“What’s the story with your car?” I asked. “Can it be fixed?”
She sighed. “No. Luke took a look at it for me and he said there’s no way. He did offer to help me find a new one, so that’s good at least.”
I nudged Josiah. “That’s nice of him.”
Josiah glanced at me and his brow furrowed. He didn’t get it.
But I had a feeling Marigold had a crush on Luke.
Or was it Zachary?
That night she’d come to the Timberbeast when they’d been sitting at our table, something had been going on. I was sure of it. She’d been flustered and blushy and although that wasn’t totally out of character for her, I was certain one of them had caused it.
I just didn’t know which one.
It had to have been Luke. Didn’t it? Zachary wasn’t her type. Then again, Luke wasn’t exactly a suit-wearing gentleman, but he did have better manners. Zachary was probably a good guy under all his cocky bravado. But it was hard to picture him with someone as sweet as Marigold.
Then again, Josiah and I were total opposites, and we complemented each other perfectly.
I also might have been imagining the whole thing. I wanted to ask her, but I’d wait for a better time. I wasn’t going to put her on the spot in front of other people.
Besides, I had other things to occupy my mind. Like Josiah’s almost-proposal out at the falls.
We’d decided to talk about it when the craziness was over. But we hadn’t.
I didn’t doubt for one second that he loved me. He’d risked his life to save mine. But things still felt unfinished between us. And I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up or wait for him to do so. Maybe he was planning an actual proposal, with a ring and everything, and if I asked him about it, I’d ruin the surprise.
Then again, what if he was rethinking the whole thing? He’d blurted out that he wanted to marry me under traumatic and emotionally charged circumstances. Had he spoken too soon? Now that the dust had settled, maybe he needed more time before making that kind of commitment.
Out of nowhere, he leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on my temple. I smiled back at him. I knew he loved me, and I didn’t want to rush him. But of all the things I wanted in this life, becoming his wife was what I wanted most of all.
I just hoped he wanted it as much as I did.
CHAPTER 43
Josiah
I had a problem.
Fortunately, my problem was no longer a psychopath stalking my girl. That had been solved, and I had the aches and pains to prove it. Not that I cared about my injuries. I’d have gone over that cliff with him if had been necessary.
Anything to keep her safe.
My problem now was the same problem I’d had my entire adult life. I was bad with people. And that included the beautiful, sweet, way-too-good-for-me woman who’d somehow fallen in love with me.
I’d meant it when I’d told her I was going to marry her. My timing had been crap, but I stood by it. But despite our decision to talk about it later, we hadn’t yet.
And I had no idea what I was doing.
It was hard not to think back to the last time I’d had a ring, intending to give it to a woman. That would have been a mistake. Although I’d been hurt at the time, she really had done me a favor by choosing a job over me.
This time, I wanted to do things right. Not for me, but for Audrey.
But that didn’t change the fact that I wasn’t great at this stuff. I was too blunt—too unemotional. I was basically the most unromantic guy on the planet, trying to plan what should be the most romantic moment of Audrey’s life.
I’d bought a ring. And I’d almost just handed it to her in the kitchen that very day. That would have been fine, right? She loved me for me, she didn’t need me to pretend to be someone else with a big over the top proposal.
Except in that moment, when I’d been standing in the kitchen with a ring in my pocket, I’d realized I wanted to do better. My lack of emotional expression was a sorry excuse to deprive her of a romantic moment.
This was a once in a lifetime thing. Even I understood that.
But I needed an assist.
The internet had been no help. All the ideas I found online had been stupid. My brothers were no help either. The only one of them who’d ever proposed was Garrett, and that marriage had fallen apart. The rest of them were as stubbornly single as I’d been for so long. What would they know about proposals?
Which was why I was pulling into Asher Bailey’s driveway on a Friday morning while Audrey was at work.
His wife Grace was outside, sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella while their two little boys ran through a sprinkler. One hand rested on her pregnant belly and she lifted the other in a friendly wave.