Page 35 of Oh My Secret Christmas Baby
“Yes, I got them. You’ve done so much and?—”
“Nonsense.” Mom waves off the comment. “There is more to be done. You’re having twins. Oh goodness, where do we start?” Mom takes Candy’s hand and tries to lead her out of my office, but I still have a hold of her other hand.
“Mom, you can’t just steal her.”
“Why not?” Mom's expression turns confused, making Candy giggle.
“I do still need to speak with Hollis about something I just learned about from Polly.”
“What?”
“She congratulated us on making our engagement official, though you have never asked me to marry you.” She has a point; I do just keep calling her my fiancée. “I asked what she meant by official, and she showed me an article on her phone.”
“Do you want me to ask you?” Candy’s eyes bounce between my mother and me.
“I—ah, I don’t know.”
“You know we’ll be getting married.”
“I don’t have a ring.” She tries to lift her hand to show me, but Mom and I both still have a hold of one of her hands.
“Where is her ring, Hollis?” Mom demands.
“I’m not in a tug of war, right?” Candy wiggles her arms, and I let her hand go so I can go to my desk and open the top drawer. I was going to plan something, but if she wants the ring on herfinger now, I’m putting it there. “You really have a ring? I was teasing.”
“There is no teasing when it comes to this.” I drop down onto one knee and slide the ring onto her finger. It’s a pear-shaped solid diamond on a platinum band. It’s classic but exquisite. “You’ll marry me.”
“Is that a question?”
“It’s whatever it needs to be so that you’ll agree.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “I’ll marry you.”
I stand, kissing the hell out of my girl.
If Maxwell thinks he can take Candy from me, he’s got another thing coming. I’ll make cutting brake lines look like child’s play. If he forces me, by the time I’m done, there will be nothing of him left, in every sense.
Chapter Seventeen
CANDY
The ring has been on my hand for a few days now, and I can’t stop admiring it. It's not about how beautiful it is. It’s about what it means. Not only has Hollis pulled me into his life with open arms, but so has everyone else around here.
It feels like I’ve been here for years and not just a short time. It’s kind of crazy how fast things are progressing, but everything has been crazy when it comes to this pregnancy and Hollis.
Kindred makes me feel like we’re old friends, and his mom is the freaking sweetest. Oh, she has a stern side to her. It peeks out here and there but never directed at me.
It had come up about her trying to set him up all the time. I’d wondered why she would pick certain people. I’d only met Polly, and we were night and day. Not in a bad way; we’re just really different all around. She told me she was trying anyone to see if she could get some reaction from Hollis. There wasn’t a rhyme or reason.
“We’re going to go from planning a Christmas party to a wedding and then a baby shower,” Mary says excitedly. “There’s so much to do!” And here I thought Hollis and I were moving crazy fast.
“She might not want a wedding.” Kindred pops a cheese ball into her mouth.
“Is that true?” Mary looks at me. Her eyes are almost begging me to tell her that it’s not.
“Oh, I don’t know.” I hadn’t thought much about the wedding. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to talk with Hollis.”
“The man is going to do whatever you want him to.” Kindred pops another cheese ball into her mouth.
