Kai met us out front with my car and tried to help me in, chuckling when I batted his hands away. Crazy enough, they told us my father had taken care of the hospital expenses. Which was exactly how it should have been since they’d caused everything. As much as he may have considered that an apology, I still expected a verbal one.
“I’m not a cripple,” I griped.
He laughed, lacing our fingers together before pulling from the parking lot. His scabbed knuckles, what he had done for me, to Jared—he had no idea what that meant to me. And the feel of that ring on my finger was exhilarating. Nothing like the trap the last one I wore felt like. In comparison to the giant rock Jared had given me, this one was elegant and original—and I loved it.
“Where to, toots?” He glanced sideways at me, grinning, his gray eyes shining with delight. I felt warm all over. “Anything you wanna see or do before we leave?”
My brow crumpled, a lump forming in my throat. “Don’t you have to get back to Ohio?”
The smile dissipated, his jaw twitched, making my stomach clench. “I, uh, worked something out. They extended my leave a couple days.”
“You don’t seem happy about that.”
“They don’t like me much right now. But my rank does the talking. Let’s just say I’ll be glad for no more family emergencies for a while.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thank you. For doing that for me even when I messed up so bad.”
“Anytime, toots. Anytime.” His smile returned, eyes crinkling. “So, what’s it gonna be?”
“I would like to see Del… and I’d like to… marry you.”
A choking sound escaped his throat, but his gaze remained on the road. Even with how terrified I’d been of marriage before, I knew we would be nothing like my parents. He was nothing like Jared. I had a glimpse at how miserable life was without him. I wanted him in it, I wanted him to be mine, and I didn’t want to dillydally about it.
“You want to get married? Just like that? No planning? No flowers or whatever?”
I laughed. “Kai, I spent an entire year planning a huge wedding I didn’t even want with a man I hated before we were even engaged. I want to marry you, a man I love and respect, and just have it be that. Have it be us. And Delia can be our witness. Unless you want the big wedding….”
He was silent, his mind working, while I vibrated with anticipation, cracking my knuckles. The grin he flashed, those lines crinkling around his eyes, made my stomach flutter. “Chloe, nothing would make me happier than making you my wife today. On one condition, though.”
“There’s a condition?”
“For the love of all that is holy, please let me get you a new car before this one breaks down again.”
My lips pursed, I glared at him. “Only after we get married.”
“Ha! I’m not even sure this thing will make it to your friend’s house, let alone the courthouse.”
But it did. We pulled up to their little green house with a red slatted roof. The vegetation almost looked overgrown with the jasmine climbing the walls and the enormous old oak tree whose limbs stretched across the entire front yard, over their brick drive, and toward the backyard. It was homey, looking like it was built for another place and time, not for New Orleans.
I grunted and huffed getting out of the car. The scent hit me, luring me in right when Kai took my hand. “Jasmine,” he murmured, almost too low for me to hear. Then he leaned down, breathing in the crook of my neck. He saw where it came from, why I always had the scent clinging to me.
The curtain at the front window shifted as we walked down the path. My heart pounded in my chest. The door banged open and a blur of dark skin and bright colors shot for us, squealing, “Chloe!”
Kai let go of my hand when Del about tackled me. Then her mom, Rose, was out the door, engulfing us both in a hug while I laughed and cried, soaking up the best kind of love.
They pulled back and looked me over. “Why, Chloe Dumont, it sure looks like you’ve gotten yourself in all kinds of trouble.” Rose tsked at my belly, but her lips twitched upward. The graying bits of her black hair, the way it popped out from her bun, how her dark eyes were slightly sunken, made her appear worn. But no one could deny the joy and love in her wrinkled gaze.
“Only a little.” I smiled, holding my thumb and index finger up to squint through.
“But what are you doing here? Is there a story to be heard?” my sweet friend worried, her light brown springy hair sticking out in every direction in a lovely way I’d always envied.
“Oh, it’s a story all right.”
Her eyes rested behind me, and I turned to see Kai wearing his sexy crooked smile as he took in my adopted family.
“Is this the daddy?” she whispered in awe. He was totally swoonworthy, especially with the beard he’d let grow in over that month. It was too bad he would have to shave it off when he was back on duty.
“Mmmhmm.” I nodded, sucking on my bottom lip.
“This tall drink is your baby daddy,” Del’s mama spoke up behind us, making Del and me giggle and Kai smirk.
“This is Kai,” I told them. He came forward to shake their hands, but they both tsked before engulfing him in a hug. “My fiancé,” I added.
Del’s gaze
