living room and didn’t see a lot of room for Trish to teach him without him pushing her into the coffee table or the TV or the wall. Before he stepped into her space, he pushed the coffee table against the entertainment center giving them a decent amount of room.
“I’m still not sure about this,” he said; his voice echoing the discomfort he already felt. He really didn’t want to have to bring Trish to the ER after breaking her foot dancing. Sighing loudly, he stepped forward and took her hands.
“Okay, you put your left hand on my waist. My right hand goes on your shoulder and we clasp our other hands together. Now listen to the music for the count.” Trish was silent for a minute then started counting. “One two three pause. One two three pause. Feel it?” She was tapping the beat on his shoulder as she counted. Mike started flicking his finger against her waist with the count. Maybe he could do this. Stand still, count and tap.
“Next, the moving. It’s called the box step. You’re going to step forward with your left foot, then slide your right foot up even with the left but over about ten inches, then your left foot goes backward even with where you started,” Trish said with an encouraging smile on her face and a nod. “Ready. Now feel the beat and step.”
Mike hesitated then stepped on the next three count. The music played over and over as Mike moved Trish in the box step only brushing against her toes. No bumps, no bruises, no broken bones.
Trish pulled out of Mike’s arms and changed the CD. “Have I Told You Lately” started up and she closed the distance between their bodies. “Now for our dance, something a bit more touching.” She slid her hand from his shoulder to his neck and dropped her other hand to his waist.
Mike wasn’t sure what to do with his right hand so he dropped it around Trish’s shoulders and shifted his hips along hers. Probably no one but his close friends would know that Trish was leading the dance, but Mike really didn’t care. He was moving semi-gracefully with the woman he loved in his arms.
