Page 83 of Made for You
“Do I need to report an attempted B and E? What are you doing here?” I crossed the space and extended a hand to Amir, who shook it, then accepted Rosie’s hug. Kiley, Nikki, and I saw them weekly for family dinner—an event I wasn’t sure which one of us loved more—but they still liked to stop by. Now that spring was coming on, Rosie liked to pretend she needed to check on her flowers, but really, I think part of her still loved the house and just liked being in it.
“Oh, go on and talk, Bruce. But I’m not the one stealing hearts.” She winked, then wiggled her brows.
The laugh came out like it often did with Rosie, and very often these days. I hadn’t exactly sewn up mydoertendency, but I’d made progress in that direction. At the new year, we’d had new staff come in—a new admin to replace Nikki, who only did our accounting and payroll now that she’d gotten more focused on launching her math app—and a few new positions elsewhere in the lineup, too.
But mostly, I’d started letting myself rest. Relax. Enjoy Nikki and my time with her, which in turn helped me enjoy Kiley and my time with her. Ki seemed happier than ever, and while I didn’t think she looked at Nikki as a mother, I think they did have a kinship forged by similar life experiences that was unbreakable. Plus, the whole math nerd thing. Paired with therapy she’d been devoted to since the Carl mess, Ki was flourishing.
“I’m not stealing hearts. If anyone did that, it was your great-niece, and I think you know it.” I winked right back.
Amir chuckled, and Rosie smirked. “Oh, I do. And I can’t wait for the wedding.”
No one had been shy about their expectation that Nik and I would end up together, least of all either one of us. But because of Kiley, and because of both of our histories, and despite the complete abandon with which I’d fallen for her, we did our best to move slow. And I did my best not to hint or pressure. We had a plan, and here I was, holding the second piece to a puzzle that meant I could ask a question I’d only ever wanted to ask her.
“You know how I feel about it. Y’all go on in and I’ll see you Sunday, right?” I waved as I wandered back to my yard, wondering how I’d manage to think about anything else until she delivered the next one.
* * *
Nikki came home late on Friday night, just like I did. We’d maintained our tradition of girls’ night and Saint staff at Craic. I’d seen her from afar. I’d stolen a kiss and had to convince myself to leave her be instead of hauling her over my shoulder and taking her home early, but I kept it together.
Until we both pulled into our respective driveways and she walked toward me. Kiley was out with a friend. Nikki and I had planned to have a late dinner and watch a movie at her place, and I wasn’t sure how I’d contain myself, but then she surprised me.
She reached into her purse and pulled out another white envelope. “Go ahead.”
I swallowed hard. “I thought you’d make me wait on this one.”
She quirked a brow. “Who says that’s the rest of it?”
Our eyes hooked, locked, and I took it from her hands and tore it open without glancing down. “Because I know you. You’d want a prime number, and you’re impatient.”
She lit up, a brilliant smile covering her face before she shook her head. “Any time I worry you don’t know me well enough, then there you go.”
“So I’m right?”
She grinned again. “I couldn’t stand to wait any more. I’d planned it for tomorrow but… couldn’t do it.”
Gazes still entwined, I pulled out the pieces and finally glanced down to see the last parts of the formula.
“Here I go.” And I got down on one knee.
Nikki
My mouth dropped open as he took my hands. “Wait, what? What are you doing?”
Half of that gorgeous mouth pulled up. “What do you think I’m doing, Nik?”
I’d been so smug about surprising him with this last piece even though it was all due to my own impatience, and yet here I was and I couldn’t find a word. Not asingleword would come out of my mouth becauseis he really doing this!?
“Is it too soon?” he asked, the genuine concern written in the lines of his brow.
That did jump-start me enough to eke out a “No, sorry. I just… I never imagined you’d be, I don’t know… ready.”
He gave me the full heart-stopper smile then. “Nik, I’ve been ready since a few weeks after meeting you. I know that sounds insane, but you know it’s true. I could not be happier to have this envelope in my hand. And if it means what we planned for it to mean, and you are ready, then I have a question for you.”
Everything in me shimmered, and my blood pulsed wildly through my veins. My mouth had gone dry, and the crisp spring air did nothing against the flash of heat that’d come on the heels of the crash of adrenaline.
Was I ready for this? Really?
Yes.
