Page 54 of Anchored Love
Her brow quirked, and her hand went to her hip. “So you and Ev are seriously legit and all that. The real deal?”
“Yup.”
“Nice.” She held up her hand for a high five, the attitude melting away. I slapped her palm.
Casey gave me a chin lift in acknowledgment that I returned.
“Dinner’s ready,” Jane hollered from the dining room, and we all filed in to take our seats at the long table. “Oh good, just in time.” She smiled at Jess and Casey.
Everly came to me and laced our fingers together, pulling me to a seat beside her.
Before we could start eating, Jess tapped on her glass with her fork. “Since everyone is here and together, I guess there is no better time than the present to let you all know that Casey has asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
Cheers went up around the table. “Oh, this is just wonderful. All my children are settling down and starting their families,” Jane Lynn boasted.
“I’m not pregnant, Mom. Slow down. And Mason and Everly aren’t even that serious, are they?”
All eyes at the table shot to me and Everly. Nothing like being put on the spot, but I didn’t give a shit. Everly beat me to it, though.
“Leave Mason alone. All of you,” Everly warned, pointing her fork at each of them one by one.
“You never did tell us when the two of you got together, sweetheart,” her mother pressed. I could sense that she wasn’t sold on us being together yet. Part of her was still digging for answers, but in time she’d see I’d never been more serious about anything in my life.
“Jane Lynn, with all due respect, it’s none of your business. It’s between Everly and me. But if you must know, I’ve loved your daughter since I was in high school.”
Everly squeezed my hand under the privacy of the table.
“Well, I guess that settles it then. Let’s eat.” She gave me a smile, but there was still some tension between us that couldn’t be helped. I needed her to know I was there to stay. Everly was my girl, and I planned to make her my wife as soon as possible. Some would say it was too fast, but they didn’t spend half their life dreaming about Everly Woolsworth as I had done.
It felt right.
Everly would be my wife. I’d known it from the moment I laid eyes on her when she walked into my office three years ago. Hell, I knew it back in high school that she was my forever girl.
