“I know.” He smirks. “Take a look at this.” He motions me over. “I was thinking about putting her name down the center of the body.”
“Perfect.”
“Well, I need a name to see if it will fit.”
“Aurora.”
“That’s hot.” He nods his approval.
“She’s mine.”
“I’m just saying. The name’s hot. Does she have a sister?”
“Yeah.” I grin. “Aspen.”
“That’s hot too. I need to see these two,” he says, his head bent over the sketch, working her name into the design.
Reaching for my phone, I scroll through my camera roll until I find a picture of the two of them that I took that day on the lake. “My girl’s on the left. Her sister, Aspen, is on the right.”
“Damn,” he mutters. “I’d be inking her name on my body too.” He laughs. “All right, check this out.” He hands me the sketch. “I assume you wanted something small?”
“Yeah, I’m going to put it on my chest. Over my heart.”
He nods. “It’s a good size to cover up later if we need to.” He grins. I know he’s just giving me shit.
“Not happening, Tommy.”
“Didn’t Owen and Royce both tie the knot too?” he asks.
“Yeah, just Conrad and Marshall left.”
“Y’all are dropping like flies.”
I shrug. “The love of a good woman.”
He nods. “Touché, my friend. Touché. All right, take a seat in the chair, and we’ll get this going.”
My phone rings. “I need to take this,” I say, glancing at the screen.
“We’ve got plenty of time.”
“This is Grant.”
“Grant, hi, this is Kiersten from Markle and Associates Realty. The seller has accepted your offer. Can you stop by our office to sign the contract? All we need is a title search and appraisal, and an inspection if you choose to do so.”
“I don’t need an appraisal or inspection. The title search, yes. How fast can we make this happen?”
“I’ll have it in a few days.”
“When can we close?”
“With a cash offer, I can get someone on this and a week or two.”
“Kiersten. This is a gift for my girlfriend. Can we do it any sooner?”
“I can put a rush on it, but it’s another—” I stop her there.
“I don’t care what it costs. Make it happen.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
“Yeah, make it two just in case.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Riggins.”
Ending the call, I take off my shirt and climb up on the chair, letting Tommy do his thing. In a matter of a few hours, I’ve managed to find a solution to a short-term problem and give my girl a gift I hope she understands. I’m not going anywhere. I want her now and always.
“You fall asleep on me?” Tommy asks.
I open my eyes. “No.”
“You’re all set. Wanna see?” He hands me a mirror, knowing damn well I’m going to say yes.
I take in the swirls of ink, in the intricate design of the wings, and right there down the center is her name—inked over my heart. I always said I’d never do this. I’d never ink a woman’s name on my body. But that’s the me before her. Now I know what it’s like to have her love, to have her in my arms, in my bed, and in my life. This was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made.
Chapter 30
Aurora
“This has been the longest week in history,” I tell my sister as she goes to lock the front door.
“I think you said that last week too.” She laughs.
“I’ve barely seen Grant this week.”
“He and his brothers run an empire. You know how much work it takes just for this place. I can’t imagine the weight on their shoulders.”
“Yeah, I just… feel off when I don’t get to see him.”
“Aw, young love,” she teases.
“He calms me. Our connection is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. I can’t explain it, but when he’s close, when I’m with him, I know everything is going to be okay. With all of this mess, the money missing, and now the building being sold, my stress level is through the roof. He makes that better.”
“I’m happy for you. Even through this shitstorm, you’re holding strong, and that man loves you. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “I love him too,” I say, just as his face appears outside the bakery front door. He peers and waves.
“I’ll get it,” she says, walking to unlock the door and let him in. “You’re just in time. We just closed up.”
“Good day?” he asks.
“Busy as always.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, if we could hire help,” I add. Every interview we’ve had have been duds. They either don’t show, or show up smelling like cigarette smoke and alcohol. I placed adds online and am hoping to set up more interviews. I can only hope that we find someone soon.
“Hey, baby.” He leans down and kisses me. “This is all going to be over soon, and you can hire help, and then I get more of you.” He turns to Aspen. “And you can get out more.”
She gasps, placing her hand over her heart. “Are you insinuating that I have no life?” She laughs.
“No. But you gotta admit you spend a lot of time just hanging out.”
“I went shopping with Sam and Aria this week.”
He nods. “Good. I’m glad you’re getting out.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asks me.
“Nothing much. We were able to get Monday’s prep done, and we’re all cleaned up.”
“Good. I was hoping to talk to both of you.” He holds out his hand and guides me to a table, Aspen following along behind us.
“You’re kind of freaking me out right now,” I admit. I glance at my sister, who is also wearing a worried expression.
“It’s not bad, but I’m not sure you’ll see it that way at first. That’s why she’s here.” He points at Aspen. “I might need backup, and she can keep you from attacking me.” He winks at us.
“Spill it, Riggins,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Earlier this week, Monday, in fact, I was talking to Royce, and it hit me that there was something that I needed to do.”
“Okay?” I say cautiously.
He reaches out and takes my hands in his. “I love you, Aurora. Deep in here.” He places his hand gently over his heart. “I want a life with you. I want to see this place succeed. I want you and Aspen both to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Not only that, but I want to be here to watch it happen. You’re my family.” He glances at my sister. “You’re my little sister, and you… well, one day, I hope that you’ll be my wife.”
I gasp, and Aspen sniggers. “See why I needed you?” he asks her. She holds up her hand and offers him a high-five that he returns.