Page 92 of Forty and Fighting Dirty
I flushed, smiling. A hand on my shoulder made me turn,and Rhett slid his fingers down my arm to tangle them in mine. “Hi,” I said, tilting my head up for a kiss.
He pressed one to my lips as he squeezed my hand. “I want to show you something,” he murmured. “Mila, will you excuse us?”
Her eyes glimmered, and she nodded.
“The boys?—”
“I’ll keep an eye on ’em,” Mila said, waving us off.
I had no choice but to follow Rhett. He kept his hand clamped around mine as we wound our way through the happy crowd. We made it to the gorgeous staircase, where Rhett took a turn toward the bank of elevators—but he didn’t press the button. Instead, he tugged me toward a service door tucked into the corner of the landing.
“We’re going up?” I asked as he ushered me inside.
“We’re going up,” he confirmed.
“If I miss the draw, I’ll be very angry,” I teased. “Dave was getting ready to go onstage!”
“It’ll be worth it,” Rhett promised. He smiled at me as we ascended the concrete steps, then shouldered his way through another heavy metal door. We were on the roof.
I shivered—then gasped.
The roof had been covered in flickering candles, with dark red rose petals strewn from the door to an open area. A wine bucket sat in a stand, with a bottle of champagne chilling inside.
“Rhett,” I whispered. “What’s this?”
He walked backward, catching both my hands in his, and tugged me toward the champagne. A blanket had been set up,with two heat lamps blazing on either side. When we got closer, their warmth made me relax, and I glanced at Rhett, curious.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He stepped closer to me, still holding my hands, and leaned his forehead against mine. “I thought we should make new memories for raffle night,” he said, voice low and warm. “Better ones.”
“Better than winning a house?”
“Better than fighting over it and ending up in the hospital.”
My lips curled. “Fair enough.”
He brought my hands up and kissed the backs of my palms. Then he looked into my eyes, smiled softly, and got down on bended knee.
“Rhett—”
“I love you, Piper,” he said. “I love your strength and your determination. I love how caring you are and the fact that you’re an incredible mother to your boys. I love your work ethic and your drive. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and you’ve made me realize just how full and happy my life can be. You make me a better man.”
“You’re already a good man, Rhett. That’s got nothing to do with me.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. Before you came into my life, I acted like a good person because I thought I had to hide who I really was. You made me realize that I can be myself—and do good things. I don’t have to hide behind a mask.”
I reached over and stroked his cheek, my eyes already filled with tears. “I love you, Rhett.”
“That’s why I want to do this before you come to your senses.”His smile was a quick flash as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet ring box. He flipped it open, glanced inside, then turned it around. “Will you marry me?”
The ring glinted under the light of the heat lamps and the dozens of candles around us. It was an oval-cut diamond, and it threw fire and rainbows against the velvet interior of its box. I blinked, and tears slid down my cheeks. “Rhett,” I whispered.
“Say yes,” he whispered back.
I laughed, nodding. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
His smile reminded me of the day last year when we were crouched at the bottom of the stairs and I told him I’d stay. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. My heart swelled, and I held out my left hand. I trembled as Rhett slid the ring onto my finger; then I bent over and kissed him. A yelp escaped me as he tugged me down, falling back onto the blanket as I sprawled on top of him.
