Southern Devotion (Southern Heart 4)

“I get that,” McKinley says. “But you have to understand he’s wanted you to be his wife for almost as long as y’all have been together. He’s not a man to half-ass his once-in-a-lifetime proposal.”

“I agree,” Jamie adds. “He wants it to be perfect. It’s happening. He’s not stringing you along. He’s not like that.”

“I know that, in reality, but I can’t help but be mad at myself for keeping us from this for months.”

“You weren’t ready,” Whitney reassures me. “He knew that, and so did you. Now you are, and it’ll happen. Have a little faith.”

“I want babies. Y’all are so far ahead of me,” I say, wiping a tear from my eyes.

“Not really. I have two more months,” Whit explains.

“And I have seven,” Jamie adds. “Regardless, we’re going to be raising our kids together. I’m not stopping at one.” She laughs. “At least I hope not. So our kids aren’t the exact same age? They’re still going to grow up as family. All of them.” She looks around the room.

“I know, I just—”

“You’re just impatient.” McKinley laughs. “You always have been.”

“It’s hard not to be when I’m holding this little guy, or when he talks about our future.”

“He’s always done that,” Whitney says gently. “He waited a long time for you to tell him that you were ready to move forward. Give him this time to make it special for you. You said he told you he didn’t care how big or small the wedding was, just that he wanted you to be the one walking down the aisle toward him. Maybe the proposal is what he cares about. Maybe he wants a story to tell your kids and grandkids. Maybe he wants to blow your romantic fantasies out of the water.”

“Y’all are Team David tonight,” I laugh.

“No, we’re Team Olivia and David,” Jamie says. “We want you both to be happy. We can see it, from the outside looking in. It’s going to happen.”

“I know. He loves me. I’m so damn lucky to have him in my life. I just… want it all. Now,” I admit with a laugh.

“See, impatient.” McKinley nods.

“Fine, I’m impatient,” I agree. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I continue. “I know I’m the one who kept us from moving forward, and well, I just thought that the night I told him I was ready, it would be soon.”

Before the girls can reply, the front door opens and Evan, followed by Aaron, Mike, and my man, walk into the room. I watch as each of them makes a beeline for their girl.

“Livy,” David says, taking a seat next to me. “Have a good night?”

“We did. How about you?”

“Played a few games of pool over at Aaron’s.” He places a kiss just beneath my ear. “Missed you,” he whispers.

I turn to look at him, a smile on my face.

“That’s what I want,” he says softly, just low enough for me to hear. “I want that smile on your face every day for the rest of our lives.”

I don’t have words, so I lean in and press my lips to his. My love for this man grows every damn day. I never want to know what it’s like to not have him in my life.

“Where are you taking me?” Liv asks from the seat beside me.

We’re in my truck headed to our date. “If I tell you, that will ruin the surprise.”

“I love your surprises, but I also love knowing.” She laughs.

“How was your day?” I rushed home from work, grabbed a shower, and we raced out the door. She’s known about this date all week, so she was ready when I got home.

“Good. We interviewed a new bartender to rotate and give the others some weekend nights off. Mike and I both liked her.”

“Good. You offer the job?”

“Not yet. We’re waiting for her references to come back, but I have a good feeling about her. My gut tells me she’s going to be a great part of the team.”