Page 141 of Hot Cops

“It is nice to have that boy home for good.”

Sunnie knew Pop Pop had worried about Fergus the entire time he’d been stationed in the Middle East. “I’ve missed him too.”

“Caitlyn’s wedding was just beautiful.” Pop Pop wiped away a tear. “I never dreamed I’d have a chance to see so many of my dear grandchildren meet their soul mates and fall in love. I’ve lived a blessed life indeed.”

She took his hand and squeezed it affectionately, purposely ignoring that it felt thinner, frailer. Sunnie knew in her heart Pop Pop wouldn’t live forever, but damn if she wouldn’t try to will it so. There was no reason he couldn’t pull a Dumbledore and keep kicking until about a hundred and fifty or so.

“That’s actually my secret.” Sunnie lifted her other hand, revealing the engagement ring Landon had put on her finger only a couple hours earlier. He’d pulled her out onto the balcony of the hotel ballroom, gotten down on one knee and proposed. She’d been shocked and thrilled…but she’d playfully chastised him for moving so damn fast. Again.

She’d moved in with him in June, after making him promise he would be okay with simply shacking up together for a year or two. He’d broken that vow tonight. But the ring was gorgeous, so she forgave him instantly.

“Landon proposed, and I said yes! He’s promised it can be a long engagement, but you know him. Apparently a long time to him is two months.”

There was a knock at the door, and Landon peeked his head in. “Can I come in now?”

“You were listening outside the whole time, weren’t you?” she accused.

Landon shrugged, not bothering to deny it.

“Come in here, son. Sunnie was just telling me the big news.”

Sunnie looked at Pop Pop and rolled her eyes. “He’s incorrigible, Pop Pop. If he’d had his way, we would have announced the engagement at the wedding three seconds after I said yes.”

“I thought you were going to wait to propose,” Pop Pop said to Landon, who grinned sheepishly.

“Wait?” Sunnie looked at her grandfather. “Youknewhe was going to ask me to marry him?”

“He asked your father and me for our blessing last week. Said he was going to pop the question over Thanksgiving.”

“Weddings get to me,” Landon said unapologetically.

“He cried,” Sunnie said.

“I told you, Sunshine, I got something in my eye,” Landon insisted.

“Just as Caitlyn was walking down the aisle?” she persisted.

“I got something in my eye at that point too,” Pop Pop admitted.

“You really asked for their blessing?” Sunnie asked. “Isn’t that kind of old-fashioned?”

“Don’t give him a hard time for that, lass,” Pop Pop chastised. “That was for your father and me. A very respectful thing to do.”

She felt warm inside when Pop Pop looked at Landon with genuine fondness. Her grandfather’s blessing meant the world to her. And given Landon’s smile, it was clear he felt the same way.

“So, should I clear my schedule for a Christmas wedding?” Pop Pop joked.

“Only if I can’t convince her to marry me over Thanksgiving,” Landon said, the two men laughing as Sunnie rolled her eyes.

“That’s not a long engagement,” she said.

Landon wrapped his arm around her, kissing her on the cheek. “Thanksgiving is a lifetime away.”

“It was the same way with your father, lass. The second Riley let him know she was ready to settle down in marriage, he dragged her off to the Elvis Chapel and made it official.”

“Mom tells it a little differently. Says she was drunk and doesn’t remember the wedding at all.”

“Perhaps not the first one,” Pop Pop said with a chuckle. “But it only took him a few days to convince her to repeat those vows again…sober.”

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