Page 72 of Glitz & Goals

Noah cuts his eyes toward me. “My wife wouldn’t let me kill you last night.”

“Ah.” I nod. I’ll have to remember to thank her later.

“One more question.”

I close the gnome cupboard. “Ask me anything.”

“When were you going to pop the question?”

I turn back to face him. “As soon as possible. I don’t want to waste another minute. I’d ask her tonight, but since neither of us slept…”

His eyes narrow.

“Concussion,” I remind him, pointing to my temple. “Violet said I should stay awake as much as possible. Nothing untoward happened.” Given all the untoward things we’ve done in thepast, this is somewhat disingenuous, but we will literally never go there. “Anyway, I’d like to be able to propose without wearing sunglasses, and it would be nice if I could drive her to dinner afterward. So… this weekend, I think. Oh, and speaking of proposing, can I use the Gnome Gloam?”

“You want to propose in the Gnome Gloam?” A wry smile creeps over Noah’s face. “Now, this I’ve got to see.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Vivian

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Grady tells me.

I bite back a smile as I stare at his image, projected by my watch. “You realize that will mean picking me up at home, right?”

“In front of your parents.” Grady’s smile is lopsided and self-effacing. “Yeah, I know. Noah hasn’t punched me in the face yet, so that seems like a good sign, right?”

“There’s still time for that. Maybe he’s playing the long game. We’re going out to dinner, right?”

“You bet. I have reservations and everything.” He blows me a kiss before we hang up, and I let out an embarrassingly lovestruck sigh. Good lord, I adore that man.

I’ve barely lowered my hand when Jaime grabs my shoulders. “You’re going on a real, official date!” He shakes me a little for emphasis.

At his side, Mia pretends to wipe away a tear. “I’m so proud. You communicated!”

“Details, please!” Jaime cries.

So much has happened in only a few days, but I decide to give them the short and sweet version. “We’re no longer hiding the relationship, and he’s going to see a doctor about the fertility stuff during the off-season. We want the same things. Thank God, because it’s gone so far past dating. I really love this man.”

Jaime pulls me into a hug, and Mia wraps her slender arms around both of us.

“I’m so happy for you!” she squeals. “And you’re seeing him tonight?”

“I am,” I mumble into Jaime’s shoulder. “After work. He’s taking me to dinner and picking me up in front of the parents and everything. I can’t think of a single thing that would make this more perfect.”

“I can,” Mia says.

Jaime shushes her.

I wriggle free of their combined hug. “What? What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Jaime says, still staring daggers at Mia. “We just want you to have fun tonight. Right?”

“Right.” Mia bobs her head.

I look back and forth between the two of them. “Am I missing something?”

“No!” they chorus in suspicious unison.

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