Page 146 of Down & Dirty

“Cory?”

Pausing with a smile, like he knew a secret, he said, “Just one second.”

His boots pounded down the stairs and then the door squeaked as it opened. I wrung my hands in front of me, my eyes drifting across the wall of us, the sting in my heart soothed by every smiling face, every memory.

Cory strode back into the room wearing a stern look. “I’ll neverbe sorry for the way things started between us, because if we hadn’t both needed something from the other, I’m not sure we’d have ever gotten here.” He took a breath, his brow furrowing. “But it kills me that our stupid arrangement made you doubt how completely fucking gone for you I was.” He looked at me with wet eyes as his frown smoothed into a lopsided smile. “Still am.”

In slow motion, he lowered to one knee in front of me, and my heart stuttered, my hand landing on top of it to feel it pounding. When he pulled out a tiny velvet box, I shook my head.

“You don’t have to do this.” I still had the other rings. They were in my bag. I’d waited to put them back on, out of some sort of superstitious fear that to do it before we talked would ruin everything. “You don’t need to buy me anything else.”

Cory shook his head, gazing up at me reverently. “I didn’t.”

I was confused, flicking my eyes from his face to the box in his hands.

“No contracts. No pretending. Nothing but how much I love you. When I ask you this time, it’s for real, and it’s for us. Whatever happens, I need you in my life, Skylar. Let me wake up next to you every day, and show you how incredible you are. Build a life with me.”

My heart was in my throat, the throbbing pain of trying to hold back my tears surging as he opened the box.

“Marry me, gorgeous.”

The ring was beautiful. A smaller diamond set in the middle of a simple platinum band, a pair of yellow gemstones nestled on either side. I skimmed my fingers over it, the water filling my eyes making it hard to see.

“It was my mom’s,” Cory said, his voice barely a whisper. “She would have liked you.”

I was frozen, my whole body shaking as Cory’s eyes swirled, filling with love and joy and hope.

“Say yes, baby.”

“Yes.” The word bubbled out of me, sounding like a cry as the dam broke loose.

Surging up off his knee, Cory wrapped me in his arms and lifted me off the ground, his smile beaming before he kissed me.

“I love you, Skylar.”

I leaned back, taking his face in my hands as he set me down on my feet. “And I love you, handsome. No fancy dinners or gossip columns or jet-set life. Just you, sweet, stubborn, kind you. You were all I ever needed.”

Cory’s forehead landed on mine with a sigh. “I’m yours. Now and forever.”

I smiled, the warmth of it reaching all the way to my toes. “Those are terms I can agree to.”

EPILOGUE

CORY - FIVE MONTHS LATER

Ihadn’t attended a motocross event as a spectator since I was six years old. Walking through the gate at Southwick, anxiety began to stir; that FOMO that hit any time I’d had to sit out a race. But before my nerves could start to rattle, Micah slipped his hand into mine.

“Are you going to race, Cory?”

“Not today, champ.” Skylar gave me a sideways glance over his head, and I laughed before scooping him up in my arms. “I’m retired. So from now on I’ll be on the sidelines with you.”

“Okay!” He shouted in my ear, as if the idea thrilled him. “Can we get hot dogs

Reaching for Skylar’s hand, I brought it to my lips, kissing the back of it and giving her a wink. “Whatever you want, kiddo. But first we have to stop by Uncle Ronnie’s tent to wish him good luck.”

It took us a minute to get through the crowd, and then even longer to make our way back to the team tents. Old friends stopped us every few feet to say hi and ask how we’d been. My leaving had been such a long time in coming, it was surprising how many folks seemed shocked when I finally pulled the trigger.

“And the legend graces us with his presence,” Ronnie announced with a grin, as we arrived at the OTM tent. His wrist still needed a brace, but he was strong enough to ride again. It was good to see him back in high spirits. He’d been as bad of a patient as you’d expect.

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