Page 92 of Sleepless Nights and Hockey Fights

I can’t help my gasp at the sight of the most beautiful—and enormous—engagement ring I’ve ever seen. Bobby takes advantage of my momentary speechlessness to take my free hand in his and hit me with that devastating double-dimple smile that ties me up in knots every damn time.

“Will you make me the happiest man in the world and?—”

“Yes!” I cut him off and hear laughing behind me. I know all eyes are on us, but for once, I don’t care. I want to share my joy with everyone in the entire world, but especially everyone in mine and Bobby’s.

But when I lunge toward Bobby, he stops me. “You didn’t let me finish the question!”

I can’t help myself. I giggle like a kid and smack a hand over my mouth as I rest my butt back on my heels.

“That’s better. Sheesh.” Bobby rolls his eyes and plays to the gathered crowd, who laugh even harder now. “What I was going to ask was will you make me the happiest man in the world and...let me pick next time we get takeout?”

Groans come from behind me. “I keep telling him he’s not funny, but he won’t believe me,” Richie mutters, and my chest shakes with laughter. Maybe I shouldn’t have been shocked, but nobody I called to join us here today was the least bit surprised that there would be a proposal on the table. If anything, they seemed frustrated it took us so long to figure our shit out. I guess when you’re meant to be, sometimes you’re the last to know.

I drop my hand from my smiling mouth to answer Bobby. “Absolutely. Anything else?”

He shifts on his knee, pretending to think on that for a few beats. “Will you wear pencil skirts and heels until you’re eighty?”

I force myself not to laugh at his waggling eyebrows and bob my head back and forth. “Eighty might be pushing it, but I’ll do my best. Anything else?”

This time, he hobbles closer on both knees until we’re only a foot apart. “Just one more thing.” He slides the diamond ring onto my finger and brings my hand to his lips. “Will you let me spend every day of the rest of my life showing you just how beautiful you are and how much I love and need you?”

My smile turns wobbly as emotion floods through me again. I can’t believe I ever thought being apart from him was a good idea. This man is everything I’ve ever wanted and been afraid to hope for. And, dammit, I deserve to have my happily ever after.

“Only if you promise the same in return,” I agree, my voice cracking as I hold out the gold band I bought.

It proves to be too much for Bobby because he pulls me to him, his lips crashing down on mine in a hard kiss filled with pent-up emotion. Everyone behind me cheers, so they don’t hear Bobby when he says against my lips, “I prefer handsome to beautiful, but I can deal.”

I barely get in a, “Shut up, Robert,” before he pulls me in for a longer and, dare I say, indecent kiss that has Matty and Richie groaning and the rest of the crowd hooting and hollering.

“What are you doing?!” I shriek an hour later as Bobby literally sweeps me off my feet as we exit his new Raptor truck. He got rid of the Cybertruck in favor of something both of us felt more comfortable driving.

“Carrying my bride across the threshold.” He pushes the door open and walks through.

“We’re not married yet.”

“Then consider it practice. I take practice very seriously, as I’m sure you know.”

When he doesn’t let me down and instead carries me through the foyer and up the wide staircase, I don’t bother arguing. A girl could get used to this.

I received everyone’s well wishes and gushing over the ring while Bobby showered in the locker room after our dual proposal. I still can’t believe he had been thinking the same thing, proving once again that I should have trusted in the power of our feelings and not gotten so caught up in my head.

Bobby lowers me gently to his mattress when we get to his bedroom, and although I haven’t had the chance to check the house out with his things in it, I don’t bother with that now. Not when my head’s finally on straight and I have Bobby all to myself.

I lie on my back while Bobby arranges my limbs around him to make himself comfortable on top of me. He gazes down at me, both thumbs caressing circles at my temples. “What do you sayif instead of you changing your last name to Rhodes, I change mine to Sparks? Bobby Sparks has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?”

I bite back a smile. “Makes you sound like either a Nascar driver or a porn star.” When Bobby starts looking a little too excited, I have to burst his bubble. “You know that’s Blake’s last name, right?”

“Oh, right. I forgot. Your maiden name is Hooker.” His thumbs halt as he frowns. “Bobby Hooker doesn’t hit the same, does it?”

“Uh, no. You should probably stick with Rhodes.” I can’t help my chuckle this time, but Bobby manages to zap my mirth with a hot kiss. When we finally come up for air, I have no memory of what we’d been talking about. Nor do I care.

“I missed you.” Bobby’s voice is hoarse, and I cup his cheeks with my hands.

“I missed you too. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” he silences me and comes back in for another kiss that takes my breath away. Then he strips us both of our clothing until we’re down to just our underwear. I do a double take when I see he’s wearing a pair of boxers made to look like a tuxedo shirt, complete with bow tie.

“Nice drawers.”

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