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Chapter twenty-six

Gage

“Once I get started, you know there’s no backing out.”

Hazel rolls her eyes at me in the mirror as she lies on her side on my table. “I’m aware.”

“And the ribs? You’re sure that’s where you want it?

Kind of an intense spot for your first tattoo.

” I stretch the latex gloves over my hands as I stare down at her.

My wife is letting me give her the first tattoo she’ll ever have, and there’s something about this moment that is making me fall in love with her even more.

Maybe it’s how much trust she’s putting in me. Maybe it’s the fact that my art will be on her body for the rest of our lives.

Or maybe it’s the fact that the tattoo I’m about to give her is a way to bring this whole story of ours full circle.

“I’m not scared,” she says, making me laugh. “I can handle pain, remember?”

Memories of me spanking her among other various activities come to mind. I waggle my eyebrows at her. “Oh, I’m aware.”

She shoves me. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Gage Kingston.”

I l ean forward and press my lips to hers. “My mind will always be in the gutter when I’m around you, Hazel Kingston.”

Her smile makes my heart skip a beat, but not in the way that will make me end up in the hospital. No, it makes my heart beat in a way that reminds me I’m alive, and this woman lying here in front of me is the reason why I get to live a life full of gratitude and love.

Today is our four-month wedding anniversary and the letter Hazel’s mom gave us from my aunt said to do something you’ve been afraid to do.

Even though Hazel says she’s not scared, I know making this decision to finally get a tattoo is one that she’s been putting off because of the fear she has about it.

It’s not the pain, it’s the idea of putting art on her body that will be there forever.

Until last night when she told me that she’s not afraid anymore because the art I drew on her is how we first met and that’s what she always wants to remember about our time together—where we started compared to where we are now.

I can’t deny that her words made me tear up a bit.

But since we are both supposed to do something we’ve been afraid of, I have my own task to accomplish once I’m finished with her tattoo.

“Just focus on my tattoo, please,” she says, pulling me back to reality as I prepare the stencil for her body. Once I have it in place and lift it off, I have her check it in the mirror.

“You like?”

She smiles. “Yes. It’s perfect.” When she turns to me, I see tears in her eyes. “I want you to leave a mark on me forever, Gage. That’s what this represents to me.”

I lean forward and kiss her softly. “You left a mark on me the second I saw you, Spitfire. Your strength, your courage, your outlook on life, looking for the glimmers in it all the time…”

She folds in her lips as a tear rolls down her cheek. “That’s what my dad used to say about me. That’s why he used to call me his hummingbird.”

I pull her into me, kiss her softly, and wipe her tears away.

Once Hazel gets back in position, I get to work, and honestly, I don’t know why I doubted that this girl could handle this.

She actually falls asleep on me when I’m about halfway done which makes me laugh because most grown men tear up when they’re getting their ribs tattooed.

But while she’s out, I complete something extra just for us.

“Hazel?” I gently shake her awake. “Baby…I’m done.”

Her eyes flutter open. “What?”

“You fell asleep, baby. I have no idea how,” I say through a laugh. “But it’s done. You wanna see?” I help her stand and then take her back over to the mirror. She gasps when she sees the finished product.

“It’s beautiful, Gage.”

“It turned out good.”

She swats at me. “It’s better than good. It’s almost identical to the one you drew on my arm that day. But what is that?” she asks, pointing to the letters that I put in the corner of the wings. “DK and MS?”

“Diane Kingston and Michael Sheppard.” Her eyes lock with mine. “I felt like they needed to be a part of it too.”

She spins to face me, but as she does, I drop down to one knee. “Gage? Wh—what are you doing?”

“Hazel Marie Kingston…”

“We’re already married, Gage!” she exclaims through her laugh.

“I know we are, Spitfire. Will you just let me say what I need to say, damn it?”

She closes her mouth and nods.

“Thank you. Now, as I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted…” She rolls her eyes, which only seems fitting at this point.

“Hazel Ma rie Kingston, I never imagined in a million years that the day I was called to draw a hummingbird on you would be the day that changed my entire life. But now, that piece of art is permanently on your body, and there’s no better way to signify this day than to make sure you know that being married to you is both everything I never wanted and everything I could ever need. ”

I reach into my back pocket and take out the ring I bought last week, a princess cut solitaire with two pink diamonds on the sides.

“I never bought you a ring when we agreed to this because I didn’t think this would be forever.

But now I know without a shadow of a doubt that you are the woman that was meant to be my wife, to fight with me and for me, to make my life have meaning.

And one day soon, I’d like to have a proper wedding with you, if that’s what you want.

” Hazel’s eyes are full of tears, but I continue.

“Hazel…will you continue to be married to me for the rest of our lives?”

She kneels down in front of me. “Yes.”

I slide the ring on her finger and then pull her face toward mine, kissing her with everything I have.

When we part, she says, “This ring is beautiful.”

Peering down at the diamond on her hand, I sigh. “I knew it belonged on your hand.”

“But I don’t have one for you, Gage.”

I lift my left hand and show her the tattoo I had one of the other guys do yesterday, hoping that Hazel wouldn’t notice. The solid hummingbird on the base of my left ring finger is still swollen, but it was the perfect way to mark me as hers. “I don’t need one. I have you marked on me too.”

She covers her mouth. “Oh my God. When did you do that?”

“Axel did it yesterday for me after I told him I want to take over the shop.” She gasps, her eyes wide. We haven’t talked about me taking over t he shop since that day before Parker and Cashlynn’s wedding, but making that decision was the thing I’d been afraid to do.

Well, not anymore.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice, but I’m glad so I could surprise you with it.”

Hazel launches herself at me as we tumble to the ground. And that’s where we stay, laughing and talking until it’s time to take her home and celebrate properly.