“A ring,” he said. “What do you think of it?”
“I think I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid.” She might have thought it was odd, but figured what the heck. It was Wyatt and he always tried to do funny things like this. She pulled the wrapper off, slipped it on her finger and showed it off. “What do you think? A perfect fit.”
She popped it in her mouth to taste while it was on her finger.
“I guess you wouldn’t like this one then if that one is perfect.”
She started to cough when she looked down and saw a diamond ring in the palm of his hand. “You’re joking?”
“I’m more serious about this than anything else in my life. I know you’ve lectured me before about a time and place to joke and be professional. But this isn’t work. This is us. This is me and you. And though I’ve learned my lesson about when to joke and when not to, this is one of those times where I think you’d expect me to be funny while being serious at the same time. It’s who I am.”
She took the candy ring off her finger and threw it across the room, grabbed the one in his hand and yelled, “Yes,” then jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “You’re exactly the way I want you to be too.”
“Wow. Talk about an exciting way to answer. I didn’t even ask you a question.”
She leaned back and looked in his eyes, then punched his arm. “Don’t be playing with me on this.”
“No playing. Adriana, will you marry me?”
“You already know the answer but I’ll say it again. Yes!”
* * *
“Wyatt, what is in your hand?” Carolyn asked when he walked into the restaurant the next morning for breakfast. She’d told her kids she wanted them all there at nine so they could eat together as a family. She didn’t get this too often in the year. Even holidays it was with extended family.
“Wyatt bought some candy I liked,” Adriana said. “He bought too much and I told him to share with everyone this morning.”
“Sweet,” Sebastian said. Her soon-to-be grandson fit right into the family. “Candy for breakfast. Paige never lets me have that. That’s why Wyatt is my favorite.”
“Nor do you need it now,” Noah said, narrowing his eyes, but Carolyn saw her son and Sebastian grinning at each other.
Wyatt opened the bag and dumped a bunch of candy ring pops on the table. “Those were my favorite too,” Jade said, reaching for one. “I like pink the best.”
“Of course you do,” Drake said. “Anything girlie is all Jade.”
“I’m outnumbered in the house.” Jade grabbed all the pink ones. “And Wyatt always stole these and left me with blue. I think he just liked it when my lips turned blue.”
“We liked it better when Wyatt had a pink ring on his finger,” Noah said. “It went well when we called him Prada.”
“Boys,” Garrett said. “Your mother wanted a nice family breakfast, but I see nothing changes even as adults.”
“One thing changed,” Adriana said.
“What’s that, darling?” Carolyn asked.
“I didn’t like those rings as much as I liked this one.”
Carolyn stood up so fast her chair bumped into Garrett and fell to the floor as she rushed over to see the large diamond solitaire on Adriana’s hand. “Damn you, Wyatt. Can’t you do anything without making a joke out of it?”
“Did you really give her that candy ring first?” Jade asked with her head tilted.
“I did. And she didn’t even care because she knows me for me and loves me that way,” Wyatt said.
“Yes, I do,” Adriana said, kissing Wyatt on the cheek.
Over an hour later everyone left the table, Carolyn and Garrett still sitting there. “How did we get so lucky that our kids found such great mates?” he asked.
“Not luck,” she said. “You know that. This has been hard work, but it’s been so worth it. Two to one.”
“Fine. You win,” he said. “Because we know Jolene is going to take the credit if it works out with Jade.”
“Yes, she is. But we are going to have to put a lot of work into it. Are you up for it?” she asked.
“For our kids. I’m up for anything,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
To be continued for .... Jade Fierce.
Also by Natalie Ann
The Road Series-See where it all started!!
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
Landon Barber and Kristen Reid- All Of Us
The Lake Placid Series
Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance
Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance
Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance
Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance
Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance
Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance
Matt Winters and Dena Hall- Another Chance
Logan Taylor and Kennedy Miles- It’s My Chance
The Fierce Five Series
Gavin Fierce and Jolene O’Malley- How Gavin Stole Christmas
Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody
Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden
Mason Fierce and Jessica Corning- Mason
Cade Fierce and Alex Marshall - Cade
Ella Fierce and Travis McKinley- Ella
Fierce Family
Sam Fierce and Dani Rhodes- Sam
Bryce Fierce and Payton Davies - Bryce
Drake Fierce and Kara Winslow – Drake
Noah Fierce and Paige Parker - Noah
Wyatt Fierce and Adriana Lopez – Wyatt
Jade Fierce and Brock James – Jade
Love Collection
Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love
Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love
Erik McMann and Sheldon Case – Finding Love
Connor Landers and Melissa Mahoney- Beach Love
Ian Price and Cam Mason- Intense Love
Liam Sullivan and Ali Rogers
