Page 30 of The Mountains Edge

I choke on my coffee. "What?"

"Please." Jake rolls his eyes. "You've got that look."

"What look?"

"Same one you had before proposing to join our unit." He grins. "When you know something's right but you're overthinking it."

They're not wrong. I've been carrying Grandma's ring in my pocket for weeks.

"I haven't asked yet," I admit.

"Waiting for what?" Finn passes the flask. "Another crisis?"

"Right moment."

They share knowing looks.

"Okay. Then I have one more item to talk about." I pull out a small box. "I need opinions."

They lean forward as I open it. Grandma's ring catches the light. A simple gold band with three small diamonds.

"It was her favorite," I explain. "Dad gave it to me before" I trail off.

Before the cancer took him. Before I shipped out. Before everything changed.

"It's perfect," Cole says softly.

"Daisy will love it," Finn agrees.

Jake just grins. "Just do it already."

"Brother." Jake's voice gentles. "After everything, you really think she'll say no?"

No. But.

"You survived our unit," Cole adds. "This should be easy."

"Says the man who can't talk to the new bartender."

He flips me off, but flushes.

The meeting devolves into giving each other shit, as it usually does. Underneath runs that current of understanding. Of brotherhood.

These men know my darkest places. They watched my back in hell and then followed me home to this mountain.

They're family.

"Seriously though." Jake interrupts. "You deserve this. Deserve her."

The others nod. We finish our coffee and I think about Daisy waiting back at my cabin and I have never needed to be home more than now.

"Go." Jake shoulders his rifle. "We’ve got patrol tonight."

"You sure?"

"Brother." Cole claps my shoulder. "Go get your girl."

They file out, watching over our mountain, our town.

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