Emotion made her throat feel tight. “I can’t believe you were willing to give that up for me.”
He tilted his head to one side, his thumb brushing over the embossed lettering.
“You gave up everything for me.”
“No. I gained everything because of you. Because you showed me what it feels like to belong. To be neededandwanted. To be part of a family. A community.” She took a deep breath. “Do you like them?”
After carefully setting the box down on one of the stepladders they’d been using for painting, Beckett pulled her into his arms, the place where she felt most at home.
“I love them. Everything about them. The thought behind them, your adorable doodles that I think you should find a way to market and sell at This and That. I love that you wanted to surprise me, that you made something that shows your faith in me. You make me stronger. Happier than I’ve ever been.” He lowered his chin, pressed a featherlight kiss to her temple. “Mostly, I love that I get to spend my life with you, showing and telling you how happy I am that you came to Get Lost and decided to stay.”
Presley’s breathing hitched as she pushed her arms through his, up around his neck, going on her tiptoes to be just that little bit closer.
She pressed her mouth to his neck, heard the intake of his breath, and smiled. “I found a lot more than a Hot Mountain Man.”
There was laughter in his groan as he tightened his hold on her waist. “Maybe you ought to add ‘taken’ or ‘off the market’ to the hashtags.”
Before she could reply, Tevin cleared his throat from behind them.“Sorry to interrupt, even though I know you don’t mind putting on a show, Becks,” he said, not hiding his laughter.
Beckett moved, pulled her into his side as he turned to his friend, who was standing behind them with a paintbrush. “That’s me. Next thing you know, I’ll be doing karaoke at Bro’s.”
“I’d pay good money to see that,” Presley said.
Beckett shot her a glare. “Absolutely not. What’s up, Tev?”
“Just wanted to tell you we’re all done in here. You’re ready to go. Furniture can start moving in tomorrow.”
Tevin and Drew left quickly, leaving Presley and Beckett alone in the space. He turned, looking around, and she wondered if he was imagining what it could be. She’d done a lot of that in her own life, and as it turned out, what she ended up with was nothing like she had imagined. It was so much better.
She touched his shoulder. “We should go. I grabbed marshmallows for Ollie.”
Beckett’s eyes were bright, full of wonder and happiness, and Presley loved that more than staring at the stars.
“Now she’s got you supplying her with them,” he said with a grin.
“I can admit to being slightly wrapped around her finger.”
Beckett’s bark of laughter echoed in the space. He picked up the box of business cards. “Slightly? I think she’s got all of us secured around a separate finger each.”
They walked out of the building that would soon house Beckett’s Bikes, waited while the doors slid down to the ground. Presley grabbed her bike and walked it alongside Beckett as they headed for the dock.
“You know, she asked me if she could call you Aunt Presley,” he said casually.
Her heart didn’t do casual with him. It bounced right up, painfully, longingly against her ribs. “Oh yeah?”
He looked over, his gaze so steady and genuine. Just like him. “Yup.”
“What’d you say?”
It wasn’t like they weren’t planning a future together, but it alsowasn’t like he’d proposed. Presley wanted that, and she knew Beckett did, too, but there was no rush. If only she could tell her heart that.
“I said that I’d ask you.”
“Oh. I mean, if you’re okay with it. If your sister is.” Definitely not a proposal.Which makes perfect sense. Maybe focus on one or two major life alterations at a time.
Beckett shrugged. “Of course. She’ll call you that after we get married, so I figure, what’s the harm in starting now?”
Presley nearly tripped over the bike pedal. She stopped in her tracks. “Did you just throw out getting married like it was no big deal? Like, oh, well, we’re going to sleep at the cabin instead of the apartment tonight?”
