Page 65 of Be My Baby

Pink sapphire. Her favourite stone.

She pulled back a little and tilted her head right back to look at him. “And what might that be?”

“You sure you want it?”

She pursed her lips at him, pretending to be annoyed. “That’s a really stupid question, Max Jameson.”

He chuckled, pulled her arms from his neck and unzipped his jacket enough to get to his pocket. The tiny box resisted his fingers for a moment, getting stuck halfway.

Max fell to one knee as he pulled it free and held up the now-open box. Millie’s eyes widened dramatically, her lush mouth opening to an exaggerated O.

“Max?” she whispered, her voice soft and tremulous.

“I love you, Millie Stevens. I want to be with you until we’re funky old grandparents. Great-grandparents, even.” He breathed deep. “Will you marry me?”

*

Millie couldn’t blink,couldn’t think, couldn’tbreathe.

“Max.”

That was all that computed in her suddenly incoherent brain. His name. The face of the man she loved more than her next breath.

An expectant face.

One waiting for an answer.

Comprehension and realisation hit her. She squealed and slapped both hands to her mouth.

“Yes. Yes!”

Simon let out a loud yell and Gabe cheered. She jumped at the sudden burst of sound, having forgotten the others were there, sharing this moment.

Her future. This man who was on one knee before her, looking at her with so much love radiating from his face, was her future.

Millie burst into tears. She waved her hands at her face, mortified at the overwhelming happiness and emotion leaking from her. Literally. Max got to his feet and wiped at her cheek. The gentleness in his touch and that beautiful pair of baby blues had her heart constricting all over again.

“Don’t cry. This is supposed to be a happy moment, right?”

Millie puffed a laugh through the tears and nodded. “Iamhappy! It’s all these hormones. I swear!”

Max held up the ring he’d pulled from the fancy box. “Would you like to wear it?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice to work properly if she attempted to speak. Her hand trembled like a leaf as she held it out.

Max slid the ring onto her finger. She looked up at him, surprised at the fit.

He let out a laugh. “I borrowed one of your other rings and Byron used that for the sizing.”

Millie grinned and turned the stone to the light. It glittered and shone, as if Max had captured a star and set it in rose gold, just for her.

A huge russet bovine head shoved itself between her and Max, a large gust of exhaled, grassy breath surging over them. Millie jerked backward, then laughed.

“That bloody bull!”

Gabe laughed and shoved at Ralph’s head. “Get out of there, you big goof.” He looked at her and his brother, his own eyes suspiciously bright. “He only wants to join in the fun.”

Gabe wrapped her in a massive hug, squeezing tight. “Welcome to the family, Millie. It’s about time you two did this.” He glanced at Max and Simon, standing just behind them. “We’ve been expecting it for a long time. Give us a look at that rock!”

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