“I knew I liked that boy.”

Grace went back to cutting tomatoes. “Does Dad like him?”

“Your dad’s a hard sell. As long as Dameon asks him for your hand first, your dad will ignore the fact he wears a suit.”

She shook her head. “Oh, we’re not there. No one is getting on one knee anytime soon.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that. I know a man in love when I see one, and your Dameon is all of that and more.”

“Mom, don’t start the marriage talk or you’ll scare him away.”

Nora laughed. “You don’t have to worry about me. It’s your dad that will take that too far.”

“He should get on Matt. What’s taking him so long?” Grace asked.

Nora just smiled.

“What do you know?”

“You know Matt and Erin were just in Chicago visiting her sister.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m pretty sure he asked Erin’s father for his blessing.”

Grace stopped slicing. “You’re kidding. Erin isn’t close with her dad.”

Her mom shook her head. “That isn’t going to stop Matt from doing the right thing. And since everything that happened with Erin, I think her father is really trying.”

“It’s going to take some time to make up for being a bad parent all those years.”

Erin’s father had money to give, but not love, to his daughters. But as the man grew older, he started to realize what he missed out on.

“People make mistakes, honey.”

“I guess.”

Noise from the front room drifted in as the house began to fill. “We’re here,” Colin’s voice called out.

Dameon hadn’t seen his mom laugh this much since before his father died. Well, except when she was high on Christmas.

Here in the Hudson home, she sat beside Grace’s parents, and they all chatted as if they’d known each other for years.

Every once in a while, Grace would look at him silently and just smile.

In those moments, he smiled back and reached for her.

A hand on his thigh, a whisper in his ear of some private thought . . . he wasn’t sure how this had happened, but somehow she’d wedged herself into his world and he never wanted her to leave.

Sometime after dinner, Dameon was on the back porch with Matt and Colin. Matt had dragged them out there saying he needed help with something. Once they were out there, he stood on the side of the house and pulled out a cigar. “I’m going to ask Erin to marry me on Sunday.”

Colin pulled his brother in for a hug. “That’s huge. I’m so happy for you.”

Dameon felt honored to be a part of the conversation. “Congrats,” he said with a handshake.

Matt lifted the cigar to his brother with a laugh. “This is a new tradition,” Matt explained to Dameon. “Colin lit up a cigar when he told me he was asking Parker.”

Dameon didn’t smoke, but he had no problem taking a puff or two for brotherhood.

“Does she know?” Colin asked.

“I don’t think so.”

They both looked at Dameon. “Grace hasn’t said anything.”

“Good.”

“So, did you ask her dad?” Colin said.

“Of course. Dad would be pissed if I didn’t.”

Dameon took the stogie when it was offered. “You asked her dad if you could marry her?”

Matt nodded. “Our dad lives by the man code. If she’s pregnant . . .”

“You marry her,” Colin finished for him.

“If you want to marry her . . .”

“You ask her father first.” Colin gave his brother a fist bump.

Dameon laughed. “My dad would have liked your dad.”

Colin cupped Dameon’s shoulder. “That’s tough.”

“Thanks.”

Colin twisted quickly to Matt. “Wait, is Erin pregnant?”

Matt missed one beat.

One!

Colin tossed his hands in the air and pulled them both in for a hug.

“Holy shit.”

“Shhh. You don’t know this yet.” But Matt was all smiles.

Colin raised both his hands. “We need whiskey.”

“Hello, Captain Obvious.” Matt looked around the corner, then back.

Their smiles were contagious. Dameon felt himself laughing right along with them.

“We talked about kids, a lot.” Matt looked to Dameon. “Erin didn’t care about getting married again. She’s so excited.”

“Why hasn’t she said anything?”

“I asked her to hold off. Told her you and Parker needed the spotlight for a little while after the wedding.” Matt tapped Dameon’s shoulder. “Then you come along and suddenly Grace is the center of attention.”

“You’re welcome?” Dameon said with a laugh.

“Thanks.” Matt took a puff of the cigar. “So, Sunday . . .”

Colin just kept shaking his head. “Damn . . .”

“I need your help . . .”

Ten minutes later, straight faces in place, the three of them walked back in the house.

Dameon’s mom was talking about something and laughing while Nora and Emmitt laughed with her. Grace was sitting beside Erin.

Parker slid up next to Colin.

She sniffed a few times and asked, “Have you guys been smoking?”

Dameon couldn’t help but laugh.

Colin looked guilty, and Matt shrugged.

“Smoking?” Emmitt asked as his eyes narrowed to all three of them.

“Oh, you don’t have to smoke that stuff anymore,” Dameon’s mom said. “It comes in cookies.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Dameon found the way to get Grace and him into the local paper.

All he had to do was sweet-talk a reporter to show up at a certain fire station on a certain Sunday when a certain someone might be popping the question to his girlfriend. And with Valentine’s Day but a couple of weeks away, who could resist?

“Where are you taking me?” Grace sat in the passenger seat wearing a classic little black dress and high heels.

“It’s a surprise.”

He’d told her they were going to catch the sunset somewhere special and they needed to get an early start.

Dameon had the easy job. Get Grace to the fire station by five.

Colin had to manage Parker and Erin.

“Have I told you I don’t like surprises?”

He glanced at her. “Everyone likes a surprise.”

“Are we going to the beach? Sunset over the ocean?”

Dameon drove east on a back road. “I’m not telling.”

“Fine.”

He laughed.

She moaned. “Whatever.”

He stopped at a light, looked at the time. They were cutting it a little close.

“Isn’t he cute?” Grace was peering out the window at a black and white husky that had its head sticking out the window.

“Adorable.”

“Have you ever had a dog?”

What was up with the traffic light? They had five minutes.

“Dameon?”

“What?” Oh, the dog. “Yeah. My dad was partial to German shepherds.”