The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(68)

“Be careful you two,” I plead.

They’re going to be the end of me, I swear it. But I love it, love them, and the bond they’ve been able to form so quickly. I worried that even though Seda knew she had another dad that she’d struggle to connect with Thayer. But my worries were for nothing.

When our pizzas are finished baking, we sit on the back deck to eat our dinner.

“This is so yummy.” Seda chews on a slice of her pizza. “Can we make this again?”

“Sure.” Thayer smiles, pleased she likes it.

“I like this way more than delivery, Mommy.”

“I guess we’ll start making all our pizzas at home,” I joke, tapping her nose.

She giggles, touching the spot my finger was at. “Did you get sauce on my nose?”

“Maybe.”

“Ugh, Mom.” She grabs a napkin, wiping frantically at her nose. “You made me dirty.” Thayer watches us, amusement in his eyes. I can see how happy he is and it makes my heart soar. Setting her napkin back down, she asks, “After dinner can we watch a movie?”

“How about after you have a bath?”

She huffs. “Fine.”





“Her favorite movie is Hocus Pocus too?” Thayer whispers in my ear.

Seda is fast asleep on the opposite side of the sectional couch with Winnie and Binx curled up beside her. She didn’t even make it fifteen minutes into the movie.

“What can I say? I watched it a billion times while I was pregnant with her and when she was a baby. It must have rubbed off on her.”

“She’s not scared of the zombie dude?”

“Billy?”

“Yeah, that guy.”

“No.” I shake my head. “He’s actually her favorite.”

He shakes his head, tsking softly. “My girls are so weird.”

I love the sound of that—not the weird part, but that we’re his girls.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Lord-of-theRings.”

“Those movies are amazing.” He takes a handful of popcorn from the bowl. “The books too.”

“You read the books?”

He looks at me like I’m insane. “Yes, I read the books.”

“Aren’t they like massive?”

“Not really. Did you think I couldn’t read?”

“Of course, I didn’t think that,” I laugh softly. We’re still whispering because of Seda. The last thing I want to do is wake her up when I know she needs her sleep.

“I guess I just didn’t picture you sitting around and reading. I mean, you’re already so busy and you have other hobbies and—” He shuts me up with a kiss. “What was that for?”

“Because you’re adorable when you ramble.”

“Oh.”

He stares at me intensely and I wonder what he’s thinking. Right about now I wish I had the power to read minds.

He leans forward, swiping a marker off the coffee table from when Seda was coloring.

I narrow my eyes, wondering what he’s doing.

“You haven’t let me sign your cast yet,” he says in response to my questioning gaze.

“I didn’t know you wanted to.”

I hold my casted arm out to him. There’s a lone bare spot left in the upper part of the cast near my elbow. He tugs my arm closer, lowering his head so I can’t see what he’s writing. It seems like he’s writing out more than his name.

When he sits back up, he meets my gaze and holds it. Lowering my eyes, I look down at my cast.

My breath catches in my throat.

Marry me?

My eyes dart back up to his. “What?”

He shoves the blanket off his lap, kneeling on the rug in front of me. He takes my hands in his eyes.

“I wasn’t going to do ask you like this, but sitting here with you, with her,” he glances over at Seda’s sleeping form, “I thought what am I waiting for? You already know how I feel about you and I know you love me. We want to keep building our family and our life together and so why not do that as husband and wife?”

There’s nothing else for me to say but, “Yes.”

He smiles, taking my cheeks in his hands he kisses me deeply. “Wait here.” He gets up from his kneeling position on the floor, and heads upstairs. He comes back a minute or so later and opens a ring box. I can’t help but gasp. The ring is emerald cut, with a thick silver band, and a pale pink diamond. It’s unique and yet simple—the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. He slips it onto my ring finger and it’s a perfect fit. “I saw this ring a few weeks ago and I had to buy it. I knew it was perfect for you.”

“I love it. I love you.”

He kisses me again, and Seda chooses that moment to wake up. “Why are you guys kissing? We’re supposed to be watching the movie.”

Thayer chuckles and I shake my head, beyond amused that she’s oblivious to the fact that she’s been sleeping.

“I asked your mom to marry me. Is that okay with you?”

She lights up, sitting up fully. Winnie gives a little whine at the change in position. “Does that mean I get to be a flower girl?”

Thayer and I exchange a look, both trying to hide our amusement. “Yes,” we say in unison.