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“Forever,” he answers simply. “You’re my forever, Opal.”

I push myself up until I’m sitting with my back resting on the headboard. I was up earlier to get a drink of water, so I’m wearing one of the Knight’s T-shirts he’s given me.

I debated between the T-shirt and the button-down shirt he wore yesterday, which I stripped off him when we got home from the bar. I couldn’t wait to take him to bed, so I practically ripped his clothes off in the living room. He said it was exactly what he needed after a long day.

He’s been just as busy as me since the workshops he’s been running to help men reach their full potential have a long waiting list. He’s still providing one on one consulting to men, but he’s very particular with who he’ll take on as a client.

I’m proud of him for all the good he’s doing.

“You are my forever and always,” I tell him. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”

He laughs as he always does when I say that. The play on his surname is fun, but it’s also true. He saved me in a sense when I thought love was never in the cards for me.

He moves closer to the bed but stops before he reaches it. “Come here.”

I don’t hesitate as I slide across the bed and onto my feet. I tug on the hem of the shirt since it’s the only thing I have on.

As soon as I’m still, he drops to one knee. With a lift of his left hand, I spot a sparkle of light bouncing off the walls.

My gaze settles on his pinkie finger, and the ring wrapped around the tip. It’s barely holding on.

“William,” I whisper.

“Opal,” he reaches for my left hand with his right. “I rehearsed what I wanted to say when I did this. I’ve been reciting it over and over to myself for days, but I can’t remember a word of it.”

“Speak from your heart.”

His eyes lock on mine. “Forever won’t be long enough for me to show you how deeply I love you. You changed my life the moment you crashed into me on the sidewalk. You changed me forever the first time we kissed, and when we made love, fuck, that was everything. You are everything.”

“You are,” I whisper, not knowing if he can hear me.

“Please, Opal, be my wife.” He smiles so brightly that I wish I could capture that light for always. “I will make you laugh every day. I’ll feed you good food and rub your feet after you’ve been at the bar all day. I’ll fuck you as many times a day as you want.”

I hold up three fingers to wiggle them in the air.

He laughs. “I’m the man for the job. I’m the man for you. Please say yes.”

This is everything I’ve always wanted, so I launch myself at him. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I kiss him.

He growls through it before our lips part. “Is that a yes?”

I fall to the floor on my knees. “Yes! It’s a big yes!”

He slides a beautiful pear-shaped diamond in a platinum setting onto my ring finger. “I know how much you love this one.”

I stare at the ring that I’ve admired in the window of a vintage shop two blocks from Turquoise Crown. Each time we passed it, I’d make up a different story about the couple who treasured it as part of their deep and unending love.

A month ago, it disappeared from the window. I questioned William about it, but he always changed the subject. That was all the confirmation I needed to know that one day soon, I would be his wife.

I hold up my hand to catch the morning sunlight flooding our bedroom. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to show Aunt Hildy.”

William tugs me onto his lap, nudging his nose next to my neck before he kisses a trail to my ear. “You can show her and everyone you love tonight.”

Sighing, I kiss his mouth softly. “I can’t. There’s a private party at the bar tonight. It’s all hands on deck, including mine.”

He gazes down at the ring. “What’s the occasion?”

“Good question.” I shake my head. “Myra was supposed to fill in the details on the calendar app. Things got so busy at the bar last night that I planned on checking it again when we got home, and then we got busy.”