Page 64 of Never Going to Care

Hale pulls me out of his father’s grasp and wraps his arms around me. I sink into him and rest back against him, all my nervousness I was feeling before gone and replaced by warm happiness.

Martina flicks a towel at her husband and chastises him, “Don’t rush the boy.”

“Rush?” Luis looks at his wife with so much love. “I asked you to marry me the day after I met you.”

I gasp, “What? So soon?”

Luis winks at me and Martina shrugs. “When you know, you know,” there’s a cryptic message in her words, but it doesn’t make me feel pressured.

It gives me hope. They’re clearly so happy and in love. I don’t believe for a second it’s all been smooth because life never is, but it shows me that it’s not about how long you know someone, it’s about how deeply you feel for them. I know Hale and I will have the same kind of life and it’ll be a long one filled with so much joy.

“Don’t worry, I got it under control,” Hale’s voice rumbles through me with a hint of mystery wrapped up in the words.

My heart flips in my chest. I knew becoming his wife is what I wanted, and I knew he felt the same way, but part of me was worried it would be too much and he would run for the hills. I shouldn’t have doubted him.

The girls rib him a little bit about it, but no one really pushes either. I can’t help but smile at how much this place feels like home, like family. I can see how my own family, especially my brother, will fit right in with them.

“Good.” Luis claps his hands and rubs them together. He eyes me with affection in his gaze. “Now, do you have a toolbox?”

Hale and I share a glance and then start laughing together. The comfort I find with these people was something I didn’t know I needed. Once I assure him I have a proper toolbox and know how to use it, we all carry food to the table.

As we settle in for dinner, laughter filling the room and tales being passed around, I can see so clearly how my life will stretch in front of me. I was scared, but I shouldn’t have been. This is just another step toward the future, one I can’t wait for.

CHAPTER 21

HALE

As much as I wanted to ask Celeste to marry me right after we went to dinner with my family and it was brought up by my father, I didn’t want her to feel pressured or think I was only doing it because they had said something. I wasn’t going to rush asking my woman. Hell fucking no.

Even though everything in me was telling me to ask her and get my ring on her finger. I was trying to be patient and give us the time she needed, the time we both needed.

It’s now been a month since Celeste moved in with me permanently and I don’t think I can wait any longer. I want to make it perfect, but my Starlight isn’t the type of woman to think grand gestures matter when it's the little things in life which carry so much more weight.

She's simple in that way, even as she glows so damn brightly it’s hard to look at her sometimes.

I’m still nervous as hell that what I’m doing won’t be enough. What if it’s not? What if she wants me to rent out an entire restaurant and make some big show of it?

Fuck. I hope I don’t fuck this up.

I don’t know what I’ll do if she says no.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, thinking about her bright, expressive brown eyes. I think about the way she looked at me the first time we met. There was so much fire in her eyes, and I couldn’t look away, even as I scowled right in her face.

Her eyes are still just as expressive and still filled with fire, but there is more there now as well. Now there is love and adoration which only fuels her fire.

It’s sexy as fuck to see and knowing it’s directed at me is a gift I don’t think she realizes she is giving me. I’ll gladly soak up everything about my woman because I can’t live any other way.

When the door opens and closes, I tense and my eyes pop open. I’m still nervous but having her close to me settles my mind and my soul. She’s going to say yes. I won’t accept any other answer from her anyway.

“Oh,” her surprised voice has me looking over my shoulder and winking at her.

“Hi, Starlight,” my voice is deep and even I can hear the hint of vulnerability there I haven’t completely worked out of my system.

Her eyebrows come together as she reaches up and lets her hair go from the twist she put it up in this morning. The way it falls around her shoulders stuns me for a moment. It always does. Now I know how her hair feels between my fingers, how it feels to grip it and pull her closer to me so I can sink into kissing her.

Everything about my Starlight is an experience I am damn lucky to have.

“I wasn’t expecting you home so early,” there’s suspicion in her voice.

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