Page 107 of The Boss I Can't Stand

“I looked at dozens of rings but always kept coming back to this one,” I said. “The striations in the stone reminded me of threads, which felt perfect for you.”

“Not a Veritique this time?”

“No. They do beautiful work and I’d love to show you some of their pieces, but not for this. Not for you.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice catching on the word.

“But nowhere near as beautiful as the life I want to make with you,” I said. “I know we’ve sort of been through this before, but this time Imean it, Sierra. I want to spend the rest of this big, beautiful, messy life with you.”

A sob worked its way out between her hands as a few tears escaped.

“Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

She blinked, her eyelashes coated with tears. “I will,” she whispered as I took her trembling hand and slid the ring onto her finger. Perfect fit.

She laughed in disbelief as I climbed to my feet, sweeping her into my arms for a desperate kiss. As we broke apart, the sound of applause rang out. I turned and grinned at my family, all jammed together in the hallway, impatiently waiting to congratulate us.

“Yay!” Grace hollered as Connor finally released her. She sprinted down the rest of the hall and launched into my arms. “Now I get to be the ring bear and the flower girl!”

“You sure do,” I said, looking from Grace to Sierra, knowing I was staring down my forever. It looked pretty damn perfect.