Page 69 of Knocked up By the Minotaur

“’Kay!”

“Oli, what…” My heart is ratcheting in my chest, tugging against its prison like it’s trying to escape, as Lucas opens the little box to show me a beautiful, vintage wedding ring with one large stone in the middle, surrounded by smaller stones to look almost like a flower. “Oli…”

“It was my mother’s wedding ring,” Oli murmurs, staring up at me with hope and trepidation all rolled into one. “The only thing of real value my father ever gave me. I want you to have it. Marry me, Grace.”

My heart leaps into my throat, and I can’t breathe. This can’t be real, it can’t be happening. Just a minute ago I thought he was going to tell me that he couldn’t be in our baby’s life, and now he’s on one knee? He can’t know he wants me like that, it’s too soon, it’s too…

Oli cocks his head, and a little of his old, charming smile bleeds through, even as his eyes still shine with uncertainty. “Please?”

“Come on, Mamma, he said please!”

I drop to my knees, too, and now we’re all crouched in the dirt like idiots. Lucas laughs and hooks his arms around my neck. “Mom, you’re so silly!”

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Oli murmurs, “with Lucas, and with whoever is growing in here.” He rests his palm over my stomach, and his warm brown eyes stare into mine, even as Lucas laughs again and cries out.

“Ew, there isn’t a personin Mamma’s tummy,horsey!”

“Will you say yes?” Oli asks, and there’s so much hope in his eyes that it breaks me.

I nod, because I’m trying too hard not to cry like a baby to be able to form words, and he blows out a long, relieved breath.

“Good. Because I had Ismelda come here with all the papers. She’s an officiant, so she can marry us right now.” He frowns and suddenly looks around, before shrugging and nodding to the side. “I suppose that guy could be the witness. Or else we could call Rho or your sister.”

“What guy? What?” I fall back on my ass, looking over at a centaur strolling casually through the park, minding his own business, and I squeak again. “What?”

He grins, shifts Lucas from his leg, and winces as he stands. Then he offers me his hand, but I just sit here, staring up at him dumbfounded.

“We can have a proper ceremony later.”

“Have you lost your mind, Oli?”

His grin slowly broadens, and he stretches his hand further towards me. “I did tell you I was one for dramatic gestures.”

I relent and put my hand in his, but as our palms connect and he pulls me up, I feel a zap of static electricity in my wrist and I wince and pull it to my chest, rubbing it with my thumb.

Immediately, Oli’s eyes dart down to my hand, and he takes it back in his and spins it, palm up, pushing my sleeve back to expose my bare arm.

I look down. “What?” My wrist is just it’s same old, normal self.

“Nothing,” Oli says slowly. “Nothing, I thought maybe…”

“Listen, I appreciate the gesture.” My mind is spinning a thousand thoughts at once, all of them jumbling over each other. Why would he want to get married so soon? What if he changes his mind? What if he realizes he made a mistake and rushed himself too much? What if he resents me down the track, and feels trapped because he didn’t think this through? I shake my head and try to organize my words. “But you can’t just ask me to marry you and then have us sign the papers fifteen seconds later!”

“Why not?” He cocks his head, and Lucas starts jumping up and down between us.

“What’s married?” he cries. “Is that like, what mommies and daddies do?”

“Uh, yes, Lucas, that’s exactly what that is,” I say, distracted.

“Yay!”

“Grace,” Oli slips two fingers beneath my chin, and tilts my face up towards him. “I know you’ve had terrible luck with males in the past. You told me you were pregnant and engaged once before, and the idiot up and left the country.”

My words and thoughts completely disappear, and I stare at Oli’s handsome, sincere face.

“I don’t want you afraid, not even for a second, that it might happen to you again. I know that I want you. I know there’s no chance I’ll ever change my mind. Marry me, take me as yours, and let’s just get on with the happily ever after part straight away.”

My breath hitches in my throat. I can’t even breathe right.

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