“No, but I’m sure my position will require some travel once I get established.”
Maya’s shoulders sink in obvious relief. “Thank goodness,” she whispers.
“What’s on your mind?” Pierce asks her.
“I was unsure if you were going to move, too.”
“No, that thought never crossed my mind.”
She visibly perks up. “You’re coming back?” Her question is directed at me.
“That’s the plan.”
“There’s more. When she comes back, Darby is going to move in here. I’ve asked Darby to marry me.”
I hold my breath for their reaction, waiting for what comes next. This isn’t exactly how I saw this conversation going. Thank God he’s supporting me because my knees threaten to buckle.
They glance at each other and then back to us. “Like, she’ll be around forever?” Cole blurts.
“Forever, buddy.”
Cole looks back at Maya, and his little smile beams. “That’s awesome.”
Maya, on the other hand, is torn. Her gaze falls to where he’s twirling my ring, and her face twists into an impassive expression that’s hard to read. My stomach drops, and I try to wiggle free, but Pierce holds firm. “Give her a second,” he murmurs.
She slowly raises her eyes to him, avoiding me. “Yeah, that’s awesome.”
The words are forced, and I want to leave them alone so she can voice her feelings freely. “Maybe I should go.” Pierce won’t loosen his grip, and beads of sweat pop up on my back. “Pierce, honey, you should have a few minutes with Maya.”
“Baby, you okay?” he ignores me.
“Yes, it’s… nothing.”
Pierce’s fatherly instincts must kick in because he reads her thoughts. “If you’re worried about your mom, I’ll take care of it.”
All the worry written on her face disappears, and her mouth splits into a genuine smile. “Can I see your ring?”
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until my lungs burn, and I exhale softly, a weight lifting off my shoulders. Her loyalty to her mother is understandable, and I can’t help but feel sorry for her.
Pierce doesn’t release my arm, but he does stretch it over the counter, cupping my hand in her direction.
“That’s beautiful,” she raves, staring at it in awe.
“Thank you.”
“How about you call your grandma and tell her we shared our news?” Pierce suggests to her.
“Oh, can I do it?” Cole jumps down and yanks the phone out of the cradle.
“Yeah, buddy. Maya, you should talk to her, too.”
They go to the living room, talking over each other, and I sink into him.
“You’re shaking.” He spins me to face him.
“I hate Connie,” I spew. “That poor girl was scared to death of her mother’s reaction. Obviously, Connie is still messing with their heads.”
“Like I said, I’ll take care of Connie. You don’t need to worry.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about Maya.”
His eyes grow warm, and his lips touch mine in a gentle kiss. “That means a lot to me.”
“Dad! Grandma says we’re celebrating! She wants a family dinner at Rosen’s.” Cole barges in, holding out the phone.
Pierce takes it right as mine rings in my pocket. I don’t recognize the number but step away and answer it while Pierce talks to Jill.
The salesclerk on the line explains the issue, and I check my watch, assuring her I can be there before they close.
“Mom was ready to pounce. She’s got a reservation at Rosen’s tonight for all of us, including your family,” Pierce informs me when I hang up.
“What time?”
“An hour.”
“I’ll need to meet you there. That was the supervisor at The UPS Store. There was an accident with one of my boxes, and they’d like me to come down and open it to see if anything is broken or damaged before loading it in the morning.”
“We can all go by on the way to dinner.”
“They close in twenty minutes, and you still need to shower. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”
His eyes grow annoyed, and he shakes his head. “I’m not showing up to celebrate my engagement without my fiancée. I’ll push the reservation time. You go take care of it, come back, and we’ll go to dinner together.”
“Fine!” I throw my hand in defeat. “There’s not time to argue. Get in the shower. I’ll be back shortly.”
I tip on my toes, give him a short kiss, and grab my key. Out of habit, I call for Runner.
“Leave him here. He’s fine.”
I nod, yelling a bye to the living room, and hurry to the truck.
The irony hits me as I pull onto the street. Rosen’s is the place that started this all. It’s the perfect place to celebrate.
•—•—•—•—•
“Darby, I knew you had nothing to worry about. Now, we plan a wedding,” Stephanie says as Scottie’s high-pitched squeal echoes through the car.
“Tell him I’m going to be deaf if he continues to screech like a banshee every time we mention getting married.”
“I’ll tell him when my own ears quit ringing.”