Page 52 of When I Should’ve Stayed (Red Bridge #2)

Summer looks around the bar, as if she’s trying to find Josie’s sister, but Josie is quick to correct her. “Norah doesn’t live here. She lives somewhere else.”

Summer searches Josie’s face, her little mind trying to understand. “Heee?”

“No.” Josie shakes her head. “Norah isn’t here.”

“Sa-sa?” Summer questions. “Saaa-d.”

Josie doesn’t answer. Instead, she picks up a red crayon and colors in my mermaid’s hair.

“Oh, pitty!” Summer exclaims when she sees it. “Red! Pitty red!” For her age, she’s actually pretty advanced with her colors, and my chest puffs up with uncle pride.

Josie taps Summer’s nose with an affectionate finger. “Not as pretty as you, sweetie.”

Summer grins up at Josie, and it makes my heart grow ten sizes in my chest. Fuck, I love this woman. I love everything about her. Sure, she’s complicated and complex and stubborn and sometimes it’s hard to get a read on her, but she’s my favorite person. Ever.

I want to grow old with her. I want to marry her again in front of all our nearest and dearest. I want it all, and I only want it with her.

“Summer, will you ask Josie when she’s going to marry me again?” I say, pretending to whisper into Summer’s ear, but saying it loud enough for Josie to hear. “I love her so, so much.”

Summer’s eyes go wide, and she looks up at Josie. “Many, Uncie Cay?”

“Marry,” I correct her.

“Ma-wee,” she repeats the word, and I nod. “Ma-wee Uncie Cay?” she asks Josie, and my wife’s face would win a poker game.

“Someday, sweetie,” is all she says before going back to coloring in the mermaid’s crown with a yellow crayon.

“Ma-wee?” Summer asks, her eyes now locked on my face.

“You want to know what that word means?”

“Ma-wee?” she questions again, and I pick up a crayon and draw two figures in a blank area on her Snow White page.

“This one is the girl.” I point to the one I drew with long hair, a wedding gown, a veil, and flowers. The name Josie is written above it. “This is Josie. She’s wearing a pretty wedding dress.”

“Flou-ahs?” Summer points at the page, and I nod.

“And she has pretty flowers too.”

“Pink?”

“Yes.” I smile down at her. “Pretty pink flowers.”

“So pitty!” She claps her hands.

“And this one is the boy.” I point to the figure with a tuxedo and bow tie and the name Clay written above it. “This is Clay, and he loves Josie very, very much.”

“Awwww,” Summer says.

“And since Clay loves Josie so, so much, he wants to marry her. When you love someone, you marry them.”

“Love? Maw-ee?”

“Yes,” I answer and write the words Love and Marry . “L-o-v-e. Love,” I spell it out. “M-a-r-r-y. Marry.” And then I write the words Clay loves Josie above the two figures.

“Awwww.” Summer smiles so hard that two dimples form in her cheeks. But it’s not long before she’s back to coloring with her pink crayon. Though, I don’t miss the fact that she carefully avoids the illustrated Josie and Clay on the page.

“So, Josie? You ready to marry me again?” I question, smiling over Summer’s head at her.

“I mean, Summer seems to think it’s pretty cute.

Pretty sure she said Awwww at least five times.

Though, you’re probably going to have to consider having pink flowers for your bouquet.

Otherwise, I think our girl might be disappointed, you know? ”

Josie just stares back at me, her eyes searching mine. I have no idea what she’s thinking, and I don’t have any time to ask her because Eileen Martin is at the other end of the bar, shouting toward me. “How about a little service?” she calls out, but a smile is on her lips.

I lean forward to press my mouth to Josie’s.

“April 16th or May 14th,” I whisper into her ear after I’m done.

“Pick the day so I can marry you again. Personally, I’d choose April 16th because it’s sooner, but I can understand if you go with May.

Flowers will be in full bloom, and we can probably have an outdoor ceremony in the square. ”

“Clay, you literally just got discharged from the hospital. We were in an accident where you almost died. Don’t you think we should focus on getting over that before we worry about planning parties in the square?” she challenges, her eyes searching mine with a desperation I can’t pinpoint.

I can’t imagine she’d still be blaming herself for all the shit that’s happened, but I take the opportunity to reassure her anyway. “I can’t think of anything better than a big-ass party to celebrate our love right now, Jose. You saved my life.”

She shakes her head. “I didn’t—”

“You did .” I smile. I don’t just mean the accident, though that’s the most obvious of it all.

Every time Josie Ellis chooses to love me, she saves me.

“I love you, Josie. I love you and I’m ready to marry you again and I’m ready to move on, to move past all the crazy shit we’ve had to deal with over the past few months.

I’m ready to focus on our future. On our lives together.

I’m ready to build a life for us with as many little mixtures of us as this world will allow. ”

Her lip quivers, but I don’t dwell on it, knowing it’ll only serve to embarrass her in front of all these people. “Pick the day, Jose,” I whisper instead, kissing the crook of her neck. “Pick a day, and make me the happiest man in the world.”

Knowing she’s had enough, I place a quick kiss to her lips and move down to the end of the bar. I give her space and time.

And with my space and time, I serve customers.

“You want something to drink?” I ask Eileen Martin, and she shrugs.

“That depends.”

I quirk a brow. “On what?”

“On whether or not you’ll give me the exclusive interview.”

“You want to interview me?”

She rolls her eyes. “Clay, I’m the leading journalist in town. And you’re the man who almost died in a car accident. Of course I want to interview you.”

“You do realize you’re the only journalist in town, right?”

“Because I’m the best, and no one wants to compete with the best.”

I laugh at that, but I also give in to her demands. I have no problem telling Eileen Martin all about the fateful night that Josie Ellis saved my life. With my renewed lease on life, I have no problem sharing it all.