Page 82 of Worth the Wait

“The other one. It is your side.”

“Yay!” she said, clapping her hands together before she pulled open the drawer of the nightstand.

My heart started racing as I moved to stop her, but it was too late. I could tell by the look on her face that she’d found the box I’d been hiding in there.

“What is this?” she asked as she pulled the ring box out.

I stared at her, and before I could even respond, she opened the box! She’d opened the damn thing, her jaw agape.

“Patrick?”

“Addison?” I said, using her full name.

“Is this”—she finally averted her eyes from the ring in the box and locked on mine—“an engagement ring?” Her voice was soft and timid, even though she knew the answer already.

“Why would you open the box?” I changed the subject.

“’Cause I’m nosy.”

“I can see that.”

“Whose is it?”

“Don’t play coy now, love.” I walked over to where she sat on the bed, reached for the box from her hands, and dropped to one knee. “Wasn’t going to do it this way, but I really don’t want to wait another minute. Gotta give you a reason to stay.”

“I’m never leaving again, Patrick. I promise you that. You’re stuck with me.”

“Might make it official just in case.” I winked. “I bought this ring years ago. After you saw it at Mountain Jewels that one day.”

“And you kept it all this time.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Thought about throwing it in a fire once or twice.” I laughed, but it was true. Just like everything else in my life, I’d considered burning it to the ground and watching it turn to ash.

“I’m real glad you didn’t,” she said. “Ask me already. Please.”

I stayed on one knee, my dick still at attention, which was either the most romantic thing ever or the least. “Marry me, Addison Whitman. Raise babies with me and be my partner in this life. And the next one too.”

She threw her arms around my neck and breathed into it. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you and give you everything we’ve ever dreamed of. I love you, Patrick. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“I love you,” I said before slipping the two-carat ring on her finger. “I’d wait for you forever. You’re worth the wait.” Tears spilled from her eyes, and I wiped them away. “Do you still like this ring?”

Holding her hand in front of her face, she looked all sorts of wistful. “It’s perfect. Even prettier than I remember.”

“I asked your dad for permission, but didn’t tell him I was going to ask you so soon. Might want to let him know.”

“Okay!” she shouted as she went in search of her phone.

We rolled over to Jeremiah’s to pick him up and drag his cast ass over to my dad’s farm with us. He was beyond annoyed with his crutches by now, refusing to use them half the time, no matter how much Addi chastised him.

He whistled when he first caught sight of me. “Look at that mug.”

I ignored the comment about my haircut completely.

“Come on, Hop Along,” I teased.

Jeremiah narrowed his dark eyes at me. “I’m almost out of this cast, son, and I will kick your ass for that.”

---