Page 149 of Preacher Man

He made her food and managed to talk her into a nap in the living room.

And then Preacher sat on the opposite couch and watched her sleep. And did some thinking of his own.

Only when she stirred two hours later, unfurling like a little kitten, he watched the planes of her face change, from relaxed and serene to that first gut punch of realization, everything coming back into her mind all at once, her brows dropped and she took a shuddered breath.

He knew that feeling well. It would live with her every sleep for a long time. Every time she woke it would hit her all over again.

“Hey, Beautiful, good nap?”

Her eyes found him. Smiled. “Yeah. Was I out for long?”

“You needed it.”

“I need to get back to work.” She yawned, slipped her feet out of the blanket, rested them on the floor.

“Otis understands. So, does Rider.”

“I know, but I need something to do.”

It was now or never.

“Come and sit over here, Ruby. I want to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” Wary eyes.

“It’s nothing bad.” He gestured her over with his hand and fuck him, she came right away, took his fingers, allowed him to pull her down onto his lap and she curled there right into his chest, causing a forest fire of feelings.

“You know all the stuff Archie has talked to you about?”

“About how my circumstances make it more difficult but not impossible, to gain custody of Seb?”

“Yeah. Well, we …Ihave a solution or something that can’t hurt towards your case in getting him. And know, before I tell you, this is me wanting to help you, baby. I’ll do anything I can, you know that?”

She smiled shyly, a look he’d rarely seen on her face, his Ruby was usually the confidence in the room, the smartass, and the snark-queen. He took her chin and tipped it up. “I think we should get married, Ruby.”

The pin dropped and the noise was earthquake loud.

She gaped at him like he was suddenly speaking a foreign language. Preacher smiled worried and kissed her nose. “This is what finally renders you mute?”

“I. Well. I.”

“All good choices, beautiful.” He laughed and felt better about it suddenly now he saw she was nervous as well.

“You want to marry me?” Two slow blinks.

“Yes.”

“So, I can get custody of Seb?”

She’d caught the gist, now he was just wanting his answer. Not how he thought his first proposal would go, no wonder Rider sweated bullets every time he asked his Zara. And at the last count around the clubhouse Rider was batting 0 for 5.

Fuck. His pits began to sweat a little under his shirt, eyes tracking over her flawless face. She had her hair caught back in a pink tie-thingy today, he played with the ends draped over her shoulder. “Yes,” he answered finally, gruffness in his voice.Say yes, baby.

“I can’t let you do that, Asher. I mean, really. That might be the biggest, sweetest nicest, thing anyone has ever offered me, and you’ve been amazing this week, so it’s really sweet------”

“It has nothing to do with sweetness. I’m not that man.”

“We’re not even----I mean, we’re not like-----”