Derek got out of his chair and walked to me, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, holding a small box in his hand.
I narrowed my eyes.
“My dad was too scared to ask, so he wanted me to do it…”
Time suddenly moved differently because my brain needed to pause to absorb those words. The candles were odd, but I didn’t make any assumptions. But now, the box in his hand looked like a ring box, and there was only one question that could be asked when holding a box like that. It made me feel twenty things at once, excitement, anxiety, fear, joy…everything.
My eyes lifted, and I saw Deacon step out of the darkness, wearing the same outfit, jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. His hands were in his pockets, and he stared at me, his expression subtle, but full of that intensity he always gave me when I walked through the door, like he was moved by my presence every single time.
“I talk to girls for my friends all the time, so I’m not scared.”
My eyes moved back down to Derek.
“Dad said that he wants you to be part of our family, but if you want to marry him, you have to marry me too…”
My hand moved over my lips, my eyes immediately watering once I knew this was real, that the unexpected was happening. I wanted to be his wife, but I wasn’t sure if he would ever ask me. I’d expected it to take years, but I would wait as long as he wanted me to. But it was happening…right now.
“You make my dad happy, and you make me happy too. So…” He looked over his shoulder at his father.
Deacon moved forward and stood beside his son, pulling his hands out of his pockets.
Derek got on one knee and opened the box. “Will you marry me?”
“Oh my god…” I kept my lips covered because they started to tremble.
Deacon then lowered himself to one knee, looking up at me, his brown eyes alive from all the lit candles around us. He’d just shaved, so his jaw was clean, the slight smile on his lips noticeable. His eyes were so soft but hard at the same time, looking at me just the way he did when we made love, when I said something that made him smile, when I told him I was pregnant. “And will you marry me?”
I lowered myself to my knees because I didn’t want to stand anymore. I wanted to be level with the two people I loved more than anything in the world. I didn’t even look at the ring because I cared more about them. It was so sweet, so perfect, but there was doubt inside my chest. “Deacon…I want to say yes.”
His expression slowly changed, becoming guarded.
“But you don’t have to ask me just because I’m pregnant. That’s not how—”
“I bought this ring six weeks ago, baby. That’s not why I’m asking.”
He would never lie to me, so I didn’t need to check a receipt. I closed my eyes at his answer, knowing that he’d made the decision before he even went to Sweden. When I’d tried to move out and get my own place, he’d shut it down. Now, I understood why—because he didn’t want to ask me to move in. He wanted to ask me to be his wife; he just didn’t want to ask me then.
“You’re gonna marry us, right?” Derek pushed the ring closer to me.
I wiped the tears away from my cheeks and smiled, giving a quiet, tearful laugh. “Yes. I will marry you…both of you.”
Deacon’s expression returned to how it had been a moment ago, like he loved me with all his heart. He took the box from his son’s hand, picked up the ring, and then slid it onto my left hand.
It was the first time I’d looked at the ring. “Oh my god…” It was one hell of a rock. “It’s beautiful…” I wanted to say it was too much, way too expensive, but Deacon wanted me to have it…and I really loved it. I admired it on my hand, seeing the way it reflected the lights from the candles.
Deacon turned to his son. “Derek.”
“Got it.” He got up and moved to the phone dock that connected to the speakers. He opened the screen and hit a few buttons until the music came on. It was a slow ballad, an older song he knew I loved.
Deacon got to his feet and extended his hand to me. “Dance with me.”
I took his hand, let him pull me to my feet, and moved in close, my arms curling around his neck, our heads coming close together. I looked into his eyes as we swayed, my eyes permanently wet for the rest of the night.
Derek opened the patio door then left, like Deacon had asked him to excuse himself once the music was on. He didn’t try to stay like he normally would, so a conversation must have taken place.