“Oh God, don’t remind me. I thought your brother was going to jump across the table and hit me.”
I giggled. “He had that look about him through most of dinner.”
Dirk rolled over and looked at me. “Let’s go get married.”
Laughing, I asked, “You mean, elope?”
“Yes. Right now. Let’s leave tonight.”
I sat up and looked at him. “You’re serious?”
He sat up, as well, and I could hear the urgency in his voice. “Hell yes, I’m serious. Do you really want to go through a wedding that our mothers are going to plan? Did you not hear those two talking? My God, all of Hamilton will be there. And at one point, I was positive I heard one of them suggest a Halloween wedding.”
Chewing on my lip, I exhaled. “I think they desperately need an outlet. They’ve both lost their husbands. Maybe not in the same way, but the hurt is very much a part of them right now. It’s more a distraction than anything.”
Dirk’s eyes turned sad. “At our expense. Listen, I know my mother needs something to keep her mind off of my father but…but…”
It pained me to see the hurt on Dirk’s face at the mention of his father. I reached for his hand and squeezed it when his voice trailed off.
Closing his eyes, Dirk said, “Fuck, I wish he was here.” He looked at me, and I was taken aback by the grief that I saw in those green eyes of his. “I want him to be here, to meet his grandchild.” Dirk’s fingers grabbed at his hair as he tugged. “It’s not fair.”
Maybe a small family wedding would be okay, but something big and grand wasn’t what either of us wanted. My father wouldn’t be there to walk me down the aisle, and Dirk’s father wouldn’t be there to see his son get married.
If eloping helped him deal with that, I’d do it. I’d do anything for Dirk, and it was time I showed him that.
“Let’s do it. Let’s just go get married!” I said with a laugh.
“Wait, you’re serious? You’d do that?” Dirk asked, his eyes suddenly full of excitement.
“Yes, of course, I would!”
Dirk smiled, and it left me nearly breathless. “Where? Vegas?”
I shook my head quickly. “No. I hate Vegas. It’s loud and busy and doesn’t scream romance. Maybe we could go to Lake Tahoe for a few days. We could get married on the Nevada side, spend a few days at a hotel there,” I said.
“One of the guys I ride with has a house up at Lake Tahoe. I’ve been there a few times. It’s insanely beautiful.”
I felt myself grin. “Can you see if we can use it?”
Dirk nodded and reached for his phone. “Doug’s house has views of the lake and mountains. We could probably get married on his deck.”
A thrill of excitement rushed through me, but I didn’t want to seem too excited. “Are you sure this is what you want, Dirk?” I asked.
He cupped my face with his free hand and smiled. “Marry me, Bugs. Today, tomorrow, next week. I don’t care. All I want is for you to be mine. For us to start living and planning our future. And I won’t lie—it would be nice to be married before we have the baby.”
I chewed on the corner of my lip and then nodded like a crazy woman. “What are you waiting for! Call Doug and let’s make some plans!”
Chapter Thirty
DIRK
Brock stared at me with a disbelieving look on his face. “You’re eloping?”
With a quick nod, I replied, “Yes.”
“Kaylee is going to be pissed,” Ty stated as he folded his arms across his chest. “I’m going to have to hear about it for a week probably.”
I looked over at him and laughed. “I’m sure she’s busy with the baby. She won’t care.”
Ty let out a gruff laugh. “You do know it’s Kaylee we’re talking about.”
“She can plan a reception then,” I volunteered.
Brock folded his arms over his chest, as well, and frowned slightly.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
He cleared his throat as he shook his head and met my gaze. “This isn’t like you, Dirk. I only want to make sure you’re not letting your…emotions…get the best of you.”
I raised a brow. “My emotions?”
“You are rather emotional, dude,” Ty added with a shit-eating grin.
Brock sighed and dropped his arms to his side. “A year ago, if I were to tell you that you’d be standing here telling me you’re eloping, you’d laugh your ass off then profess that you’re a bachelor for life.”
“I can’t argue with you on that. But you, more than anyone, have got to know that all it takes is one woman to change your entire life. And Merit…” My voice trailed off before I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Ever since my father died, I can’t help but realize that every day we have is a gift. And I’m tired of fighting this feeling. I’m tired of pretending I don’t want what the two of you have, because I do. I just didn’t want it with anyone but Merit. We were brought back together for a reason, Brock. I’m not going to question it. I’m going to hold on to it as tight as I can and never let it go again. I love her more than I ever thought possible.”