Page 125 of Mensa's Match

He shifted her hands to his left hand and dug into his pocket with his right.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Having you wear a cut would be better, but I don’t have one for you. With all these other brothers here, I have to stake my claim a different way.”

He slid the ring onto her finger.

She gazed down and gasped. Her eyes were huge when she looked up at him.

“It’s not very romantic, but—”

Her chin dipped and she took in the carat-and-a-half square-cut diamond before glancing back at him. “Mensa! How? When did you get this? This ring had to be really expensive.” Her voice dipped an octave. “Did you use drug money for this?”

He laughed. “No. You thought I had an apartment, but I’d dropped the lease. Did you check how long I’d been there? I’ve lived at the clubhouse more than most of the others. No mortgage and no huge rent bill means I’ve got money saved.”

She nodded. “Fair. I’m sorry I asked if the money was legal.”

He grinned. “It was mostly legal.”

She gasped. “Mostly? What the—”

He put his finger to her lips. “Listen, Blume. You know something? I’m tired of calling you ‘Blume.’ You need a new name, and Whitney Ragstone has a nice ring to it. Do you want to marry me or what?”

Her watery smile couldn’t have been more gorgeous. “Yes, Kenneth. I want to marry you.”

“Then, kiss me and make it official.”

“Where is Two-Times going in such a hurry?” Fiona asked.

Mensa put his beer bottle on the picnic table. “He got a call from his sister earlier. She had to head into work due to a breaking news story, and she’s watching his girls. I’m guessing there isn’t anyone else to pick up the slack today.”

Whitney doctored her cheeseburger. “It has to be rough being a single parent.”

Fiona nodded. “You’re absolutely right, and he’s lucky are almost as easy-going as he is. For now, since Cheyenne’s a teenager.” She focused her eyes on Mensa. “Speaking of teenagers, did Scrap even prospect for a year?”

“He’s shy by about a month,” Mensa muttered.

Whitney looked from Mensa to Fiona. “Is that really a requirement?”

Mensa nodded. “Anyone else, yeah, a year or more. His situation was an exception. Not to mention we all voted unanimously.”

Fiona squinted an eye at him. “The brothers vote on all new patches though… or at least they did when Dad ran this chapter.”

Mensa grinned. “You’re right, but she’s asking about the requirements. ”

Fiona stared across the forecourt to where Scrap was being given shoulder slaps and handshakes from other brothers. “That’s true. He definitely looks happy.” She glanced at Whitney. “You need anything? I’m going to hit the dessert table again.”

Whitney tipped her margarita at Fiona. “I’m good.”

The moment Fiona was far enough away, Whitney turned to Mensa. “Are you serious right now? Is she the daughter of the man Aunt Nadia—”

“Yes, but she doesn’t know about Nadia being involved with her dad. I’d rather not bring that up to Fi.”

“The way you all care about one another, it’s like you all really are a huge family,” she said.

He grimaced. “That's true for the most part. It sucks, but Fiona's relationship with her dad was strained at best.”

Whitney sipped her margarita. “I’m sorry to hear that. You don’t have to work tonight?”

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