Page 102 of Not On Your Life

Was she listening at the door?

I slip the box from my pocket and hold it up.

“My mother!” She growls and smacks her forehead. “I’m going to kill her.” She turns toward the house, but I stop her.

“No, she only lit a fire under me.”

She frowns. “You mean she’s forcing your hand? I can’t believe she would do this. This is supposed to be between us. Not you, me, and Mommy.”

I smile at her adorable ramblings. I didn’t have a plan to ask Maddie to marry me tonight. But now I feel like I won’t be able to survive another moment until I do.

“Maddie,” I whisper.

She senses the shift in my voice, and her eyes soften.

I kiss her. Her lips cave under mine, and I’m fully aware I’m going to be wearing more of her lipstick than she is. Good thing I’ve already learned this color looks good on me.

I kiss her long and hard. I taunt, she teases. I kiss her harder, she pulls me tighter. The nerves and fears break away until there’s nothing but love for her left in my heart. There’s only her. She fills the emptiness inside me to overflowing. She’s my strength and my courage, she’s my home.

I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask her.

I pull back, promising myself I’ll return to her lips soon, and grab both of her hands.

“Maddie?”

“Huh?” She blinks hazy eyes and focuses on me, pursing her swollen lips.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She arches up to kiss me again, but I step back and get down onto one knee. “Wait, what are you doing?” Her eyes are clear now.

“I thought it was kind of obvious.” I chuckle.

“No. You can’t do it because my mom said so.”

I hold her hand tighter. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, I only do things because I want to. And Maddie, I want you. I want to laugh with you, fight with you, have a family with you. I want it all with you for the rest of my life.”

Maddie clamps her lips together, but her shaking only gives her away. “Are you sure?”

I hold up the ring box again. “More than anything,” I whisper. “Maddie—”

“Maddie, you marry him?”

I whirl around to face Maria. Her husband is trying and failing to hold her back, but she’s not having it. Why does that not surprise me?

“Mom!” Maddie whines. “He’s supposed to ask me, not you.”

“Okay, you ask.” Maria relents, hiding a giant grin behind her hands and bouncing on her toes.

I shake my head and focus on the woman I love. “Will you marry me?”

Tears spring to Maddie’s eyes, and she nods. “Yes.”

I jump up to give her the kiss that yes deserves.

The ring.I forgot to give her the ring.

“Wait.” I pull back and open the box. I’m wholly unprepared for the monstrosity that’s nestled inside. The ring is bigger than a quarter and boasts several different colors and rhinestones. “Is that a…”