Page 96 of A Baby for the Firefighter
“A boxer. He's so small and squishy and warm and...” I stopped, because Eli and I could talk about our dogs all day, but this was not what I'd called for. “You can maybe come over later but right now we're having a bit of an emergency. We think the dog might have swallowed my engagement ring.”
“When did you getengaged?” Eli asked, instead of focusing on the problem. Not that I blamed him. Iwasgiving him a lot to process.
“I didn't,” I said. “Dean doesn't have a ring to propose with right now.”
“Oh. Oh God.” Eli burst out laughing, finally seeing the whole picture. “Sounds like you're off to a great start with this dog.”
“I know, right?” I smiled because my brother's laughter was contagious, and yeah, he was right, this situation was kind of ridiculous. “What do you think we should do?”
“Dogs eat tons of shit they're not supposed to. I'm sure the ring's not going to hurt him, but take him to the vet anyway. It'll probably pass naturally, though.”
Pass naturally...Yay. “Okay, thank you.”
When I got off the phone with my brother, Dean sat on the couch with Bastian in his arms and the boxer on his lap. Part of me was tempted to fetch my camera and take a shot. What could be sexier than a hot alpha cuddling a dog and a baby? More specifically, my dog and my baby.
“What are you smiling at?” Dean asked.
“Nothing. Don't move.” I snapped a picture with my phone. Not as good as a pro camera, but better than nothing. “This one's for the family album.”
Dean grimaced. “Is this a day to remember?”
“Oh, definitely. Bastian's gonna love hearing this story when he grows up.”
“And you'll tell it over and over, won't you?”
I only grinned at him in response.
He sighed. “Okay. Fair enough. What did Eli say?”
“To go to the vet.” I took my furbaby from Dean. “Honestly, I can't believe you're making me rush him to the vet so soon!”
Bastian babbled something incoherent as if to agree with me, then one of his tiny hands reached out to the dog,
“You wanna pet the doggy?” I asked, holding him so Bastian could put his fingers on the soft fur. My son studied this fascinating new creature with big eyes. He had Dean's eyes, which I was glad for. They were so gorgeous and expressive. I was sure I had the cutest baby there ever was. The dog sniffed his arm and Bastian laughed.Aww. Instant friendship. My heart melted a little.
“You picked well,” I told Dean.
“You think so? I'm glad.” He leaned over to kiss my cheek. “I'm sorry I messed up the rest. This was supposed to be special.”
“Oh, it is.”
“If you say so.” Dean allowed himself a smile as he got up from the couch. “I'm going to get my coat and call the vet.”
“Okay.” I set the dog down so I could take the baby from Dean. “You like the new doggy?” I asked my son, softly rocking him in my arms. He replied in coos and gurgles and a short giggle. “I'm going to take that as a yes.”
Dean came back into the living room after only a moment—without his coat or his phone. I shot him a questioning look. He didn't respond to it, instead, he simply walked up to me and went down on one knee.
What...?
“You found it?” I asked, when my brain caught on to what was happening. I was getting my proposal after all!
He only grinned and took my hand. “You're not only my best friend, but the love of my life, the father of my child, and the most beautiful, kindest omega I've ever met,” he said, and he looked so sincere I nearly blushed. He truly meant every word he said, I had no doubt about that. “Every day you give me a reason to smile, to laugh, even when things go wrong,” he went on. “You make my life brighter for being in it, and I don't ever want to part from you again. Griffin Stevens, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” In his free hand, he held the ring, the light of the living room reflecting off it in a way that made it shine. It was beautiful.
“Of course I will!” I exclaimed before I could tear up. Him, the dog, the baby—this was everything I'd ever wanted, and to be honest, I still couldn't believe my luck.
Dean slid the ring onto my finger, and then he stood and kissed me, making my whole body tingle with joy.
“Where did you find it?” I asked Dean when we parted, staring at the ring on my finger.
“Coat pocket,” he said sheepishly.
I snorted. “Oh, you.”
“Will you marry me anyway?”
“Are you kidding? I'm glad I'm not the only silly person in this relationship.” I kissed him again. Between us, Bastian laughed, as if amused by his parents’ antics.
I had a feeling he was going to see a lot more of those in the future, and I couldn't have been happier.