Page 108

“Papers just got mailed,” I tell him, but it’s more to feel him out. I never want them to feel like I have, or ever would, disrespect their daughter.

“You sign them?”

“Of course.”

“Get on it.” He winks.

“Hey.” Lo shields her eyes from the setting sun. “You have him doing wood again?”

From the porch, I hear Daniel chuckle. “He’s gonna be doing wood here for a long time, Lauren.”

Ryan laughs. “You better propose to her now before he does it for you.”

I call to her. “Your grandpa tells me you used to like to skip rocks on the pond out back; wanna see who can make theirs go the farthest?”

“You’re gonna be asking yourself why you didn’t stay in your lane, Grimes.” She laughs as she jogs to me and calls over her shoulder, “Be right back, Grandpa.”

“You’re stuck here forever now,” he calls behind her.

Ryan whispers to me, “Give me time to prep Jade. She’s gonna wanna catch this on film, or whatever it’s called.”

“We’ll walk slow.”

I wipe my hand on my jeans before holding it out for hers.

“I have sandals on; if I get bug bites on my feet, you’re going to be hearing me complain forever.”

I step ahead of her and squat down. “Climb on.”

Once settled, I nod to the pond. “You swim in there when you were younger?”

“A few times, but we had a pool, and Grandpa and Grandma had a dozen horses back then. They didn’t treat it.”

“Pools are safer.”

“Can’t skip rocks and drink out of a pool,” she says, resting her chin on my shoulder and kissing my cheek. “You didn’t end up going golfing with Skinner and Hunt?”

“I decided I’d come here instead,” I answer as we get closer. I grab her ankle and look down. “Toes look cute as hell, Lo.”

“And thanks to my Knight, they will remain without bites.” She holds her hand out in front of me. “Matching nails. Lily picked the color.”

“Lily picked out French tips?” I ask.

“Pretty sure they were meant to have glitter, but Joy did me a solid and pretended she was out of the kind that went with my nails.”

“Can’t let you get dirt under them; let me find some rocks.” I let her slide off my back.

“You know I came up here to plant bulbs, right? And that song, and water, and a good scrubbing … there’s a perfect one. I’m calling dibs.”

While she’s grabbing the rock, I glance back and see Jade, Ryan, and Daniel a safe distance behind us, two phones aimed in our direction.

“Found another. I am going to kick your ass at this.” She laughs.

I sink to one knee and watch her smile curtained by her hair, the wind rustling the pond grass just beyond her, and a line of trees casting just enough shade to frame the sunlight catching her hair and framing her face as she turns around.

“That’s one hell of a rock, Grimes.”

I look from the ring and back up to her. “Lo, this is the only thing I’ve ever picked out without asking if I deserved it first.”