Page 206 of Almost Ours
Kyle chuckled. “You owe me more than one at this point, but I’ll let it slide.”
With that, he rolled off, and I turned back to Harper, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
“What was that about?” she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I said with a grin, feeling a rush of excitement at the thought of what I had planned.
Harper narrowed her eyes at me, but didn’t press further. She’d find out soon enough, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when it all came together.
The next morning,Connor sat cross-legged on his bed, still in his pajamas from our lazy morning. His hair was a wild mess, sticking up in every direction like it always did after he slept, and was absently flipping through the pages of a hockey magazine I’d bought him from the tournament gift shop.
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling nervous. The kid had no idea what was coming, but I felt like I was the one about to face down a penalty shot in overtime.
“Hey bud,” I started, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees.
He looked up at me, his face brightening. “Yeah?”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about. Something important.”
Connor’s expression shifted, his big eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on me. “Okay. What’s up?”
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to make this sound as simple and clear as possible. “You know I love you and your mom, right?”
He nodded without hesitation. “I know.”
“Well,” I said, swallowing hard, “I was thinking… I want to ask your mom to marry me. But before I do that, I wanted to check with you. Make sure you’re okay with it.”
For a split second, Connor’s face froze, his mouth slightly open like he was trying to process what I’d just said. Then, as if it had clicked, a grin spread across his face so wide I thought it might stay there forever.
“You’re really gonna ask her?” His voice was filled with excitement, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yeah,” I said, my own voice catching a little. “If you’re okay with it. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t feel right for you.”
Connor didn’t waste another second. He launched himself at me, throwing his arms around my neck in the tightest hug I’d ever received. “Of course I’m okay with it! Are you kidding? This is awesome!”
I laughed, hugging him back, but I couldn’t shake the lump in my throat. “You sure? I don’t want you to feel weird about it.”
Connor pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. His face was serious now, but there was still an unmistakable light in his expression. “Ryan… does that mean you’re gonna be my dad? Like, officially?”
I nodded, my voice thick with emotion. “Yeah, bud. If that’s what you want.”
He smiled again, this time softer, almost shy. “You’ve kind of been like my dad for the past year anyway. I mean, I like you way more than my real dad. You actually… you’re there for me. You care about me and Mom. I like that we’ll really be a family now. Officially.”
I had to look away for a second, blinking fast to fight back the tears threatening to spill over. His words hit me harder than I expected. I didn’t speak right away; I just tried to steady myself.
Finally, I managed, “That means a lot to me, Connor. You have no idea how much.”
He grinned again, practically bouncing on the bed. “Can I help you pick out the ring? Or help you ask her?”
I laughed, ruffling his hair. “I think I’ve got the ring part covered, but I’d love your help planning how to ask her. We’ll figure something out, okay?”
“Okay!” he said, practically vibrating with excitement.
I pulled him in for another hug, holding him tight. In that moment, it felt like everything in the world was exactly where it was supposed to be.
Just as I let Connor go, the front door opened, and Harper walked in, her cheeks flushed from her run, her ponytail swinging behind her. She paused in the doorway, glancing between us with narrowed eyes.
“What’s going on in here?” she asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
