AllFreeNovel
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“When I think about the future, there’s nobody else on this earth I could ever imagine standing next to me, holding my hand. On good days, and bad. I want to hold your hand for the rest of my life,” I continue. “And Junie’s, too. And I hope you know that when I ask you to marry me, I’m asking you both. Because I’m not just asking you to be with me forever, I’m asking you to let me become a part of your family. To be your husband, to be Junie’s dad.”
At that, Junie smiles.
I open the box, showing her the silver band I bought for her, with the row of inlaid diamonds.
“Busy Mitchell, will you marry me?”
She turns to Junie. “What do you think, Junie Bee? Should we say yes?”
Junie nods. “I already said yes. He asked me yesterday.”
At that, Busy bursts into laughter and scoots toward me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “Yes,” she whispers. “Yes, I’ll hold your hand for the rest of my life.”
She presses her lips to mine, kissing me once then twice before pulling back so I can slide the ring onto her finger. She examines it for a long minute. “It’s beautiful.”
“And I have something for Junie, too, if that’s okay?” I ask, tugging the other box out of my pocket.
Junie races over from where she’d begun eating chips again, her mouth opening when she sees the small bracelet, a silver chain with three bands looped together.
“Does this mean I’m getting married, too?” she asks, sticking her arm out and waiting for me to put the bracelet on her wrist.
Busy chuckles. “You’re not getting married,” she says, tugging Junie into her lap as I adjust the clasp. “But wearegoing to be a family. So that means Mr. Reid is making a commitment to both of us.”
“What’s a commetent?”
She laughs again. “A commitment is a promise.” Her eyes meet mine. “And he’s promising that he’s going to love us forever.”
Junie bounces up and down. “And he’ll be my daddy?”
I nod. “If you want me to be.”
She giggles and flings her arms around me. “Can I call you daddynow?”
This kid. My heart swells with love for her. It’s been the most incredible thing, watching her grow over the past year, how she’s changed and learned and turned into this…childwhen it feels like she was just a baby when I first met her.
Busy shrugs, her eyes connecting with mine. “I’m okay with it if you are.”
“I can’t wait to tell my friends I have a daddy,” she says, climbing out of my lap and walking back over to where she left her bag of chips.
“It’s pretty cool,” Busy calls over to Junie, but her eyes are on me.
“Itispretty cool.”
She shifts over so she’s sitting between my legs, her back resting against my chest, and then glances down at her ring again. “It’s beautiful, Reid.”
“I’m glad you like it,” I say, kissing the side of her head. Then I lower my voice. “And just so you know…youcan call me daddy, too, if you want.”
Busy barks out a laugh and elbows me gently in the ribs.
“Or…husband,” I say, wrapping my arms around her. “Maybe hubby.”
“Or best friend.”
“Partner in crime.”
“Soulmate.”
I hum, my lips tilting up. “I like that one.” I press a kiss to the top of her head with a smile. “I think I like that one the best.”
