Page 23 of Hard To Love

“You snooping on my conversations?” I asked lightly. She just gave me a look that had me changing the direction of the conversation. “Breathe.” I stroked her back.

“Auggie.”

“He wanted to give me some papers.”

“Papers?”

“He signed his parental rights away. Asked if I was going to do right by you two. He’s not a bad guy,” I muttered, hating having to say the words out loud. “He said he knew I loved you and you loved me. That he wasn’t the forever kind of man. So that’s what the papers are for. Oh, and he wanted to make sure I was the kind of man who will give you a good life. Both of you.”

“He knew about us?”

“Said he knew you loved me before he met me but still shot his shot.”

“I feel bad.”

“Don’t.” I shook my head with smile on my face. “Everything happens for a reason. We’re exactly where we should be,” I reassured her, and that was when she finally relaxed.

The stress and anxiety melted away, and her body molded itself to mine. Fuck, I loved when she gave it all to me to hold and love. “You don’t have to marry me,” she whispered, and now I was the one who grew tense.

“Excuse me?”

“I heard him say all that stuff… Marriage is nothing but a piece of paper, Auggie. It’s okay if you don’t wanna get married and—"

“Okay, wait a damn second.” I adjusted us so I could look into her honey eyes. She was straddling me, yet our fronts weren’t as close as I would have liked because of the baby bump between us, but both my hands cupped her face. Mine dipped, and I rested my forehead against hers. “Who says I don’t wanna marry you?”

“I just mean…” I could see the hesitation in her eyes.

“Sandy?”

“You haven’t asked.”

“What?” My eyes turned to saucers, and when she pulled back, I let her only so she could be comfortable, not because I wanted the space between us.

“You moved me in here and then got the house going. We have all the baby furniture and stuff ready to go. You moved a million miles an hour on everything else but…”

That’s when it hit me.

While I had been worried I’d rushed things way too quickly and wanted to make sure Sandy had her footing, she had been waiting for me to ask her. I lifted her off my lap and set her on the seat of the couch next to me.

“Stay right here.”

“I’m not a dog,” she mumbled. I exhaled slowly trying to gentle the tone in my voice.

“Please.” I kneeled in front of her, my fingers holding her chin. “Please wait for me right here?” She rolled her eyes, but what she didn’t do was try to stand.

I hurried to our room and took the box out. I ignored the way my heart raced against my rib cage and how my nerves started to prickle to life.

I’d had a plan.

Fuck me, I’d had a shit ton of plans for our life. But what was that saying? Life happened while you’re waiting? Something like that. Either way, it didn’t matter. I took the ring out of the box and slipped into the back pocket of my faded jeans.

I looked at myself and winced. It was Sunday, and I was in a plaid button-up and old-as-hell jeans that sure as hell had seen better days. If I changed, she would know what was up. I shook my head and hurried out of our bedroom and put a finger up when I passed the living room, silently asking her to give me another moment. I moved straight into the kitchen and grabbed a throw blanket I’d folded and set on top of the dryer last night. I slipped two granola bars into my other back pocket then made my way to my girl.

My legs didn’t stop until I was right in front of her with an extended hand.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a watery smile.

“Trust me?” I asked and waited for her answer on bated breath. Not that I had to wait longer than a second.

---