Page 80 of Stronger Than Blood
My cock took notice, and we quickly dashed up the stairs to what’d become our oasis. We made love over and over again before we collapsed into each other’s arms.
The next morning, I rolled over to discover Rory wasn’t in bed. That was strange. I always woke up before him. I threw on some clothes and went downstairs to check on him, but his truck wasn’t in the driveway.
Oh well, Rory was usually pretty predictable. If he’d dashed out that early in the morning, I suspected he had something up his sleeve. Probably related to his proposal last night. Proposal, what the hell? Did he really mean it? We hadn’t even spoken much about our relationship, and now he was proposing marriage?
I poured myself a cup of coffee, thankful that Kalinda had set the machine before leaving on her date with Jonah last night. Ihad just sat down at the kitchen table when I heard Rory’s truck pull into the driveway.
I smiled, thinking of my sweet man and how I wanted to spend the morning saying yes to his proposal, provided he’d really meant to ask me.
When he came in through the back door, I looked up into his handsome face and felt all my nerve endings fire in happiness. Was it really possible that man could be my husband? That amazing, kind, and downright gorgeous man?
Rory put a box on the table, and when I looked inside, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “You went to the restaurant and bought my Danishes?”
“Arden’s, but yeah. Seemed like the occasion called for it.” I stood up and kissed him before I sat back down and opened the box. A three-toned band was sitting on a glass triangular holder in the middle of the Danish. “So, now I’ve brought the ring, have you decided if you’ll marry me?”
I jumped up again, this time rounding the table and kissing Rory for real. His arms wound around me and held me tight as I struggled not to weep with all the emotions swirling through me.
“Yeah,” I finally said and laid my head in the crook of his neck. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“Then,” he whispered, “put the ring on.”
Chapter fifty-one
Rory
Ihadn’t planned to ask Mick like I did. I’d totally screwed up the moment. Not that Mick seemed to mind. He just rolled with it like he always did. Something I’d learned to love about him.
Very few things flustered my handsome, generous, and loving man. However, I couldn’t for the life of me fall asleep even after Mick’s breathing slowed with the telltale signs of sleep.
I had bought the ring months ago. In fact, right before Kalinda warned us that Mrs. Ida’s time was coming soon. I had given the ring to Elias for safekeeping, knowing that if I kept it at the house, Mick would find it during his frequent weekly cleanups.
So, knowing Brenda was still an early riser, I’d gotten up and called them as soon as the sun rose. Of course, they were ecstatic that I’d asked him and wanted all the details, meaning I didn’t get home before he was out of bed.
Brenda had been the one to suggest hiding it in one of the baked goods from the restaurant, which would totally throw him off the scent. That’d been a good call, and even better, once Mick said yes, we had something to go with our coffee.
That left another surprise. Kalinda had told me she and Jonah were going to ask Mick to purchase the home. Jonah had called Kalinda, all excited about it when Mick had told him he was selling. The house was as perfect for them, as the Victorian across the street was for him… well, for us.
I had spoken to my financial advisor and verified that I had plenty of my inheritance left to combine with Mick’s proceeds from the sale of Mrs. Ida’s home, ensuring we had the money to purchase the home outright.
That meant no debt on our business or home. We were starting our relationship on the right footing, something I knew my grandparents and Mrs. Ida would approve of.
“So, um… well, I have some news,” I said after we finished off the Danishes and coffee. “I would like to purchase the Victorian with you. Make itourhome.”
Mick’s eyes grew large. “Rory, that would take all your money.”
I laughed. “And what do you think will be used if you buy it?”
He smiled and nodded. “Okay, fair point. I… well, I guess in a way that would make it even more perfect—the money our families left us setting us up for our futures.”
I pulled him into my arms and held him before we went to sit under the plum trees in the back. It couldn’t be more perfect if we’d planned it that way.
***
The sale of the Victorian went through with no problems whatsoever. Moving Mrs. Ida’s things from one house to the other was another thing altogether. Mick struggled with letting her stuff go even though most of her belongings didn’t fit our style.
In the end, it was the Methodist pastor who came to the rescue. She had several needy families who were desperate for quality furniture, and Mick, knowing Mrs. Ida would definitelyapprove, was able to part with the items that held no heirloom significance.
The antiques that were significant fit into our new home beautifully, though. Of course, the fact that many of them had originally been in her parents’ house, ours now, made the move even easier.
