Page 124 of Lyrical

“I feel I’m pregnant.”

“I believe that too, baby,” I said.

When you know, you know.

I caught her gazing down at the ring again, and I brought her hand to my lips. “I’ll say it again—some of the best things aren’t planned. I tried so many times to put together the perfect proposal for you. Waited for the right moment that never seemed to happen. Until I remembered that we’re the ones who make the perfect moment. It doesn’t make us. I wasn’t planning on asking you to marry me today. I only saw a chance and took it. And you know what, Jillian? It was still fucking perfect.”

“It was perfect, Chase.” She stroked her finger over the stone. “But… I don’t understand. You had the ring with you.”

“I’ve carried it with me for a while now. Even longer than that, I’ve known what I wanted. You as my wife.”

“And the song?”

“You don’t think my biggest fan deserves a song of her own?” I smiled, taking her hand in mine. “I changed the ending for the occasion. Would you like to hear the original?”

“Yes. But not now. Right now, I want to remember it as is.”

I tilted up her chin so she’d look at me. “Will you marry me, Jillian?”

“There could only ever be one possible answer.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Yes. God, Chase, yes.”

I tasted her sweet lips, feeling the wetness on my skin as she cried against me. What a day. I was in a fucking dream.

She moved back, wiping her cheeks with the side of her hand. “Happy tears,” she said, laughing.

“I know, baby.”

She brought the lantern closer, shining it on her ring. I looked forward to her seeing it in the morning light. “An amethyst. I love purple.” She smiled wide.

I laughed hard. Fucking giddy. “I know.”

“It matches my dress.” She set the lantern aside and leaned back into me. “I wonder how long until I’m not able to fit into it anymore.”

“I can’t wait to find out.” I kissed along the side of her neck. “I told you I’d make you feel so good you’d never want anything between us ever again.”

She giggled, trembling under my touch as I heated her skin with my mouth. The fact alone that she was carrying my child was sexy as fuck. If she started moaning for me too, we’d never get off this hill.

“We’re going to need to use protection again eventually, just not for a while.”

I started down the other side of her neck. She smelled so fucking good. “Why? Who says we can’t have more?”

“Chase!” She slapped my arm, laughing. “Let’s get through one at a time, okay?”

I chuckled. Yeah, I was getting ahead of myself, but….Surreal. What a fucking mind-blowing day. My passion, my entire heart was wrapped in my arms, and the good was never going to stop coming.

“Do you know what another first is for us? Marrying the one you were meant to be with. I’m so happy, Chase.”

She choked up at the end, expressing what I also felt deeply. “So am I, beautiful.” Although, ‘happy’ was much too tame a word to describe what I was experiencing.

“You know, people might think we’re only getting married because of the baby.”

I smiled. “Since when do you care what other people think?”

She burst out laughing, spinning forward and circling her arms around my neck. I fucking loved this woman. She’d come a long way to get to this point. To see our relationship through our eyes and no one else’s.

“What kind of wedding do you want?” I asked.

“Hmm… something very small and private. As long as you’re there, everything else is irrelevant.”

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