Page 90 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

I lift my hand to see a shiny princess diamond and giggle. Of course, he got me a princess cut diamond. It’s set in a dainty white gold band. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you.”

To my surprise, he rolls off of me and jumps out of bed. “Where are you going?”

“It’s Christmas day. We’re having lunch with the family.”

My heart squeezes at his use of the word family. My ‘real’ family doesn’t exist to me anymore. They haven’t bothered to contact me since Theodore kidnapped me. I won’t hold my breath waiting for an apology from them for forcing me to marry Theodore. I know better. They don’t care about my welfare one little bit. But would it have been too much to call and check in on how I’m doing now they know where I am? Apparently, it would.

They didn’t contact me after my lawyer approached them regarding moving my stock portfolio to a local broker either. I expected rage and anger. I got silence. Oh well, I have a new family now.

A family Ryker is a part of as well. It warms my heart to see the man who grew up in foster care being accepted by the uncles.

“You just want to brag about getting engaged!” I shout at Ryker’s retreating figure.

“Babe. They already know.”

“What?” I jump out of bed and rush to him, ready to start a fight.

“I had to ask Pops and the uncles for your hand in marriage, didn’t I?”

The fight leaves me, and my eyes well up. Asking the men, I consider my family, even if they aren’t my blood, for permission to marry me is probably the sweetest thing he’s ever done. I sniff to stop the tears from forming.

“What did they say?”

“My ring’s on your finger, isn’t it?”

I look down at my hand. Yeah, it is.

Ryker nabs my hand. “Come on. I want a shower before we leave.”

A shower with my fiancé sounds like the perfect continuation of this perfect Christmas day.

---