Page 28 of Troubled Water
But before I can finish, he lifts my left hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. His touch grounds me as a wave of realization hits me. With the twilight illuminating the sky, the same time of night he ran away from our first kiss, with that same intense gaze he had that first night—the one that made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered—he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses it. “I love you, B,” he says, his voice steady but reverent. “I knew you were different from that first day in Mexico, but I think I started falling the night we reconnected in Cal and Libby’s living room and you ignored me.”
My heart knocks against my ribs. “I didn’t?—”
“You absolutely did,” he interrupts, grinning. “And I knew right then that I was in trouble. You were everything I didn’t know I was missing. I just hate we could have had this sooner.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat growing as his words penetrate. This isn’t just a casual conversation amid the budding moonlight. This might be everything.
Parker cradles my fingers against his cheek, but I can see a slight tremble in his hand. “Do you want to know what I whispered to your father today?” he asks.
“What?” My heart’s thundering so hard I wonder if it’s going to stop.
His eyes never leave mine. “I told him I was going to marry you.”
For a second, the world seems to stop spinning. My breath catches in my chest, and all I can do is stare at him, my mind racing to catch up. Then his words penetrate, and my lips curve. “You didn’t ask?”
Parker snorts. “No. He’s not the person I love. There’s only one person I plan on asking.” With that, he twists my hand and presses his lips to the center of my palm.
My body trembles.
“You saw his reaction,” Parker continues, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “But, B? None of that means a damn thing without this.” He drops to one knee in front of me, pulling a small, simple velvet box from his pocket.
I gasp, my hands flying to cover my mouth as tears well up in my eyes. This is really happening. This man—this strong, successful, arrogant, obnoxious man—is proposing to me. At my family’s home. Making new happy memories for me where so much pain lived. Burying the past and building our future on top of it.
“Bethany.” He looks up at me with so much love in his eyes that it nearly knocks the breath out of me. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to laugh with you, and argue with you, and screw up a million more dinners with you. You’re everything I never knew I needed. My parents would have loved you and I hope like hell your mother would have tolerated me.”
I laugh even amid my tears. I’m already nodding yes, but I can’t get the word out.
Parker continues, “You’re strong and smart, and with you by my side, I know I can be a better man.”
“Who in this world could be better than you?”
His whole body shudders. “Will you marry me?”
Tears spill down my cheeks. My voice catches in my throat. “Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
A huge grin breaks out across his face as he surges to his feet. Before I can throw myself into his arms, he quickly slips the ring my eyes are too wet to see onto my finger before pulling me into his arms. His heart is racing against mine as he hauls me up on my toes to kiss me with unrestrained passion. For a moment, everything else falls away. The world narrows down to just the two of us—the girl who grew up to play with tools and the boy who grew up to protect the world. Neither of us quite fit in, yet somehow, we’re a perfect fit for each other.
When we finally pull apart, I can’t help but laugh through my tears. “You snuck in asking my dad right in front of my face?”
Parker chuckles, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Well, I didn’t want him completely unaware.”
Then I’m reminded of the photos. “And Libby?”
His smile is tender. “Look at your ring.”
I do and gasp. It’s a non-traditional engagement ring—an eternity band. He admits, “I kept bringing Libby to meet with the jewelers because I knew I wanted you to be able to wear your ring, but I didn’t know what the hell to buy.”
“Oh, Parker.” My voice is breathless as my finger runs over the fully faceted diamonds. They’ll only get in the way if I accidentally nail my hand with a hammer. Much less likely than having a solitaire. I lift the hand now bearing the symbol of his love to cup his face. “You did perfectly.”
A breath of air whooshes out of his lungs. I frown. “She said everyone was involved in something.”
“Yeah.” At my raised brow, he admits, “They’re planning our engagement party for when we get home.”
My heart feels so full I think it might burst. “You’re so cocky, it’s ridiculous.”
“And you love me for it,” he teases, leaning in for another kiss.
“Yeah,” I whisper against his lips, smiling. “I really do.”
