“James…” My nostrils flared. I couldn’t speak. My throat was tight and I just wanted to stay in this time, this space, this feeling, forever.
“I love you,” he said. “I really, really love you.”
This could not be real life. At the same time, it felt so perfect that I just nodded my head, overcome with love for him, and an overwhelming giddiness.
“I love you, too,” I finally managed. “God, so much.”
The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. “You do? Damn. I wasn’t expecting that. Hell, yeah, baby.”
He leaned down to kiss me, but I put my hand on his mouth to stop him. “Is this really what you want?” I asked. “You have your life and I have mine, and they’re nothing alike. I can’t be the maid that you’re embarrassed to be seen with.”
“I have never, not for one fucking minute, been embarassed to be with you.” He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me a little. “I’m so damn proud of how hard you work and all the obstacles you’ve overcome. It takes a special person to keep it together as well as you do.”
That made me want to just jump into his arms. To just take the leap and not doubt anything.
But the practical me said, “There’s an imbalance of power between us. How does that work in the real world?”
He laughed softly. “You’re right. There is an imbalance of power between us. Since the second we met, you’ve had all of it. I fell for you right then and there and I’ve been fucking powerless ever since.” James tapped his chest with his fist. “I am standing here, with my whole insides laid bare to you, Mia. I have never, ever felt like this way about anyone and I never will ever again. You’re my everything. And I hope to God that my luggage showed up because there is an engagement ring in it for you.”
“What?” I breathed, in complete shock. “An engagement ring?” I parroted, because it felt like my entire brain had gone blank. A ring. He had a ring for me.
He nodded.
Then he got down on his knee in the grass. “Mia Abernathy, will you marry you?”
I nodded, my hands going to my mouth. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you, James.”
Then I finally let the tears come.
Christina was right.
Sometimes relationships were easy.
Easy and beautiful and amazing.
Chapter Eighteen
JJ
Mia had said yes. The most incredible woman I had ever met had just agreed to marry me. I gave a victory yell. Then I stood up and hauled her into my arms and kissed her.
“I love you,” I said. “And that has to be totally obvious because I just proposed to you wearing borrowed socks with sandals. That is not the way I pictured this moment going.”
She laughed. “It was perfect.” She had her arms around my neck. “Hey,” she murmured.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
I would never get tired of hearing that. “Good. Because I was just going to keep after you until you did fall in love with me. I was prepared to have to work at it for years.”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “You were not.”
Hauling her off the ground, I wrapped her legs around my waist. “Come on, you little thief. Let’s go get my suitcase then lock ourselves in the guest room.”
She gave a shriek when I just started walking with her in my arms. “I am not a thief.”
“You stole my heart.”
That made her laugh. “That is so cheesy. And I’m going to fall.”
“I like cheesy. And that is so insulting. You do realize that I happen to be a pro football player, right? I can carry my woman.”
“You’re right, I totally forgot. I stand corrected. Carry me all night if you want.”
“Maybe I will.” I took her to the patio where my friends were all still gathered. I sat down, which meant Mia wound up on my lap.
“Everything okay then?” Dak asked. He was stretched out on a chaise, his hand in Eloise’s, which was sitting next to him.
“Yep.” I looked around for Cash. “Where’s Young? Was that my Target order or my suitcase?”
“The doorbell rang twice. He just went back in to answer it a second time,” Train said. “So I think both came.”
“Perfect.” I eased Mia off of my lap and onto the chair. “Give me five minutes, baby.”
She bit her bottom lip, watching me with our shared secret. With love. “Sure.” She mouthed, “I love you.”
That was everything I wanted right there. Damn.
I went into the house and found Cash hauling my luggage into his front entry. “Hey, thanks,” I said, taking it from him. “Listen, I’m going to change, and then I need you to do me a favor. I need you to get my parents, Mia’s mom, and her best friend on a video call on your tablet, okay?”
“What?” He looked at me. “Why, what’s going on?”
“I’m proposing to Mia.” I patted my suitcase. “I have an engagement ring in here.”
“You put an engagement ring in a checked bag? Dude, it’s like you want shit to get stolen.”
I rolled my eyes. “Beside the point, Young. Can you help me out or not?”
“Of course I’ll help you.” He clapped my arm. “Congrats, man. Go get her.”
“Thanks.” Impulsively, I reached out and hugged him with one arm, because I already knew her answer and I was high on life right now.
Ten minutes later, I reappeared on the patio, Mississippi in one hand and a glass of champagne for Mia in the other. I had worked with Ji-Ho and Christina to get Mia’s handbag, and after Christina had emptied it, I had folded it up and stowed it away in my suitcase, hoping Mia wouldn’t miss it before we left. Now I had the ring box in it.
“For you,” I said, handing her the champagne.
She sat up and took the flute from me. “What’s going on? Why are you wearing a suit?”
“Because the occasion calls for a suit.” I glanced over at Cash. “You got this?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Say hi to everyone.” He held up the tablet in his hands.
“Is that my mother?” Mia said, straining to look at the screen. “Chrissy?”
“And my parents,” I said, waving to them. They waved back. Then I straightened my tie and jacket and held up her bag. “Play a game with me, Mia. Put your hand in Mississippi and see what you come up with.”
She set down the champagne and her hands came up to her mouth. “What are you doing?”
I opened the bag and held it out to her. “Come on. Play along. Dig around in there and see what you find.”
Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were sparkling. She pursed her lips together and reached out. Her hand disappeared into the bag. Given it was empty save for the ring box, it didn’t take her long to reemerge holding it. “I found a box,” she said.
I heard one of the women give a gasp behind me, but I never took my eyes off Mia.
“Yes, you have.” I set down her bag and went down on one knee for the second time that night. “Open it.”
Mia flipped the box open. “Oh my God. James, it’s just so beautiful.” Tears were in her eyes suddenly and without warning. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”