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“Who’s teasing, trash panda?” He raises a brow and gets on one knee, pulling something from his pocket. “I’ve been waiting for months for this ring to come in. Don’t spoil it.”

I’m frozen with a plate in my hand. It’s empty because it’s going in front of Racer. Good thing, too, because I’m shaking so hard I’d spill pasta everywhere.

He holds up a ring, and I notice that his hands aren’t any steadier than mine. I’m too busy staring into his eyes to see what kind it is.

“Adelaide, would you do me the honor of knocking trash cans over at my side for the rest of my life?”

Even his voice shakes. He’s trying to smile, but it’s wobbling and ready to fall off at any second. His face has gone pale. I think I can see sweat beading up as I stare blankly at him.

“Even with a walker,” I mutter in a daze. I start nodding slowly at first, and then fast enough that my hair starts whipping around in its tail. “Yes!”

The joy and relief that descends on him makes me think he’s about to pass out. I set the plate down roughly and hurry to support him.

I glance down as he snatches my hand from his arm and pushes a ring onto my finger. We’re both shaking and laughing like fools when he kisses me.

Chapter Sixteen

Adelaide

The second I agreed to marry him, Poe became a whirlwind of activity.

I thought we were heading to bed without dinner.

In reality, he went into his study with his phone and stayed there for hours, making plans. When I banged on the door to tell him to eat, he barked back that he wanted everything to be perfect and to leave him alone.

Crazy man.

The ring has a tiny raccoon face and a trailing curl of a tail with diamond stripes. When I finally looked at it, I cried happy tears.

My excitement didn’t sidetrack my irritation with his sudden self-isolation.

I ate dinner, grumbling to Racer about useless dogs, until he reappeared with a giddy grin that stopped my heart.

He booked a flight to a beach in LA, set up a hotel and a wedding venue, and planned all sorts of sightseeing—all in one hour. One hour is all it took to get me under lock and key.

Determined, crazy man.

He started packing the very next day, blissfully ignoring his manager’s calls. I had to be the one to tell Murphy the news in a giddy rush. He pouted about not being invited to the wedding.

As a matter of fact, who could we invite to be witnesses? We need something like that, don’t we?

As soon as I asked, Poe hushed me as if I was spreading bad luck and called Damon like they’d been best friends forever. Listening to Poe demand that Damon enjoy a paid vacation with Grace for one favor was hilarious. They’ll be the only witnesses to the next chapter of our lives. Murphy is going to get a celebration dinner when we return.

The wedding is scheduled for Tuesday morning. We have a whole week away with enough time to come back for the expo he started planning. As this is the first one, he wants to make sure we’re both there to see how it goes.

He’s so excited that I said yes that I have to laugh as I watch him. Mr. Calm is ready to burst open with happiness at all the changes I’ve dragged into his life. Every time I try to calm him down and protest at the rush, it makes him worse. He’s like a kid at Christmas. Over the moon with joy and unwilling to let it go. He’s refusing to allow any more delays to stand in his way. He even threatened to gag me and put me in a suitcase if I didn’t start playing along.

I won’t lie. I’m no better. This feels like centuries in the making and a blip of time at once. I’m embracing it with everything in me. I can’t help it. He’s my one. Legal paper or not, I’d never leave anyway.

By the time we’re on our flight, my nerves have taken over. Part of it is the fact that I’ve never been on a plane before. I’ve never been to LA. All the thoughts of what ifs.

Is this a mistake? What if things don’t work out? Everything any normal person would think about.

Damon and Grace are with us, excited to be included instead of trying to talk us out of this. I’m surprised at their sudden change in attitude about us rushing things until Damon makes a determined comment while we’re boarding the flight.

“One more step of pure happiness down,” His ecstatic grin right in my face said it all.

He sees me grabbing something happy and not letting go. A sign that I might be a crazy raccoon lady, but I’m moving forward instead of wallowing.