Page 95 of The Promises We Broke
"Well, I'll be damned," Jasper said, his voice thick with emotion. "Son, I'm so proud of you."
"It's beautiful," Reece said, taking my hand gently. "And it looks like it was made for you."
"It belonged to their grandmother," I said, still marveling at how perfectly it fit. "His grandfather saved it for me."
"He knew?" Blake asked with wide eyes.
"He did," Jasper said quietly, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Dad always said that ring belonged to Billie. He'd be so happy to see it on your finger, sweetheart."
"Apparently it was written all over Gage's face every time someone mentioned my name," I said, looking over at my fiancé who was getting thoroughly grilled by his brothers.
Xander appeared from the kitchen carrying a steaming mug of coffee and paused mid-step when he saw the commotion. "What did I miss?"
"Gage finally got his act together," Booker said gruffly, but his smile was pure pride.
"About damn time," Xander said, then caught Cade's pointed look. "About darn time. Congratulations, brother."
Val padded over from her spot by the fireplace, tail wagging as she sensed the happy energy in the room. She sniffed curiously at my hand before giving it a gentle lick of approval, making everyone laugh.
"Even Val approves," Reece said, scratching behind the dog's ears.
"When's the wedding?" Blake asked, already pulling out her phone. "Because I'm thinking spring would be gorgeous, or maybe summer..."
"We want to wait a little while," I said quickly, catching Gage's grateful look. "Delaney and Trace are getting married this summer, and we don't want to steal their thunder."
"Plus," Gage added, settling onto the couch and pulling me down beside him, "we want to enjoy being engaged for a while. Savor it."
"Smart," Trace said, gently adjusting Barrett in his arms as the baby reached for the shiny tree ornaments. "The marriage is the important part, not the wedding."
"Says the man who's been planning his wedding for six months," Delaney teased, settling beside Trace.
"That's different. Delaney has very specific ideas about flowers."
"I have specific ideas about everything," Delaney said cheerfully. "Which reminds me... we need to talk about your engagement party. You can't just get engaged on Christmas morning and not celebrate properly."
"We are celebrating," I said, gesturing around the beautifully decorated room. "Look at this place! Reece, you've outdone yourself."
Reece beamed, looking pleased with all the attention her decorating was getting. "I may have gone a little overboard, but it's Barrett's first Christmas. It needed to be special."
"It's perfect," I said, meaning it. The room felt warm and festive and completely alive with love. This was what family looked like—chaotic, loud, and absolutely perfect.
"Where's Dex?" Gage asked suddenly, looking around. "Shouldn't he be here by now?"
A strange quiet fell over the room. Trace and Booker exchanged glances, and I saw Reece bite her lip.
"He's... having a hard time lately," Trace said carefully. "Said he had something to take care of this morning."
"Something more important than Christmas with family?" Gage's brow furrowed with concern.
"That's what we're worried about," Booker said gruffly. "He's been acting strange for weeks. Missing family dinners, not returning calls."
"I'll check in with him next week," Gage said, and I could see the protective big brother instincts kicking in even though Dex wasn't technically family. "Maybe take him out for drinks, see what's going on."
"Good," Trace said, relief evident in his voice. "He might open up to you."
Before the mood could get too heavy, Cade appeared at my elbow with a wrapped present. "This is for you and Uncle Gage," he announced proudly. "I picked it out myself."
"You didn't have to get us anything," I said, touched by his thoughtfulness.
