Harper and I are staying in the suite at our decoy hotel. I finally got Harper to agree to raise our budget in the house search. Earlier this afternoon I found the perfect house. Settled just outside the Austin city limits, it’s close to Savannah and all of our normal hangouts. Commercial space is abundant for both of us. Harper told me when we were teenagers that she always wanted a house that looks like it belonged on a plantation. I found it. A plantation house in Austin, near her friends, and on a nice piece of land. I’m surprising her with it later this afternoon.

The smile on my face hasn’t dissipated since I got off the phone with the realtor. The sun will be setting as we tour the property, and with the hills in the distance, it will be an irresistible backdrop to convince her. I’m ready to make an offer on the house right now, but Harper would kill me if she didn’t see it first. Making a pregnant woman angry is not a good idea. These last few weeks of her first trimester have been difficult for her. The morning sickness hit her hard, and she’s been overly tired and groggy.

I wince, looking toward the door, hoping the knocking didn’t wake her up. Kiernan stands outside with a box in his hands. “Hey, boss.”

“Keep it down. Harp’s asleep,” I say softly.

“That’s perfect. I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

Kiernan hands the box to me. I take it over to the table, removing the top. It’s filled with files. “What’s this?”

“Caleb’s files. The information he had on Harper is in there,” Kiernan says, looking down at the ground. “I thought you want might want it. None of this was your fault, I’ll keep reminding you of that.”

“I did want this,” I say, running my hand over the papers on the inside. I’ve been wanting to get back to Tennessee to sort some things out and pick up the files. And the ring I have for Harper. “Thanks.”

“One more thing,” Kiernan says. He pulls a velvet box out of his pants pocket.

I know what it is the second I see it. My eyes meet his. “How did you know?”

Kiernan shrugs. “Didn’t want you to leave Harper to pack shit up in Tennessee. Your stuff will be here in a few days. If you’re going to make her your wife before the baby comes, you need to get on it.”

I laugh. This is perfect. I clap Kiernan on the back. “Thanks for everything, brother.”

Kiernan smiles at me. “Don’t get sappy on me.”

I slap him on the back of his head as he quietly chuckles.

“I’ll handle the office shit, too. Think you’ll close and start fresh?”

“That depends on you,” I answer. “Want to run the Tennessee office? You’re the only one I trust to handle it. You’re not a complete bonehead.”

“No, I don’t,” Kiernan says, shaking his head.

I push the disappointment out of my system. I don’t mind closing the doors and opening a new place here in Texas. I did want to run my business with Kiernan, though. Me here and him there. “Where do you want to work? I’ll put in a call and get you on whatever team you want. It’s the least I can do.”

“I want to work with you, dumbass. Here in Texas.”

I blink at him, surprised. “You’re moving to Texas?”

“Yeah, the movers got my shit, too. I’ll go back to Tennessee and close up shop on the office and our apartments, but then I’m back here for good. Already found a nice little place to rent.”

“Why?” I ask. “You love Nashville.”

“Dude,” Kiernan says, shaking his head. “My goddaughter or godson will be making their way into the world soon. I can’t miss that. Besides, if I’m not here, who will teach them to be cool?”

“You’re definitely not the godfather.”

“I totally am,” Kiernan says, laughing.

“Absolutely not.”

“We’ll see. Harper loves me.”

I grumble. I told her not to feed him. All the strays stay after you feed them.

* * *

I help Harper down from my truck. Thank Christ our minivan days are over. Harper looks past me, slack-jawed and staring at the house with the backdrop just as amazing as I hoped. It’s perfect. The sunset paints the sky in vivid colors, casting a glow on Harper’s skin. There’s no way she can say no.

“Welcome home, Sugar.”

“I haven’t even seen the inside and I’m already in love,” she gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’ve only seen the pictures, but it’s perfect. Let’s watch the sun set before we go inside.”

“Won’t the realtor be waiting?”

“No, she’s not here yet,” I lie. The realtor’s inside, waiting on us. I asked her over the phone to stay inside until we came in. She happily agreed.

I walk Harper to the back of the house where two rocking chairs are set on the wraparound porch. She’s watching the sun sink lower, and I’m watching her take in everything that will be ours.

I drop to my knee in front of her and grab her hand in one of my sweaty palms. This has been years in the making, and she’s carrying my child, but I’m still more nervous than I’ve ever been.

“Sugar, my sweet girl, I fucking love you,” I rush, unable to hold it in.

Her free hand is covering her mouth. She stares down at me with tears in her eyes. “When I saw this place online, I knew it would be ours. It’s just like you described when you were a teenager. I want to sit out here on these chairs, rocking our baby, and watch all the sunsets with you. Or a thunderstorm. Or our kids playing in the yard—as long as it’s you next to me and our kids. And grandkids. I’ve been in love with you since the second I saw you. I’ll spend the rest of my days worshipping you and making you crazy in the best possible ways. Will you marry me, Sugar?”

“Yes,” she shouts, launching herself out of the chair and into my arms. “I’ll marry you. I need to marry you, I want to be your wife more than anything.”

“That’s good, Sugar, because we’re getting married soon. Anywhere you want. Just as long as it’s soon.”

“Here,” she says. “Let’s do it here.”

I pull the box from my pocket. “This is the ring I bought a decade ago. If you don’t like it, I’ll get you something more modern and bigger. Whatever. Whatever you want.”

“Don’t you dare. I love this one.”

“You haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Don’t need to. You bought it for me.”

I open the box and grin when she sucks in a startled breath, staring at the ring. I slip it on her finger. Just as perfect as I imagined.