Page 170 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

Her fingers tightened around his.

“Turns out I must have known since the beginning and I just needed to catch up with myself, because that’s what I want, Bea.”

Her chin trembled.

He opened the box and took out the ring, holding it up between them. “This is the ring I want to give you, even if it’s not the engagement ring you’d choose for yourself. But I don’t want to start us off by being another guy who decides something for you instead of letting you decide for yourself. So, if you want a different one, we’ll go find it.”

He smiled. “But I couldn’t ask you to marry me without giving you something, and this one felt right.” He traced a finger around the line of diamonds that circled the band. “Guy in the store said it’s called an eternity ring. I like the sound of that.” He met her gaze. “Because even if marrying me isn’t what you want, that’s how long I’m gonna love you.”

“Oh, Blane.”

“I know. Cheesy, right?”

She slapped weakly at his arm.

He laughed. “I know I’m screwing this up, but I practiced it, and there’s a lot I want to say.”

Her eyes were shining now.

“I thought I had my life figured out. I mean, I have work, Brooke, Cash, Mav, Emmett, and Montana. Me doing my thing and everybody else doing theirs.” He shook his head. “Then you happened.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“And suddenly none of it fit the way it used to.” He looked down at the ring for a moment. “I never forgot what you told me about Simon. How he knew what something was worth in pieces, but not what it might be worth whole.”

He looked back at her. “I get it now. I don’t want the pieces anymore. I want one life. Mine and yours, all mixed up together.” His mouth twitched. “And a little dog and a pain-in-the-ass neighbor goat, whether I like it or not.”

A watery laugh escaped her.

“I love you, Bea. I think some part of me has loved you since the first time I called you my wife. I just didn’t know what the hell I was doing with it yet.” He held the ring toward her. “I wanted to explain all this better, but I’m pretty sure I’m making a mess of it.”

Sifis chose that moment to hop onto the bench between them, and Blane glanced down at him. “Yeah, yeah. I’m getting there.”

Bea laughed through her tears.

He looked back at her. “What I’m trying to say is—will you marry me, Bea?”

Her breath caught.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He gave her a wry smile. “And I guess you were right at the airport. You were the best thing I never wanted.”

Her tears spilled over.

“But you’re not right anymore.” He closed his fingers around hers. “Now you’re everything I want.”

She stared at him for a moment, tears rolling freely down her cheeks, then reached for the ring.

“Yes, Blane. Of course I’ll marry you.” She laughed softly and shook her head. “I never thought I’d want to be married again. But you…” Her voice cracked. “You enormous, impossible man. I love you with all my heart.”

Blane snatched the ring back when he realized she was going to put it on herself. “Hey. I get to do that part.”

Her laugh broke through the tears as he slid it onto her finger. Then she brought that hand up and rested it in the middle of his chest, right over his heart.

“Do you know something, darling?”

“What?”

Her smile trembled. “I think you’ve caught up with yourself just fine. And I hope you realize I’m going to remind you of this speech for the rest of our lives. Every lovely, ridiculous word of it.”