“Go where?” Corey asked.
“Man’s going to need a ring,” Luke said with a smirk.
“Already?” Corey asked.
It was probably too soon, especially for her. But she was it for him. His heart had known for a while, even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself yet. He’d never been more sure of anything in his life.
“We should go while Clayton’s here,” Will agreed.
“Go where?” Danny asked. “I have multiple suggestions. We could do Poison or Blush or maybe—”
Luke cut him off. “The jewelry store.”
Danny’s whole face fell, and then he darted a look at Aly before settling on Will, his brows furrowed. “Are you freaking kidding me? We’re doing this again?”
The following day, Danny was still pissed, but the crowd of brothers was standing in the store where they’d help pick out rings for Marc, Nick, and Corey. Grant had gotten his ring in Pennsylvania. Although they’d all been there, they’d decided it was a bad idea to patronize that store again.
Will looked at the rings and cleared his throat, his palms sweaty. He hadn’t expected to be nervous. That was kind of a shock. The rings in front of him were in an assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes. He’d always had a general idea of what he liked best, but suddenly, he was second-guessing himself.
“It’s not really about me anymore, huh?” he asked Luke.
“What do you mean?” His twin cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Have you been dreaming about wedding rings for yourself?”
But it wasn’t about the ring. It was a general statement about his life.
“Fuck’s sake. Are you going to pull a Grant and say you can’t pick?” Danny moaned.
Grant kicked him in the shin. “It’s harder than it looks, shithead.”
“It’s not about you anymore,” Corey agreed, hands in his pockets.
“But it hasn’t been for a while, I’d guess,” Marc said, placing a hand on Will’s shoulder. “At least that’s what happened with me.”
“Me too. It was about Trish and Katie and Nate the second they came into my life. Long before I realized I was going to marry her,” Grant agreed.
Since October, Will’s life hadn’t been his own. And yet it was better than ever before. He’d held on to his single status for so long, gripping it tightly, but then again, he hadn’t met Aly yet.
“I’ll take that one,” Will said, pointing at a simple platinum band with an average-sized stone. It wasn’t so small it was pathetic, but it was small enough that Aly wouldn’t feel uncomfortable wearing it, no matter what project she was working on.
“I like a man who knows what he wants,” Danny said with a slap to Will’s back, his tone one of victory.
“Do you need to borrow money?” Clayton asked at Will’s shoulder as he craned over him to inspect his choice.
“No, I’ve got it,” he answered simply. His baby brother was a star quarterback for a professional football team, but Will didn’t need his help.
“I meant so you could afford one that doesn’t suck,” Clayton explained.
Will swore a couple of the guys chuckled quietly, but as he glared around, his brothers all wore straight faces. “I could afford any of them, but I know which one she’ll wear.”
Clayton frowned again. “Are you telling me that if she had a choice, that’s the one she’d pick?”
“She might prefer a smaller one,” Corey sheepishly admitted. “Aly’s the polar opposite of flashy.”
“Clay, you barely know her,” Marc explained. “But she’s like—”
“Me,” Grant said. “She’s like me. She likes things she can build or grow. They’re easier than people. She likes simple shit, and she’s comfortable with silence. The two of us had a great time yesterday. Not many people can sit and shut up. She’s a gem. I love her. Thank God, because for a long time, I doubted you’d pick a good one.”
Affirmations sounded around the room, along with nods from just about everyone. Will rolled his eyes. He already knew they loved Aly, and he’d ignore the part about his former relationships.