“Right.” Tanner wrapped his arms around her and pressed his jaw to hers because she looked so damn anxious. “And—”
“Dad.”
Tanner gritted his teeth and turned to his son to give him a this-better-be-good look.
“You can’t just say ‘right,’” Troy whispered. “You have to use the words. The three words. With the biggie. You know, the L-word.”
Tanner opened his mouth, saw that Troy was utterly earnest and serious, and bit back his pithy response. He gave a short nod and turned back to Callie. “I love you,” he said, and knew he’d never get tired of the immediate response she gave him. She lit up from within, as if he’d just given her the moon. “I also told you my world doesn’t work without you in it. I—”
“Wait!”
This time it was Sam interrupting. “You’re supposed to be on a knee,” he pointed out.
Callie put a hand to her chest as if she were trying to keep her heart inside it.
A gasp came from the other side of the kitchen door, and then it was opened and her grandma and Mr. Wykowski squeezed into the kitchen. “If they’re here, I get to be here,” Lucille said. “I can’t miss this!” She pushed her way through the big bodies until she had a front-row view. “Okay, go ahead, Tanner. Ask her.”
Tanner sighed. When he caught Callie’s gaze, she was staring at him wide-eyed, her hand over her mouth. She let out a low laugh and shook her head.
He had no idea if that was “I can’t believe you’re doing this,” or “please God, don’t do this.” Taking his chances, he sank to a knee.
Callie’s hand dropped from her mouth and she gaped at him.
“Callie,” he said. “You’re the love of my life and my closest friend.”
“Wait a minute,” Cole said. “What am I, chopped liver? Whatever happened to bros before—”
Sam wrapped an arm around Cole’s neck and covered his mouth. “Got him,” he said to Tanner. “Carry on.”
Jesus. Tanner looked at Callie again. “You’re it for me,” he told her. “To the bone. And I want to be it for you. The end of the line.”
Callie’s eyes filled but she was smiling. He was going to take that as a good sign. “You’ve said you never felt particularly special,” he said, “but you’re the most special woman I’ve ever met. You’re smarter than me, far prettier, and frankly, I’m not going to lie—you should really give this some serious thought because you could do better.”
She choked out a laugh.
“Dad! Don’t tell her that. You might make her think.”
Sam snorted.
Cole grinned.
Tanner did his best to ignore the peanut gallery. “No one will ever love you as much as I do,” he told her.
“Nice,” Sam said.
Lucille sniffed.
Callie yanked Tanner up and threw herself at him. “Yes. God, yes!”
“Um, honey,” Lucille said. “He hasn’t actually asked yet.”
“Oh, my God.” Callie tried to pull back, but Tanner wouldn’t let her. No fucking way. He was grinning when he kissed her.
“Callie Sharpe,” he said against her mouth, “marry me.”
She was laughing and crying when she kissed him back, and from behind her she heard her grandma say, “Well, that was more like telling her than asking, but it looks like she’s good with it.”
“I don’t know,” Troy said. “She didn’t really answer, did she?”
“The answer is yes,” Callie said, staring up into Tanner’s warm gaze. “Always yes.”
“Good to know,” Tanner said.
“Don’t forget I’m a minister,” Lucille said. “Got ordained on the Internet. I could marry you! Just think of the wedding you could plan for yourself.”
Horrified, Callie looked at Tanner. “Do you want a big wedding?”
“I want you, babe,” he said. “However that comes. Whatever makes you happy.”
“That’s a good answer,” Sam said to Troy. “You should take notes.”
Callie hadn’t taken her eyes off Tanner. “After all the weddings I’ve planned and all the crazy brides I’ve met,” she said, “I don’t think I want to plan ours. How do you feel about just picking a day and doing it on the beach?”
Tanner grinned and she smacked him on the chest. “You know what I mean!”
He caught her hand and brought her fingers up to his mouth. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“A kiss would make me happy,” she said, and he was quick to oblige.