“Yeah, fuc—I mean—frigg off. I have pictures to show her in your absence.” Charlie sends me a wink promising maximum embarrassment. I send him a scathing glare, promising maximum pain.
Shiloh shoves me away and claps her hands. “Oh my God! Is it the mohawk? Please tell me it’s the mohawk!”
Smiling, I shake my head at her excitement and stand. I start to walk away but can’t…not yet. I bend down and capture her smiling mouth in a searing kiss that iswaytoo inappropriate for the present company, but I don’t give a shit. She’s mine, and this is me claiming her in front of the whole lot of them. If I could, I’d claim her in front of the whole world.
When she’s pregnant, everyone will know.
I groan into her mouth, visions of her belly big with our baby filling my head instantly. I have to forcibly pull myself away before I throw her over my shoulder caveman-style and fuck her against a tree.
“Be right back,” I whisper. She looks up at me, her eyes heavy with lust. She blinks. Blinks again, seeming to come back to earth. Her cheeks turn bright pink as realization washes over her. She glares at me. I smile, booping her nose.
Who am I? I don’t boop.
Shiloh bats my hand away. Chuckling, I leave them to it and head to find my Mom, who is most definitely not in the kitchen. A few minutes later, I find her in Dad’s old office. She’s sitting on one of the large, leather wingback chairs across from the fireplace, twirling something around in her hands.
“Close the door,” she murmurs. I do, clicking it shut. She juts her chin at the chair next to her.
“What’s this about, Mom?” I ask, taking a seat. The old leather creaks beneath my wide frame. The nostalgic feeling of sitting exactly as I am, years and years ago with my Dad, bring on an unexpected wave of emotion.
God. I spent hours here, with not only him, but my brothers as well. He’d tell us all about life and business. Relationships and love. Hell, he even gave us all the sex talk in this room. My lips lift in the ghost of a smile. This room reminds me of Liam.
“How are you, Lo?” she asks softly, pulling my attention back to the present.
My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
My Mom’s head tilts to the side as she considers me. I fight the urge to twitch under her knowing gaze. “She’s very sweet.”
I smile then, unable to help it. Nodding, I say, “I know. She’s amazing.”
Her smile grows, causing her wrinkles to deepen. “She’s the one.”
“She is,” I agree, not missing a beat. I’d had a feeling this was why she’d called me in here. No doubt, she knew about Shiloh even before I did. “I’m going to marry her as soon as she’ll let me.”
My Mom’s eyes gloss over seconds before the tears begin to fall. She’s still smiling, though. Beaming, actually. “I’m so happy for you, Lo. She fits in well with the family.” I nod, my eyes catching on the object in her hands. “I’ve held onto this for you. For when the time was right.”
She bends her tiny body over, reaching across the space between us as she passes me the box. My eyes widen, but my heart stays steady in my chest. I have no doubts, no concerns, or questions. Shiloh’s it for me.
I flick the box open, finding the most incredible engagement and wedding band set I’ve ever seen. It’s rose gold, which makes my heart skip a beat.It’s her favorite.I glance up at my mom, and she smiles, her shoulder lifting in a shrug. I chuckle, shaking my head.
In the center sits an oval cut diamond in a split-marquis setting. It flows into a diamond band that looks like vines wrapping around each other. It reminds me of the vines that hang from the cave beneath the waterfall at Arrowhead Lake. It’s vintage yet modern, weaving together old and new with a hint of nature. The matching wedding band is also the vined pattern, but it fits against the engagement ring seamlessly, sealing them together and making them one.
It’s perfect. Not too flashy, but big enough to show the world she’s taken.
Pulling my gaze from the ring is harder than it should be. It’s just a ring, not a wedding, but still—
Looking up at my Mom, I’m not surprised to find her crying. I have to blink black a tear myself. “Where did you get this?”
She laughs, wiping her face. “It was your Grandmother’s.” My forehead wrinkles in confusion. She laughs again. “I know. She was never married. I have no idea why or where she got it, just that she told me my oldest son would need it someday.”
“But grandma died before I was born.”
She nods, saying nothing. A knowing grin on her face. Sighing, I release a shaky breath. Wild, psychic women in this family, I swear.
“I really am happy for you, Logan. We all are.” She pauses, her smile widening. “She wants kids?”
My heartbeat picks up. “We do.”
“Good.” Her eyes twinkle in that way of hers, and my heart practically leaps from my chest.