She giggled. “I like that plan.”
“Oh.” He snapped his fingers. “I have something I’d like you to wear so you won’t feel so naked.”
She furrowed her brow as he reached over to the bedside table, opened the drawer, and pulled out something she couldn’t see. It was fisted in his hand. “Jodi Bridgman, I’m not on my knee, and I know you didn’t expect something like this so soon, so I hope I caught you off guard.” He opened his palm to reveal her mother’s ring. “Will you marry me?”
She gasped, her hand coming to her mouth. “That’s…” She swallowed.
“Yes, baby. It’s your mother’s ring. Your dad gave it to me earlier today. I considered waiting a while before I asked you, but I was busting at the seams, and I wanted to surprise you. Did I?”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “Yes. God, yes.”
He took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She already knew it would fit. She had the same hands as her mother. She’d been wearing the rest of her mother’s jewelry for years.
“You didn’t answer me.” He kissed her knuckles, still holding her hand.
She smiled at him, holding his gaze. “I’d be honored.”
He released a long breath as if he’d been uncertain she would say yes. And then he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her with the biggest grin she’d ever seen. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance. I know it’s been hard.”
“The end prize was worth it.” She smiled back, just as wide.
“Yes, it was, baby. Yes, it was.”
Epilogue
Three months later…
“Don’t even think about it,” Jodi said without turning around.
Tuck gripped the edge of the bar and chuckled. “Woman, I’m convinced you have eyes in the back of your head. How can you possibly know what I’m thinking from behind the bar?”
She finally spun around, handed a beer to a customer, and sauntered toward Tuck. She was smirking. “I have my ways. Get your hands off my bar. You’re banned from coming back here.”
He sighed, mollified somewhat when she leaned over the edge and kissed him briefly. “I don’t see why you have to be so strict about this new rule of yours. There are only a few people in the bar. It’s early.”
She shook her head as she reached above to pull down a wine glass. “Hard rule. I’m not going to bend or qualify my rule based on how many people are in the bar. Every single time you get in my space, you start touching me, and then I can’t think, and then I mess up the orders.”
He smirked. The truth was he loved how flustered she got when he wrapped his arms around her. It was endearing.
“Could you two go make out someplace else,” Stan teased. He glanced dramatically at his watch. “Yep. It’s been about an hour since you last kissed.” He waved Jodi off, lifting the end of the bar for her. “I can handle things for a bit.”
Jodi giggled as she passed through.
Before he could usher her out of the main bar and down the hallway, Tuck heard his name being called from behind.
He spun around to find Evan, one of his SEAL friends, sitting at a high-top table with a woman Tuck had to imagine was Presley. She fit the description. Chestnut hair with red tones. Green eyes. Tuck had seen Evan at McP’s last week, and Evan had told him about this woman he was interested in—specifically that Evan didn’t want her to know he was a SEAL for some reason. This could be fun.
Tuck grabbed Jodi’s waist and led her over to the table. “Hey.” He held out a hand to shake Evan’s.
Evan shot him a look to the side as he greeted him. A warning look. Apparently he still hadn’t told Presley he was a SEAL. Interesting. “Thought I’d come by and see this bar you told me about.” Evan turned toward Jodi. “You must be Jodi.” He shook her hand next. “I love the place.”
“And you must be Presley,” Tuck stated, reaching across to greet the slender woman.
Presley nodded, looking confused.
Evan cleared his throat. “I saw Tuck last week at lunch one day. Told him about the wedding you and I are planning for John and Chloe.”
“Ah.” She finally nodded.
“You’re wedding planners?” Jodi asked.
Both Presley and Evan shook their heads at the same time. Evan groaned. “No. I’m the best man. John thought it would be fun to plan his own wedding while his fiancée is out of the country. And then John had to leave town, which left me in charge. It’s the most convoluted story you’ll ever hear.”
Tuck disagreed. He was more interested in why Evan was keeping his personal life from Presley. That had to be a great story.
“How do you two know each other?” Presley asked, glancing back and forth between Tuck and Evan.
Tuck lifted a brow at Evan. Whatever weird story he was concocting was his to tell.
Evan swallowed. “Oh, we have mutual friends. We met years ago.”
Tuck nodded, fighting not to laugh. He couldn’t wait to see how this eventually panned out. Granted, his relationship with Jodi had started out with a pile of secrets too, so who was he to judge? But he couldn’t think why any man wouldn’t want his girlfriend to know he was a SEAL.
There was a pile of folders on the table between Evan and Presley. Apparently this was a planning meeting. “Well, I’ll let you two get back to your wedding plans.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Jodi added.
“You too,” Presley responded.
Tuck nodded toward Evan. “Catch up with you later.” He turned around, grabbed Jodi around the waist, and pulled her down the hallway toward the office. The moment they were inside, he kicked the door shut and nuzzled her neck.
She shoved at him playfully. “That was a strange exchange with your friend. And don’t break
