Even the Score(110)
My eyes slid down toward the end of the bed at the two lifeless bodies draped over us and the empty pizza box in between them. I shook my head slowly, returning my gaze to Andy. “It’s not lame, it’s perfect.”
He exhaled loudly, puffing his cheeks out. “I’m glad you said that. Open your nightstand drawer.”
I pulled my brows in tight. “Huh?”
“Your nightstand drawer. Open it. I left you a little present in there.”
Leaning up on my elbows slowly, I was careful not to knock Becca off as I reached to my left and pulled the little black drawer open. Inside was a little black box with a yellow bow tied around it. Instantly my mouth went dry, and my pulse started racing as my shaky hand reached in and took out the box.
I stared down at the box, a little scared to open it. “Andy—”
“Listen, I know we haven’t talked about this yet, and this might not be the way you imagined this moment happening, but let’s be honest . . . we haven’t done one thing traditionally since the day we met.” He cupped my face with his hand and gently rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “So here I am, in our bed, with the kids strewn over us like rag dolls, asking you to be my wife. I love you, Danicka Douglas, and nothing in this world would make me happier than if you said yes.”
My eyes filled with tears as I looked at him—the man I loved, the man who taught me what it was like to love unconditionally, the man who fathered my chosen children, and the man who would father my biological children—and nodded. “Yes. My God, Andy. Yes!”
“You haven’t even opened the box yet.” He laughed, pulling the ribbon off.
“There could be a ring pop in there, and it wouldn’t change my answer.”
He lifted his eyes to mine, and we both leaned in as far as we needed to until our lips were able to connect. It wasn’t the deepest, most romantic kiss, but in that moment . . . it was perfection.
He opened the box, and I tried hard not to gasp. I wasn’t a huge jewelry girl, so I had no idea about sizes, but it was a huge square diamond with little diamonds all around it on a simple silver band.
As he slid the ring on my finger, he let out a low laugh. “Luckily for you, they were all out of ring pops.”
I swiped a tear from my eye and stared down at my hand.
He inched his way over as close as he could and nuzzled his mouth in the crook of my neck. “Penny for your thoughts?”
I sniffed and turned my head toward him, blinking away the tears. “I was just thinking that we should probably move these kids to their own beds, because I’d really like to make love to my fiancé in our bedroom, and then I’d like him to tuck me up under his wing so I can get some sleep.”