Page 78 of Worship Him

"I can see that now," he admits. "And I gotta say, I'm happy for her. For both of you."

I raise my glass in a toast. "To new beginnings and unlikely friendships?"

Barrett clinks his glass against mine. "I'll drink to that. You know, you're not half bad, Ryder. When you're not being a pain in my ass in court, that is."

"Don't go soft on me now," I tease.

We both laugh, the sound carrying across the porch.

I lean back in my chair, nursing my whiskey as I watch Destiny and Jackie chatting animatedly. The soft glow of the porch lights illuminates Destiny's face, highlighting her radiant smile.

As I observe her, a thought crystallizes in my mind.

I want to propose. Again.

It might seem ridiculous, considering we're technically still married, but it feels right. We've been through hell and back, and now we're stronger for it. This is our fresh start, our second chance at forever.

"What's got you looking so serious?" Barrett asks, nudging my arm.

I smirk, not taking my eyes off Destiny. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."

"Careful there, Ryder. Your soft side is showing," he chuckles.

"Don't worry," I reply, downing the rest of my whiskey. "I've got plenty of hard edges left."

The conversation drifts on, but my mind is already racing with plans. I want this proposal to be perfect, meaningful. Something that shows Destiny how much she means to me, how committed I am to our future together.

As the night winds down, I stand up, stretching. "Alright, folks. As much as I'd love to keep drinking Barrett under the table, I think it's time we called it a night."

Jackie laughs, getting to her feet. "Good call. I don't think my husband could take much more of your 'hospitality'."

We all start making our way inside, the chilling night air nipping at our heels. I fall into step beside Destiny, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"You good?" she asks, looking up at me with those big brown eyes.

I nod, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Never better."

30

DESTINY

Istand in the doorway of Avery's nursery, watching Adam rock our daughter to sleep. The sight of them together still takes my breath away, even after a week of what I can only describe as domestic bliss.

"Hey, you," he whispers, his dark blue eyes meeting mine. "She's almost out."

I nod, leaning against the doorframe. "I can't believe how quickly she's growing."

He gently places her in the crib, then joins me at the door. His arm slides around my waist, pulling me close. "Speaking of growing, when are you planning on bringing the rest of your stuff over?"

I tense slightly, caught off guard by the question. "I... I'm not sure. I guess I haven't really thought about it."

His brow furrows. "You're here every night. It just seems natural that you'd want to move everything back in."

"I know, I know," I sigh, running a hand through my curls. "It's just... I don't know. Maybe I'm scared?"

"Scared of what?" His voice is low, concerned.

I bite my lip, struggling to find the right words. "Of it not being enough? Of us falling back into old patterns? I don't want to lose this again, Adam."

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