Page 34 of Daddy Crush (Silver Fox Daddy)

I felt a ripple of excitement as he walked towards me, planting a chaste kiss on my lips. Afterwards, his mouth pulled aside in a grimace, and a frown creased his forehead. “What the hell kind of seed marker is that?”

I glanced in the direction he was pointing, unable to make out what I saw at the end of a row of broccoli. “How did that get there?” I asked, walking purposefully to the soil where a strange object protruded from the ground.

A teacup handle?

Reaching down, I pulled the object from the dirt, and out fell a slightly soiled box.

Confused, I turned towards Duke.

Suddenly, he was down on one knee, and I backed up a step, fighting back tears. My eyes went to my sister, whose smile widened in approval.

At first, I couldn’t process what I was seeing. Duke was down on one knee with a ring box open in his hand. His dark eyes were serious but held that special attitude of mischief just for me.

My heart swelled, and I had to will myself not to fall into his arms. “What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the birds chirping in the tree above.

He grinned, tugging me closer with a firm grip of my hand, his eyes blazing with a fiery conviction. “It may seem sudden, but time is finite, and I want the rest of my life to be spent with you at my side.” His gaze met mine, the intensity in his stare demanding a response in a way that made my heart pound in an erratic rhythm. “You’re my end of the road, Clover. After a lifetime of wrong turns and dead ends, I’m finally home. With you.”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. Even though he’d yet to pose the question, I knew my answer.

“Just so I can say I did ask, will you marry me, Clover? Make me the happiest man on the planet?”

“Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!” I bounced on my toes, clasping my hands together in front of my heart.

He reached out to open the box and slip the diamond onto my finger, then sealed our vow with a kiss, which left my mouth burning.

I took in the morning glory vines curling through chicken wire and winding around wooden posts, the neat rows of frilly carrot tops, the hilled potatoes Faith and I planted in the spring, spiky onion tops, strawberry plants dotted with delicate white flowers, and all-around bees that pollinated blossoms for us for free. The garden bounty represented the overabundance of love I shared with him.

I’d never been so happy in all of my life.

“I’m going to show you every minute of the day, every way I can, that I want to grow old with you,” I told him, then held out my hand to admire the beautiful ring he’d chosen.

“Congratulations, you two,” Faith said, her face splitting into a wide grin. “You’re the only couple I know that doesn’t actually make me need a barf bag.”

Coming from my sister, it counted as high praise.

20

CLOVER

“Why did you invite that lug nut to the wedding?” Faith snapped.

I didn’t need to look out the window of my bedroom, where we were getting ready, to see who she was talking about. In the days since Duke’s proposal, Riley wouldn’t take a hint. He wasn’t pushy or grabby the way Hoss had once been, but he seemed to show up everywhere my sister could be found, on her scent like a hound dog.

“He’s a friend of Duke’s. It wouldn’t be right not to invite him,” I reminded her.

Unlike Faith’s mood, the sun shone brightly for the day of our wedding. And no matter how big her pout, she was gorgeous in the blush pink dress we’d selected for all the bridesmaids. I’d simply selected a color I liked, and Ava and my sister bought outfits in that color, which they’d actually wear again.

“Shoot, if you’re not interested, let me have a go. That firefighter is such sweet man candy. It makes my teeth hurt to look at him.” Ava raised her champagne flute to her lips, took a generous swallow, and purred, “Mm-mm.”

It didn’t escape my notice that Faith’s left eyebrow rose a fraction over the appreciative praise.

I joined them to check out the view and saw how Riley’s massive shoulders filled out the coat he wore. “Wow. He suited up for the occasion.” Faith’s ability to resist him was impressive, and I wasn’t sure where she found the discipline. “You sure you can’t set aside your principles surrounding polyamory just for one day?”

A gentle knock at the door interrupted us, and Ava answered it. “Can we come in?” It was Mama and Grandma, both in dresses they’d gone to the city to purchase.

A soft gasp escaped them both at the same time. “Oh, my word,” Grandma said. “You are simply the loveliest bride Briarville has ever seen, Clover.”

I leaned in and kissed her wrinkled cheeks, breathing in the familiar smell of lavender and peppermint that clung to her skin. “Thank you, Meemaw,” I said, using the nickname from my childhood. I felt a surge of emotion as I looked at her. There was so much love in this room that, for a moment, it seemed like a miracle we could all be there together after all the upheaval we’d faced in the last year. Mom and Dad were now living the life in their new condo, and with no more chores to do at the break of dawn, they seemed more like teenagers in love than the parents I knew back in Porterville.

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