Page 117 of The Way We Win

“Where are we going?” My voice is high, anticipating what I know is coming.

A little fish is in my stomach… Hell, a whole school of fish is in my stomach flipping and going crazy. When we reach the bed he stops, turning and catching my shoulders.

“Wait here.”

I wait as he disappears into the long closet. He drops down, and I hear the sound of boxes moving. A series of short beeps is followed by the sound of a metal door opening. Leaning forward on my toes, I peer at him holding a box and taking something out.

He turns, and I step back quickly, looking around like I wasn’t peeking.

“I’ve had this a long time.” His brow furrows as he studies it. “It wasn’t with me in Texas, so I never gave it to Kimmie’s mom. It wasn’t meant for her.”

A delicate ring is in his hand, and my stomach dips as a deep exhale pushes down. I can’t fight the tears flooding my eyes.

“Oh, Jack…” Clasping my hands together, I lift them to my nose. “Is that?—?”

His blue eyes meet mine, and he’s so serious. “It was my mother’s ring.” His voice is quiet. “Dad gave it to me after she died. He told me to save it for the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

I hiccup, and a quiet whimper slips from my throat. I cover my mouth with my right hand as he takes my left one in both of his.

“I love you, Allie.” He looks up at me, and tears blur my vision. “I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife andlive in this house and help me take care of Kimmie and let me be there for you and Austin.”

“I love the way you love my son. You’re a better dad to him than he’s ever had.”

“He’s a great kid.” He smiles, blinking up at me. “He reminds me a lot of myself.”

“And I love Kimmie, too.” I’m talking fast. “She’s so funny and sweet and fierce. I hope she might love me, too.”

My hands are shaking, and my mind won’t slow down. I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve dreamed of this so many times. I pictured how it might happen, but I never, ever expected his mother’s ring.

“She already loves you.” His voice is warm. “But what about me?”

“What?” My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“How do you feel about me?”

His tone has an unexpected touch of vulnerability, and emotion flashes from my stomach to my chest to my flushed cheeks.

“Seriously?” A laugh bursts through my lips, and I reach up to put my hands on his neck. “I’ve loved you for so long, Jack Bradford! I’ve dreamed about you every night, and every time we’d walk down that aisle, I’d imagine what it would be like if it were really us and not your brother or your sister getting married. What if you were my man, looking at me that way, with so much love in your eyes?”

His brow lowers, and he leans down to kiss my lips before straightening. “It is me now, asking you, Allie Sinclair?—”

“LaSalle,” I quickly correct. “My maiden name is LaSalle.”

His full lips press into a smile, and he nods. “Will you marry me, Allie LaSalle? Will you walk down the aisle for real this time and promise to be my wife forever?”

I’m nodding before I say the words. “Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes…” I hiccup another breath as the tears spill onto my cheeks, as he slides the ring along the third finger of my left hand.

Until it hits my knuckle and won’t go any further.

“Oh…” My lips purse, and I try to make it fit. “So much for Cinderella. I think my fingers are too big.”

“Don’t worry.” He drops it in the black velvet pouch where it was stored. “I know a guy.”

A twinkle is in his pretty, pretty eyes. It’s the lightest I’ve ever seen him, and he wraps his good arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest.

“Another guy?” I tease.

“Yeah.” He kisses my nose. “I’ll have it resized, and I can do this right, in front of everybody.”

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