Page 153 of Duke
This is it. This right here is what I’ve always wanted.
Family. Friends. Good music. Darts. Cowboys.
“How about this, then?” I tilt my chin to peck him on the lips. “I hit a bullseye, and you promise to marry me in a tent just like this.”
A glimmer of surprise moves across his eyes. “You wanna marry me?”
“One day, yeah.”
“Just yeah?”
“Fuckyeah any better?”
“It is.” He nods at our surroundings. “So you want a tent like this, huh?”
“Yup.” I reach around to put my hands on his ass.
“Can it have dartboards in it too?”
“Yes.”
He puts his hands onmyass, pressing me into his body so that our hips melt together. “And our people—can they come?”
“Absolutely.”
“Can we serve Twizzlers? And grilled cheese? Not sure I could afford Milli Vanilli, but I could always try.”
I laugh, joy pouring through me. “Maybe we could even ride off into the sunset in a U-Haul.”
He laughs. “Now that, I’m gonna have to say no to.” His smile softens. “You just let me know when, Blue. I been ready to make you mine for good since that first round of darts. Before Aspen. Before the baby. She just sped things up a little bit.”
My pulse hiccups. “You still think it’s a she.”
“She’s absolutely a she.” His eyes search mine. “She’s gonna make a beautiful flower girl, you know.”
I blink back a rush of tears. “Of course she will. She’s gonna look just as gorgeous in her boots and hat as her daddy does.”
“Where we doin’ the honeymoon?”
“Anywhere we want.”
Duke leans in and kisses me again. This one is soft, ardent, full of feeling. My body lights up, and I’m not surprised when someone nearby—pretty sure it’s Ryder—singsongs, “Duke and Wheeler, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes boning, then comes baby, then comes making out in public places.”
I laugh.
Duke smiles.
“Then comes happily ever after?” I ask him.
He nods. “If this ain’t a happy ending, I don’t know what is.”
I win the game, although I have a sneaking suspicion Duke let me have the W because I’m sober and he also wants to marry me.
We sit with his brothers and their wives and girlfriends at a long farm table and share a delicious meal that’s right out of Patsy’s kitchen: steak, sweet potatoes, and green beans sautéed in a creamy sauce that’s just the right amount of spicy.
When I feel another flutter, I grab Duke’s hand and put it over my belly. “Your flower girl likes those green beans.”
He blinks, hard, a cute little smile on his face. “Think she’ll like to dance too?”
