Drew ~ Six months later
“YOU’RE COOKING?” Victoria crinkled her nose as she came into the kitchen. Quinn, the Yorkie we begged Sara to allow into our home a month after we moved in, stirred in her arms, regarding me with the same “what the hell” glower as Victoria.
“I can cook,” I huffed as I slipped the London Broil into the bag of marinade and laid it on a plate before stuffing it into the fridge. She had me. I most definitely didn’t cook. I called my mother in a panic for something easy and non-screwupable and she suggested broiling steak, provided I didn’t ruin it by cooking it too well done, was fairly simple. Ordering something would be a hell of a lot easier, but I wanted tonight to be special. We both deserved better than takeout on a night like this.
“Why haven’t you cooked before?”
“Because your mom is a whole lot better than me. And stop with the twenty questions.” I tickled her side and ruffled the soft fur on Quinn’s head before I checked the fridge one more time. Steak, veggies I could steam in a bag, her favorite dessert from the bakery since I sure as shit wasn’t attempting to bake—all check. It appeared I had it handled for the moment. I only hoped I didn’t fuck it all up in the execution.
Victoria turned on a giggle to head back into the living room. All of us acclimated to our new routine without much trouble. My hours at the new job were reasonable, but Sara’s shifts were long. Victoria still stayed with Josh and Brianna most days during the week but came here whenever Sara had a night off or if Josh and Brianna had something to do. We lived close enough that the back and forth wasn’t too taxing. We both wished Victoria could be with us more but as the newest employee, Sara didn’t have a lot of say in her schedule yet. Despite the hours, she loved her job and came home every night all lit up because of a recipe they let her test or a new pairing she thought of. That weary strain in her eyes she had when we first met dissipated into happiness. She was doing what she always wanted to do, and no one deserved to finally enjoy her life more than Sara.
Victoria was curled up on the edge of the couch, engrossed in her tablet, when I sat next to her.
“I wanted to ask you something.”
She lifted her head and leaned back into the cushion.
“Okay.” She rested the tablet on the arm of the couch and the dog jumped in her lap.
“It’s about the dinner I’m making for your mom tonight. I’m . . . I’m asking her a question, and I want her to say yes, but I think I should ask you before I ask her.”
Her face scrunched as she regarded me with a confused gaze. “Why do you have to ask me first?”
“Well.” I sat up and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. If asking Victoria was this stressful, I’d give myself a heart attack when I asked Sara. “I want to marry your mom. And this dinner I’m going to try to cook . . .” I winced and drew a laugh out of her. “It’s so I could ask her tonight. But I should ask you if it’s okay first.”
“What would be different? You’d still live here, right? Just Mommy would have your last name?”
“Mostly things would stay the same, I suppose. But when you marry someone, it takes everything to another level.”
“What level?”
I stretched my arm behind her on the couch. “Well, she’d have my last name, but when you marry someone, it’s because you want them in your life forever and want to make sure everyone knows it. That’s why people have weddings and give each other rings. I love your mom and want to spend the rest of my life with her and marrying her would seal the deal.” A grin split my mouth. Making Sara mine was all I ever wanted. And she was, but it was time to make it official.
She nodded, mulling it over as she bit the corner of her bottom lip. “Like when Dad married Bri. They lived together first, but they got married later. Dad told me they got married because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and tell everyone.”
“Exactly.” I slapped her knee. “So, it’s okay? That means you’re stuck with me. Are you sure you’re all right with that?” I smirked as I nudged her knee with mine.
“I’m not stuck with you. I love you. And I love Bri, too. My friend Emerson only has two parents. You and Bri make everything more fun. I feel bad she doesn’t have a Drew or a Bri.” Her lips fell in a frown. A laugh escaped me at Victoria’s sullen expression. “You can ask her.” She met my eyes, her nod resolute.
“Get over here.” She scooted toward me on the couch and I wrapped my arms around her. The dog yelped, reminding me she was between us. “I love you, too, kiddo.”
“I hope she says yes!” She folded her hands under her chin.
Shit, so did I.
Sara texted she was running a few minutes late. I ran around the kitchen, searching for the candles I swore we packed when we moved in and uncorking her favorite Malbec. She always called me a hopeless romantic, but tonight she was half right. In an effort to make everything as romantic as possible, all I felt was hopeless. Dinner seemed edible and the wine was poured. I only needed my girl to come home.
At the jingle of the keys and click of the lock, I sucked in a nervous breath. She was the one, and I knew that deep in the marrow of my bones. We shared our lives, so why not share a last name? It was the logical but scary next step. Not scary because I was unsure; in fact, I’d never been surer of anything. What the hell would I do if she said no? I squeezed my eyes shut and shook off the horrible, intrusive thought. Failure wasn’t an option, and I wouldn’t allow my tortured subconscious to entertain the possibility.
