Page 30 of The Secrets We Keep (Sovereign Sons MC: North Carolina #1)

GRAYSON

My heart is about to beat out of my chest. I’m fucking nervous. I look at my son for reassurance and he gives me a big, lopsided grin. My nerves immediately ease. Okay, only by a fraction.

“You look awfully sure,” I grumble.

“Because I am,” Ash chuckles. “She’s going to be so happy.”

“And how about you? Are you happy?” I ask.

“Yep!” Asher chirps. “But I’ll be happier when you marry my mama, and we finally move into the house!”

I reach out and ruffle his hair, sending the curls in every direction. “I’ll be happier, too.”

We’ve spent the day getting ready for this proposal.

Asher and I went to the barber to get our hair cut, we went to the jeweler to pick up the rings, and to the flower shop.

Then we came back to the clubhouse and set everything up.

Asher and Paisley made a banner, and the guys hung it up for me.

Chef is making Sophie’s favorite pasta, baked ziti, with garlic bread and salad.

Now, we just have to wait for Sophie to come home.

Gwen took her out for a day of pampering, at my insistence. They got massages, got their hair and nails done, and did a little shopping to kill time. I’m expecting them to show up in the next five minutes and my heart is pounding from nerves and excitement.

Rowan walks up beside me and pats me on the back. “She’s going to say yes, brother. She’s loved you since we were kids.”

That releases some of the tension I’m feeling. “Thanks, Ro.”

“Just got a text from Wren,” Axel calls out as he enters the room. “They’re coming down the street.”

Everyone rushes out of the room except me and Asher. Silence fills the clubhouse a few moments later. When Wren’s car pulls into the lot, I hear the door close, and Wren’s car pull away.

“You ready, Ash?” I ask as I pull him in for a hug.

He beams up at me. “Ready, dad.”

I give him a smirk and then look up as the door to the clubhouse opens. Sophie strides inside, adjusting the bags on her arms. She stops in her tracks when she looks up and sees us waiting in front of her.

Her favorite flowers, lilies, cover the room.

Candles make a walkway to where Asher and I stand.

Her mouth opens in shock when she reads the banner above us.

That’s the cue for Asher and me to drop to our knees.

Sophie drops her bags, and her hands cover her mouth before she makes her way towards us, tears glistening in her eyes.

“What is all of this?” She rasps.

“Sophie Parker, I have loved you from the moment I met you. It was a different kind of love, a friendly kind of love. But it evolved over the years into the one-of-a-kind love that I never thought was possible. You aren’t just my best friend; you’re the love of my life.

When I lost you seven years ago, my world shifted.

I thought that was it for me. That I’d never find love like that again.

Then you came back and altered my world once again, this time for the better.

You were like the sun breaking through the clouds after a rainy day.

A breath in my oxygen-starved lungs. The love I was missing out on was right in front of me, but it had only doubled in size,” I say as I gaze down at Asher before turning my attention back to Sophie.

“Our love is no longer puppy love. We’re no longer high school sweethearts.

We’re now a forever kind of love. We have a second chance at this, and I could never be more grateful for you and Asher stumbling back into my life.

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

Tears are streaming down Sophie’s face, but she nods her head vigorously. “A million times yes!”

Asher jumps to his feet and cheers as I stand and sweep Sophie into my arms. I slam my mouth down on hers and kiss her with everything I’ve got. She meets my kiss hungrily until we hear a muttered, “ew” from Asher.

When we break apart, he throws his arms around us and smiles up at us. “We’re a real family now!”

“Yeah, we are,” I murmur as I pull them both closer. I pull the velvet box from my pocket and step back, kneeling once again. I pull the oval shaped diamond from the ring box and slip the gold band onto her finger. The gold looks beautiful on her tan skin.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers as she looks at it in awe.

“Asher helped pick it out,” I tell her.

“You did?”

“Yep!” He cheers, bouncing up and down in excitement. “Let’s show her the rest of our surprise!”

Sophie’s eyebrows rise. “There’s more?”

I chuckle. “Follow us, baby.”

Asher leads us into the kitchen where our feast is set up in warmers. Chef finished everything early so he could be out of here before the surprise. I watch as Sophie looks over the food, her eyes growing larger when she sees her favorite.

“Chef’s baked ziti?” She asks.

“Only your favorite,” I murmur as I wrap my arms around her .

“Do you like it, mama?”

Sophie sniffles. “I love it. And I love the both of you more than anything.”

This is what I’ve been looking for my entire life.

A love that I don’t have to question. A woman who would do anything for our child.

A woman who would battle for us. Sophie.

It’s scary to think that I wouldn’t even have this if John hadn’t died.

He could have lived for another twenty years, and I would have missed out on everything.

I wouldn’t have gotten a second chance with Sophie.

I wouldn’t have been able to raise Asher.

I wouldn’t be able to hope for more kids.

I wouldn’t be able to hold her every night before I fall asleep and every morning when I wake up.

I hate that John did what he did, but I wouldn’t change a thing in this moment.

“I’m so glad we’re home,” Sophie says as she turns in my hold.

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” I murmur, pushing her blonde waves over her shoulder. “I can’t wait to make more babies with you and watch them grow.”

Tears fill her eyes once more. “I want that, too.”

“Does that mean I can have some brothers and sisters? Because I’m kind of tired of being an only child,” Asher grumbles.

I chuckle. “You bet, Ash. We’ll get started on that ASAP.”

Sophie’s eyes widen and she smacks me in the stomach. “Hush,” she hisses.

I smirk and pull her close. “It’s all been worth it, baby.”