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Gabby chuckled. “We’ve come a long way, huh?”
“Yeah, we have,” he agreed, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “Feels like it was just yesterday that I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I liked you, and now here we are.”
Gabby smiled, thinking back to the months they’d secretly crushed on each other before finally getting together. So much has happened since then—missions, danger, recovery, and healing. But now, they were building a life together. The condo was just the start.
“I can’t believe it’s Thanksgiving,” Gabby murmured, looking out at the ocean as the breeze picked up, carrying the salty scent of the water. “I’m just so thankful that we’re here, that we’re safe. I feel like I have everything I need.”
“Same here,” Playboy replied softly, pulling her closer. “You, me, this new place, and a bunch of crazy friends to spend the day with.”
Gabby laughed. It was true. They were heading over to Bear and Jocelyn’s soon, where most of the team was gathering for a big Thanksgiving feast. Her parents had planned to join, but they ended up going to the Keys to see her brother, who had finally made it home and shared the exciting news that he and Marnie were going to have a baby. It made her heart swell withhappiness, knowing her family was growing and that, despite everything, life was moving forward.
“You ready to go?” Playboy asked.
“Sure,” she said. But just as she turned to head inside, Playboy gently caught her arm and gently tugged her back onto the balcony.
???
Playboy stood there. All he could focus on was Gabby. She looked beautiful, content, and happy. And that made him nervous as hell for what he was about to do.
He had planned this for weeks, but now that the moment was here, his palms were sweaty, and his heart was pounding like he was heading into battle.Why am I so damn nervous?He’d faced firefights, rescue missions, and life-threatening situations without flinching, but proposing to Gabby? This was a whole different level of intensity.
Gabby stared up at him, her eyebrows raised in confusion. “What is it? We're going to be late.”
“I know,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady as he pulled her closer. “There is something I need to tell you first.”
He led her toward the railing, the ocean breeze making her hair flutter around her face. For a moment, they just stood there, looking out at the water.
Playboy swallowed hard, slipping his hand into his pocket to feel the small velvet box.This is it.
Gabby turned to him, her smile fading into a look of concern. “Tanner, you’re acting weird. What’s going on?”
Playboy took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the moment. He reached for her hands, holding them tightly as he met her eyes. “Okay, so, you know how it took me forever to finally ask you out?”
Gabby grinned, tilting her head. “Yeah, I seem to remember waiting for what felt likeforever.”
He chuckled nervously. “Right. Well, I promised myself I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.” He let go of one of her hands to pull out the small box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing the ring inside. “So, I’m not going to wait to ask you to marry me.”
Gabby’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth parting slightly, but she didn’t say anything right away.
Playboy’s voice cracked with a mix of excitement and nerves. “Look, I know it’s soon. But I know we’re meant to be. I’ve known that for a long time. And I don’t care how long we stay engaged or what people think. I just want you, Gabby. Forever. So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”
For a second, there was silence. Then, Gabby burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. Playboy blinked in surprise. “Uh... laughing wasn’t the reaction I expected.”
Gabby grinned, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m not laughing at you, you idiot. I just didn’t expect you to say it like that!”
Playboy scratched the back of his neck, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. “Well, what did you expect? Fireworks? A marching band?”
Gabby stepped closer, taking his face in her hands. “No, I expected exactlythis,” she said, her voice soft. “You. Just you.”
Then, with a smile that made his heart race, she whispered, “Yes, Tanner. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
The world around them seemed to pause as Playboy pulled her into his arms, spinning her around before setting her down gently. “God, you scared me for a second,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Scared you?” Gabby teased. “You're the one who pulled this out of nowhere.”
“Well,” he grinned, slipping the ring onto her finger, “I figured since I was already head over heels for you, I might as well make it official.”
Gabby smiled at the ring, then back up at him. “I love you, Tanner.”