“Who’s a good girl?” She cooed at Quinn bouncing at her feet. I couldn’t help but laugh. Victoria and I worked on her for a week to finally convince her to bring in a pet, but somewhere along the way she became Sara’s dog before ours. My secret softie.
“I’m sorry I’m late.” She breezed over to where I stood against the sink in the kitchen. “Fridays are insane but at least I have tomorrow off . . .” She trailed off, pausing right before she kissed my lips, her eyes darting from the candlelit table to me.
“Did you cook?” Her nose crinkled. “Steak?”
“London Broil, string beans, I nuked a couple of potatoes. Don’t look so shocked.” My lips found her forehead.
“Didn’t you eat with Victoria?”
“Victoria’s at Josh’s tonight.” I slid my hands along the curve of her hip and pulled her closer. “Tonight, it’s just you and me. I haven’t seen much of you this week.”
Her confused gaze faded into a contrite wince. “I know, I’m sorry, baby. George and Aida have been really great, but I can’t refuse if I have to stay.”
“Don’t apologize, Gorgeous.” I pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I wanted to do something for you since you’ve been working so hard. Sit.”
The corners of her mouth curved before she framed my face and planted a lingering kiss on my lips, then another, then one tiny peck before her tongue glided along my bottom lip.
“Oh, no,” I groaned. “I worked too hard on this dinner. Plenty of time for that later.” I peeled her hands off my cheeks and nodded to the table.
“Fine.” She sighed as she plopped into one of our dining room chairs. She cut into the steak and brought a tiny piece to her mouth. “Wow, this is good, Drew. You sure you made this?” Her mouth tipped up in a smirk around the rim of her wine glass.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I glared at her from across the table. “Wasn’t all that hard.” I shrugged before digging my knife in my own steak.
“Did you call your mom for help?”
I sneered back without answering.
We ate in silence the next few minutes. Sara happily devoured her dinner, but I only picked at my not-so-bad attempt at an edible meal. My eyes glossed over the chocolate brown eyes that changed to almost black when she was pissed off or turned on, the long chestnut hair kissing the tops of her breasts, and the way her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip between bites. There was no one else for me and there never would be. She owned me, and if she said yes tonight, I was tempted to head to city hall as soon as it opened on Monday morning. I exhaled a tense gust of air as I leaned back in my chair.
“You’re weirding me out, Kostas.” She lifted an eyebrow as she took another sip of wine. “What’s with the staring?”
“You’re gorgeous,” I rasped as I set my fork down. “So fucking gorgeous.”
A blush tinted her cheeks as she rose from her chair. She climbed into my lap and looped her arms around my neck. “So are you.” Her hand feathered down my cheek. “I was only teasing you. Dinner was perfect—”
“Marry me,” I pleaded in an almost guttural whisper.
“Drew . . . I . . .” Sara stammered, causing my heart to race in a panic. Talk about fucking it all up in the execution. Shock was not the emotion I wanted reflected back at me. I had an entire speech planned, but having her in my arms, so content and full of love, I blurted it out without thinking.
“I love you more than you could begin to imagine. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and make you mine in every possible way. Make us forever and tell the whole world.” Her bottom lip quivered as I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Caveman,” she teased as her eyes welled up.
“When it comes to you, you better believe it. Wait, stand up. I need to do this right.” Patting her thigh before I lifted her off my lap, I knelt down on one knee as tear after tear snaked down her face.
After digging the two-carat platinum ring I’d been paying off since my first paycheck out of my pocket, I took in a deep breath to calm my compounding nerves.
“I had a whole speech planned but screwed it up.” I gave her a crooked grin. “All I have left is: Sara, will you marry me?”
She gulped as she brought her eyes to the ceiling. Her chin quivered, her face was soaked, and I had zero clue how to read any of it.
“Sara,” I pressed, now scared to death she was thinking of a way to turn me down.
“Yes. Of course, yes. You really thought I would say no?” She shook her head at me. “You . . . you’re my everything.” She threaded her fingers through my hair. “My reason and my purpose along with Victoria. You made the impossible possible. You changed my life and gave me a better one than I ever could have imagined. So yes, I’ll marry you.” She wiped a tear away with her knuckle.
I slipped the ring on her finger before I stood and took her mouth in a hungry, brutal, and relieved-as-fuck kiss.
“Can we do this soon?” I murmured as she backed me out of the kitchen and toward the hallway leading into our bedroom. “I can’t wait that long.”
She pulled back, a wide smile lighting up her entire face; the smile that captured me and never let me go.
“Monday too soon?”