Hope on the Rocks (Rainbow Cove)

Huh. There was an idea. A partnership. I’d called Quinn my boyfriend, but were we partners? A unit that made decisions together? What would that look like? I wasn’t sure, but I redirected my attention to their conversation because listening was easier than my own jumbled thoughts.

“We do work well together. But this partner doesn’t want to relocate to Alaska. Sorry. I keep thinking about it. I’ve made list after list. I love you.” Ramona’s voice was all trembly now. That took guts, using the L-word so easily. “So much that it’s not fair to not support you taking this job. But I can’t move myself.”

“Then don’t.”

Ramon made a frustrated noise. “You sound like Adam.”

I couldn’t help swiveling at the sound of my name, looking into the living room. My eyes met Darren’s as he gave me a sheepish smile.

“He’s a smart guy.”

“But I can’t ask you to not take the job.” Ramona paced away from him.

“If we’re partners, then we’re a team, and we decide things together, right?” Darren spread his hands wide. “And if one part of the team has a stack of lists, well, then maybe I want to listen to that.”

“Oh.” Ramona’s surprised tone hit me square in the chest. Fuck it. Had I listened to Quinn? At all? He’d had concerns, and all I’d done was dismiss them, told him I had it handled. But I hadn’t listened.

“You’re the center of my whole universe.” Darren had a way with words. Maybe I should hire the guy to write my apology speech to Quinn. “There will be other jobs. I know how important this place is to you. Your family. And I’m not asking you to give them up. I just want to be family too.”

“You pretty much are.” Ramona walked back over to him, voice soft.

“Maybe I want more than pretty much.” Darren lowered himself to one knee. He was a tall guy, and there was only one reason a big dude like him got on his knees. Sure enough, he pulled out a little box. “I want to make the partner thing official. Marry me, Ramona. Then we can figure out together where we best belong for the future.”

Ramona didn’t squeal with delight like one of those viral videos, instead slumping against the nearby couch. “Damn it. My mom got to you, didn’t she?”

“Your mom?” Darren sounded genuinely perplexed and kept holding the box out. “Sweetie, no. I love you. And your brother is great. Your mom is nice too, but I didn’t think you’d want me to do the whole asking permission thing.”

“She didn’t tell you anything?” Ramona was so suspicious that I really felt for Darren there on the floor, waiting for his answer. I sent him a sympathetic look, but all his attention was on my sister.

“No. Should she have?”

“Maybe.” Ramona took a deep breath that I could hear all the way in the kitchen. “Before you propose, I need to tell you something.”

“Nothing can change how I feel about you. Whatever it is, we’ll deal.” Darren threw out another truth bomb that hit me square in the chest. He was so damn brave here, putting his heart on the line. I couldn’t say the same.

“You’re going to make me cry.” Ramona waved a hand in front of her face. “I’m pregnant.”

“For real?” Darren had the exact perfect reaction, voice all full of wonder and sounding like he was struggling not to cry himself. “I thought you said it wasn’t likely to happen for you again.”

“It wasn’t. It’s kind of a miracle.”

“Our miracle. You really think I’m going to take back my proposal now?” Darren was all indignant now. This was love. Love didn’t run when things got hard. And damn it, I wanted this sort of permanency in my life too. I’d spent a lot of years telling myself I didn’t need a relationship, but the jealousy pumping through my veins said otherwise.

“No, but I don’t want the baby to be the reason why we get married.” Ramona’s voice broke.

“It’s not. It’s the best surprise you could have given me, but I want you. You’re it for me. Reasons one through one hundred.”

“Oh wow. Wow.” Now Ramona sounded more like the recipient of a movie-worthy proposal, tone all swoony as she braced one hand on the couch. “Yes. Yes. I want to be a team. And I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to work all this out in Alaska.”

“Maybe we both needed time to think. Get our priorities straight.”

Reasons one through one hundred. Oh fuck. He was right. Ramona deserved to come first for him. He had his priorities right. Quinn had been so sure of my priorities, so certain he’d come in last, and that was on me. I’d pretty much told him I’d squeeze him in. Like Ramona, he deserved to come in first for someone.