“I love you,” she whispered.
“You know those words make me want to fuck you.”
Sutton laughed and patted the uninjured side of my chest. “A couple more weeks, Hotshot.”
I grinned at her. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got it marked on the calendar.”
“I’m sure you do.”
I pushed up higher against the pillows. “I know you said Anson’snews was the best present you could get today, but I’ve got a little something for you, too.”
Sutton’s brow quirked. “How do you have a present for me? You haven’t left the house.”
“I have my ways. Open the drawer on my nightstand. Papers first.”
Those sea glass eyes twinkled as she reached for the drawer. She stared down into the space. “Cope, there are three things in here.”
Just like I knew there would be.
“Papers first.”
Sutton tugged the corner of her lip between her teeth before reaching delicate fingers into the drawer. She pulled out some papers rolled together and tied with a turquoise ribbon, the closest color to her eyes Thea could find for me.
Sutton pulled on one end of the ribbon, letting it flutter to her lap. As the papers unrolled, she scanned their text. “The bakery building. You bought it? I own it?”
“Just like it always should’ve been. You’ve fought for this dream tooth and nail. You should own it all.” And now that that shyster Rick was about to go on trial for defrauding dozens, she wouldn’t see any blowback from that direction either.
The smile that stretched across her face hit me right in the chest. It was the most beautiful sort of pain. “Cope,” she whispered.
“The bigger box next.”
Sutton laughed. “So bossy. Isn’t an entire building enough?”
“Not even close,” I rasped.
Her expression gentled, and she took a breath before lifting the next present out of the drawer. This one was about the size of a deck of cards, only slightly thicker. She unwrapped the shimmery paper, revealing a jewelry box. Her throat worked as she swallowed. When the lid opened, she gasped.
“Cope.” My name was barely audible as tears gathered in Sutton’s eyes. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the gold piece from the box and opened the locket. “How? It’s my grandmother’s. Even the picture is the same.”
“I got a PI referral from Anson. He searched every pawn shop Roman was known to frequent. Finally found the one he sold it to and bribed the owner for the address of the woman who’d bought it. Then, he offered her triple what she’d paid. But when she heard the story, she gave it to him for free. Wanted you to have it back.”
Tears streamed down Sutton’s face. “I can’t—I—this is too much.”
“Stick with me, Warrior. There’s one more. Last box.”
She let out a shuddering breath before reaching into the drawer one last time. She knew when she saw it. Dark-blue velvet. A ring box. Her gaze flew to mine.
“Open it,” I whispered.
Sutton flipped the lid but did so with her eyes on me, not losing my gaze for a single second. When she finally looked down, the tears came faster. The ring nestled in the box was an oval diamond surrounded by turquoise sapphires that reminded me of Sutton’s eyes.
I lifted the box out of her hands. “Marry me. Make us a family. You, me, and Luca. Give us forever.”
She was already nodding. “Yes. You didn’t ask, but yes.”
I chuckled as I slid the ring onto her finger, leaning up so my mouth could meet hers. “I love you.”
“Forever,” Sutton whispered against my lips.
