Page 69 of The Drummer's Heart

“Well, didn’t a certain someone once tell me to keep my dreams to myself?” I leaned my forehead against hers. “If I went around telling people I wanted a baby right now, they’d call me crazy and tell me I had no business considering that. So I kept it to myself. But, yeah, nothing would make me happier, even if it would be tough. Butyouhave to be ready.”

She smiled. “I will be someday.”

“I can’t wait to share that with you.”

“Wow,” she murmured.

“What?”

“You really do love me, don’t you?”

I ran my hand down her back. “Why would you doubt that?”

“I don’t. But seeing how you would’ve been okay with being bound to me for life really brings it home.”

“I’d like to be bound to you for life whether we have a kid or not.”

My hands shook as I considered whether I should go with my original plan. The moment she’d told me she was taking a test, I’d wanted to do the right thing and ask her to marry me. She didn’t realize it, but I’d comepreparedto do the right thing—tonight. But as I stood before her now, I realized asking Nicole to marry me wasn’t justthe right thing, it was what I wanted regardless of whether or not there was a baby in the picture.

“I need to confess something…” I told her.

She licked her lips. “Okay…”

“I was sure you were pregnant—after the time we didn’t use protection. I was so certain you were carrying my child…that I’d planned to ask you to marry me tonight.”

Her mouth dropped. “Tonight?”

I nodded. “I have a ring in my pocket right now. It’s not a great ring. But it was going to have to do.”

“You bought a ring?” She blinked. “When?”

“Earlier today.”

“That fast? Where did you get it?”

“I went to a pawn shop. Tina gave me some gold to sell to help cover the cost. It’s small, but it’s real.” Shaking my head, I looked down at the ground and laughed. “I’m a little embarrassed to show it to you.”

She covered her mouth. “Oh my God. I can’t believe you were about to propose to me!”

“The thing is…I was pumped to ask you. Idowant us to get married.”

Her mouth curved into a smile. “So do I.”

“You want to, then?” An impulsive urge came over me. “Get married?” Excitement rushed through me. “I’m talking about, like,now. Tonight or tomorrow. Let’s just do it.”

“Are you serious?” Her mouth fell open. “You mean go to a courthouse?”

I shook my head. “Let’s do something crazy, like go to Vegas for a couple of nights. Tomorrow, maybe.”

Her cheeks turned red. “Our families will kill us.”

“We don’t need to tell them until we’re ready. That’ll be the beauty of it—our little secret.”

She bounced up and down. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I want to do it. Am I insane for loving you so much that I want to skip the wedding altogether? Areweinsane?”

“I should probably propose for real, then.”

Nicole covered her mouth. “Oh my God. What is happening right now?”

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