She gaped at him. His eyes twinkled, and she found herselfsubmerging in their hopeful hazel depths while the puppies grunted, whimpered,and snorted.
T.J. suddenly looked hesitant. “Lame?”
Joy fizzed deep inside her, bubbling over, and happy tearsstung her eyes. “Not lame. It’s ridiculously wonderful!”
He gave her a look that shot straight to her heart. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He held a brown puppy nose to nose. “I need to have theseback in an hour, but I’m considering keeping this one for Ford. What do youthink?”
She wiped her moist eyes. “I think it’s a great idea.”
He snuggled the puppy against his chest. “Only thing is, I need a dog-sitter who’s willing to take on a puppy.Among other things.” He waggled his eyebrows.
She gawked at the gorgeous man seated in a pile of puppies,holding a squirming, furry meatball in his big man-hand. Who could say no? Shewas only human.
Ford ran into the sunroom and began a boisteroussniff-a-thon, his tail set to high on the wag-o-meter. People filed inbehind him. Her chin nearly hit the floor at the sight of Mom, Drew, Paige, andBeckett standing in a semicircle. She felt her cheeks blaze.
Heart thundering inside her chest, she glanced at Drew.“What’s going on?”
Drew, grinning like a madman, jerked his chin at T.J. “Ask him.It’s his party.”
T.J. rose and extended his hands to her. Dazed, she graspedthem, and he pulled her up. Holding on to her, he looked around at her familyand friends. Then he locked on her eyes.
“Natalie, I know what your family means to you, so I, uh,asked them to …”
If she kept her mouth open any longer, flies were bound tomove in, so she snapped it shut.
He sucked in a huge breath. “I’ll just come out and say it.”
Please do. She nodded encouragement.
“I figured out some things. One, I love you, Natalie. Jesus, so much. I need you like my next breath. Two, I’ll dowhatever it takes to make you mine because the thought of going through life withoutyou is scarier than having John Wick after me. Three, God knows I’m no prize. Ibehaved like a—”
“Dude, you’re supposed to sell yourself,” Millerchuckled. Paige shushed him.
T.J. side-eyed him. “Groveling here.” Turning back toNatalie, his voice cracked. “I’m a mess without you.” His expression shifted,and a sheen glazed his eyes. “Being with you makes mewant to be a better man. To be the best version of myself.For you.” Tears spilled from his gorgeous hazel eyes.
She melted, unable to fight the ones pooling in hers.
This man was laying himself bare, putting it all on theline. Open kimono. And she knew what that cost him.
He took in another chest-fillinginhale. “I’ve been wrong about so many things, but one thing I’m sure of isthat you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. If you can findit in your heart to forgive me, if you’ll have me, I’ll spend the rest of mylife making sure you know how much I love you. No excuses. Natalie Amber Eyes,please say you’ll marry me.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, but it couldn’t hold back herstuttering sobs. Joyful tears burned a trail over her cheeks. He extended hishand to Beckett, who handed him a small aqua-colored box. T.J. dropped to aknee, but before he could open the box, the puppies mobbed him, Ford leaptagainst his chest, and he tipped over. His hand shot upward, still holding thebox while fur swarmed over him. Laughing and crying, Natalie joined him on thefloor and helped him sit up. He plucked the ring from the box—an emerald-cut solitairediamond in a simple platinum band—and held it out to her. He cocked his head inquestion.
She nodded—couldn’t stop, as a matter of fact—and held outher hand. He slid the ring on. It fit her perfectly. Just like him.
His eyes lit. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes!”
He pulled her to him and kissed her long and sweet while thesmall crowd clapped and the canines capered around them.
When T.J. and she finally climbed to their feet, Nataliepointed at the group. “You were all in on this?”
“Oh yeah,” Drew said. “We’ve been hatching all kinds ofdevious plots behind your back. I was gonnabeat his ass for you, Nat, I really was. Besides the fact he might havea slight advantage, I didn’t want to make his face any uglier.” He high-fived T.J.
In man-lingo, her brother had told her T.J. was acceptedinto the fold, and her already-full heart flooded.
T.J. interlaced his fingers with hers, leaned in, and kissedher softly. “Drew, your sister could beat both our asses.”
“I love you,” she breathed. Those words couldn’t do justiceto the warmth thrumming inside her, the swelling tenderness in her heart, orthe nerves firing from his touch. “I’ll show you how much later,” she added.His expression switched from surprised to smoldering.
She flashed her ring at her mom. “You helped pick this out,didn’t you?”
Mom came to her, wiping her eyes, and hugged her tight. “Idid. He asked for my help.” She winked at him. “We had fun shopping, didn’twe?”
“Yeah, Mary. We did,” T.J. laughed.
More tears spilled from Natalie’s eyes as she looked at T.J.over her shoulder. “I absolutely love it. You both did good.”
Mom squeezed her hands. “So did you, Natbug.”
Then Mom turned to T.J., cradled his face and, on tiptoe,kissed his cheek. “You’re part of our family now.”
.~* * * ~.
Mine.
Much later, after family and friends had left and thepuppies—save one—were returned to the shelter, T.J. was finally alone withNatalie. His eyes followed her as she cuddled their new addition and stowed himin a crate for the night. Standing in her living room, T.J. floated in a fog ofjoy, pinching himself. She was his—really his—and he wasall hers.
Forever.
He also had her family, and he was okay with that becausethey were part of her. Learning to be the brother, the son he’d never beenwould be as awkward as skating on a polished wood floor, but he’d get
