Rowdy (Marked Men #5)(81)
The shop was busy and there was plenty of chatter going on in the background, but when I asked the question the place was suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Cora yanked her hand back and a hot-pink flush colored her face. Her turquoise eye flashed at me in humor and the brown one got all melty and soft.
“Maybe.” I laughed at her and reached back for her hand to look at the ring on her left hand.
This was Cora after all, no boring diamond or traditional gold setting would do. Instead it was a ring that twisted around her finger and had two gems sitting offset next to each other, one a creamy golden topaz and the other a pristine blue sapphire. It wasn’t an exact match to her two-tone eye color but the idea was there and obvious. I never would have pictured a big, gruff guy like Rome Archer getting something like an engagement ring so perfectly right.
I felt Rowdy over my shoulder as he reached out and took Cora’s hand from mine.
“I knew he was up to something last night. Secretive bastard.” He let Cora’s hand fall and reached out to squeeze me on the back of the neck. I wasn’t sure if it was a warning not to get any ideas or a warning that something like that beautiful ring was in my near future. “Congratulations, but why didn’t you say anything, Tink?”
I thought it was really cute the guys all called her Tink. It was short for Tinker Bell because she was so small and blond. Even if her personality was more shark than woodland sprite, the nickname fit.
Cora lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I dunno. I’m still kind of in shock.”
Rowdy laughed. “Oh, come on. We all know Rome’s an old-fashioned guy at heart. Of course he was gonna make an honest woman out of you and ask you to marry him.”
She held her hand out in front of her and turned it so that the light from outside shimmered and glinted of the jewels. She really did look like a hip and trendy version of a Disney character.
“He didn’t ask me.” Both of her eyebrows shot up and a sardonic grin pulled at her mouth. “He told me.”
That made Rowdy laugh and I just gaped at her. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Nope. He took me out to dinner, which was really nice since we haven’t really had a ton of alone time together since Remy was born. We went back home and I thought my dad and the baby were still going to be there but Rome asked Dad to take her for the night.” She blinked rapidly and wrinkled her nose. I think she was about to cry before she reined it in. “He also asked my dad for permission, which is so crazy. Rome never asks anyone for anything, ever.” She put a hand to her chest and sighed. “He got down on one knee and told me he didn’t care if we lived in the rental forever or if we lived in a tent in the woods as long as we were together forever. Then he told me I was going to marry him, that I didn’t have a choice.” She flashed the ring at me. “Then he put this on me and told me I’m never allowed to take it off.”
I didn’t think that sounded very romantic but apparently it had been because it was the only time I could remember ever seeing Cora look so dreamy eyed.
“Well, congratulations.” I was really happy for her. She was a very cool chick and had a beautiful family. It was a nice change of pace to the early-morning horror that had been just outside my door.
“I was engaged a million years ago and it was a shit show. It all feels different when it’s the right person. Like it just settles into your bones and you just know it’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Rowdy’s fingers tightened on the back of my neck and I looked up at him by tilting my head back a little. His sky-blue eyes were glowing in his face.
“Well, tell the big guy we’re all happy for the two of you and you do realize this means Rule is going to be in charge of Rome’s bachelor party when the time comes, right?”
She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut with her teeth clicking together. She narrowed her eyes at Rowdy. “Over my dead body.”
She turned on her combat-booted heel and headed back up the stairs. Rowdy let go of his hold on me and propped his hip on the edge of the desk. He changed the subject to the one I was trying to actively avoid thinking about.
“I think you should pack up Poppy and come stay at my apartment for a few days while the cops try and find that Oliver guy to serve him with the restraining order.”
Since my sister’s estranged husband wasn’t from the area and we couldn’t figure out how he had located Poppy, finding him was a much more difficult task than it should have been. And really a restraining order wasn’t any kind of guaranteed protection. Royal had been brutally clear with Poppy when she explained that all it did was enable the police to arrest Oliver for violating the order, but he could very well walk right through it if he was as intent on getting to her as he seemed to be.
I propped an elbow on the edge of the desk and looked up at him through my lashes. “Yeah. That would probably make her feel a little better about things.” I sighed. “It would probably make me feel better about things as well.”
He reached out and tugged lightly on the ends of my hair. “They’ll find him.”
“How do you think he even knew where to look for her, where I lived?”
“I dunno. Maybe he searched for you on the Internet. All he would have to do is search Google and you pop up as the manager of the shops here. I’m not sure how he narrowed it down to what apartment complex you live in, though. Do you think Poppy might have told someone she was staying with you?”