“Yeah.” Because he could, he always could, he pressed his face to the strong line of her neck.
“And I’m going to be a grandmama. Two for one.” She drew back, kissed his cheeks. “I love that little girl. She’s already ours. I want you and Hayley to know I feel that way. That I’m happy for you. Even if you did manage to do this so the new baby arrives during our busiest season.”
“Oops. Didn’t think of that.”
“I forgive you.” She laughed, then pulled off her gloves so she could take his hands, flesh to flesh. “You asked her to marry you?”
“Sort of. Mostly I told her she was going to. And don’t give me that look.”
Her eyebrows stayed raised, her eyes steely. “It’s exactly the look you deserve.”
“I’m going to take care of it.” He looked down at their joined hands, then lifted hers, one by one, to his lips. “I love you, Mama. You set the bar high.”
“What bar is that?”
He looked back up, into her eyes. “I couldn’t settle for anybody I loved or respected less than I love and respect you.”
Tears swam again. “I’m going to need more than that bandanna in a minute.”
“I’m going to give her the best I’ve got. And to start, I’d like to have Grandmama’s rings. Grandmama Harper’s engagement and wedding rings. You said once when I got married—”
“That’s my boy.” With her lips curved, she kissed him lightly. “That’s the man I raised. I’ll get them for you.”
ONE OF THE other things he’d never imagined was how he’d propose to a woman. To the woman. A fancy dinner and wine? A lazy picnic? A giant WILL YOU MARRY ME? on the scoreboard screen at a game.
How weak was that?
The best, he decided, was the place and the tone that suited them both.
So he took her for a walk in the gardens at twilight.
“I don’t feel right about your mother riding herd on Lily again. I’m pregnant, not handicapped.”
“She wanted to. And I wanted an hour alone with you. Don’t—don’t go there. God, it’s getting so I can see what’s going on in your head. I’m crazy about Lily, and I’m not going to spend time telling you what’s so damn obvious.”
“I know. I know you are. I just can’t settle into all this. It’s not like I went jumping into bed all over two states. But here I am, for the second time.”
“No, this time is different. This is the first time. See that flowering plum?”
“I can only tell—or tell sometimes—when they’re blooming.”
“This one.” He stopped, reached up to touch one of the glossy green leaves. “My parents planted this right after I was born. We’ll plant one for Lily, and we’ll plant one for this baby. But see this one? It’s got nearly thirty years on it now, and they planted it for me. I always felt good about that. Always felt this was one of my places, right here. We’ll be making other places, you and me, but we’ll start here, with one that already is.”
He took the box out of his pocket, watched her lips tremble open, her gaze shoot up to his face. “Oh my God.”
“I’m not getting down on one knee. I’m not going to feel like an ass when I do this.”
“I think it had something to do with him pledging his loyalty. I mean that’s why guys started the one-knee thing.”
“You’ll just have to take my word on mine. I want this life we’ve started. Not just the baby, but what we’ve started together. You and me, and Lily, and now this baby. I want to live that life with you. You’re the first woman I’ve loved. You’ll be the last.”
“Harper, you—you really do take my breath away.”
He opened the box, smiled a little when he saw her eyes widen. “This was my grandmother’s. Kind of an old-fashioned setting, I guess.”
“I—” She had to swallow. “I prefer the word classic, or heirloom. Or let’s get real, woo-hoo. Harper, Roz must—”
“It was promised to me. Given to me to give to you, to the woman I want to spend my life with. I want you to wear it. Marry me, Hayley.”
“It’s beautiful, Harper. You’re beautiful.”
“I’m not done.”
“Oh.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I can’t imagine there’s more.”
“I want you to take my name. I want Lily to take my name. I want the whole package. I can’t settle for less.”
“Do you know what you’re saying?” She laid a hand on his cheek. “What you’re doing?”
“Exactly. And you better answer me soon, because I’d hate to spoil this romantic moment by wrestling you to the ground and shoving this ring on your finger.”
“It’s not going to come to that.” She closed her eyes for a moment, thought of flowering plums, of generations of tradition. “I knew you’d ask me to marry you when I told you I was pregnant. You’re built that way, to do what’s right. What’s honorable.”
“This isn’t—”
“You had your say.” She shook her head fiercely. “I’m having mine. I knew you’d ask, and part of the reason I felt sick about all this was because I was afraid I wouldn’t know for sure. That you’d ask because you felt it was what you had to do. But I do know, and that’s not why. I’ll marry you, Harper, and take your name. So will Lily. We’ll love you all of our lives.”
He took the ring out of the box, slid it on her finger.
“It’s too big,” he murmured as he lifted her hand to kiss.
“You’re not getting it back.”
He closed his hand over hers to hold the ring in place. “Just long enough to have it sized.”
She managed a nod, then threw herself into his arms. “I love you. I love you, I love you.”
With a laugh, he tipped back her head to kiss her. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
SHE FELT A little awkward going in with Harper to make the announcement to his mother and Mitch, to have David serving champagne. She was allowed half a glass, and had to make due with that for both toasts.
One on the engagement, and one for the baby.
Roz gathered her into a hug, and whispered in her ear. “You and I have to talk. Soon.”
“Oh. I guess so.”
“How about now? Harper, I’m going to steal your girl for a few minutes. There’s something I want to show her.”
Without waiting for a response, Roz hooked an arm through Hayley’s and led her out of the room and toward the stairs.
“You giving any thought to the sort of wedding you want?”
“I—no. It’s so much.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“Harper . . . he said something about getting married here.”
“I was hoping. We could use the ballroom if you want something splashy. Or the gardens and terrace if you want something more intimate. Y’all discuss it and let me know. I’m dying to dive in, and I plan to be very opinionated, so you’ll have to watch me like a hawk.”
“You’re not mad.”
“I’m surprised you’d say such a thing to me.”
“I’m trying to put myself in your place,” Hayley said as they climbed the stairs. “And I can’t quite get there.”
“That’s because you’ve got your own place. I like having mine to myself.” She turned toward her wing.
“I didn’t get pregnant on purpose.”
At the entrance to her bedroom, Roz paused, looked Hayley squarely in her swimming eyes. “Is that what’s going on in your head? Me thinking this is calculated on your part.”
“No—not exactly. A lot of people would.”
“I’m pleased to say I’m not a lot of people. I’m also a superior judge of character, with only one major stumble in my illustrious career. If I thought less of you, Hayley, you wouldn’t be living in my home.”
“I thought . . . when you said we had to talk.”
“Oh, that’s about enough of this business out of you.” Roz walked over to the bed, opened the box that sat on it. She lifted out what looked like a pale blue cloud.
“This was Harper’s blanket, what I had made for him right after he was born. I had one made for each of my boys, and they’re one of the things I saved to pass on. If you have a girl, you’ll use something of Lily’s or want something new and feminine. But I hope, if you have boy, you’ll use this. In either case, you should have this now.”