Looking up at Brax, I swallowed the tears that were trying to block my throat. “I really do want to marry you tomorrow.”
“Wait!” Mom shouted. “You are not getting married tomorrow. I’ve been thinking of this ever since your last visit when Brax asked your dad if he could marry you.”
“Angel,” Daddy said with mock sternness. “The girl wants a quick wedding.”
“But…all those pretty wedding dresses I’ve been looking at.” She pouted at him then turned it on me. “Nevi, come on. I swear I won’t go crazy with this thing. Something small. Give me two months. Three, tops. We’ll make this wedding so beautiful, and your dad can walk you down the aisle. And—”
Braxton wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck. “Let her have her way, Kitten. She can plan the whole thing while you and I go house hunting.”
“House hunting?” Daddy repeated, his eyes sparkling with more than a little hope of his own. “Where exactly will you be looking at houses?”
“Santa Monica?” I murmured with a sly grin.
“Fuck yeah!” Daddy bellowed and swung me up into his arms. “Emmie!” He yelled, and like magic, my aunt materialized out of the crowd behind us. “Em, find my girl a house. Cost means nothing.”
“Wait, wait!” I tried to argue. “Daddy, you don’t have to buy me a house. I want to be closer to you and Mom, but that’s too much.”
“Braxton,” Dad said, his tone serious. “I changed my mind. You can only marry her if she lets me buy her a house.”
His face paled, but he quickly nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it, sir.”
“What?” I gaped from one man to the other. “No! We are not letting him buy us a house. Mom, tell him.”
But Mom lifted her hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, sweetheart, no can do. Daddy’s already made up his mind.” Then she squealed and threw her arms around me, jumping up and down like she was a teenager. “A wedding, house hunting, and getting my baby closer! This is better than Christmas.”
Seeing how happy she and Daddy were, I finally gave up arguing and let them have their way.
Braxton kissed my shoulder as we watched my parents talk through everything animatedly with Aunt Emmie,
who was furiously typing all the details into her phone. “Think they would notice if we disappeared for a few hours?”
I leaned back into him. “Doubtful.”
“Good. Because I need to make love to you with nothing on but that ring.” Swinging me up into his arms, he carried me off. And not a single one of them noticed.