Renee sat on the steps of the front porch, the glass of wine in her hand half-full. She’d filled it up completely to the top, but since then had been sipping on it, enjoying the berry composition of the drink while she stared out at the scenery.

She was waiting for Weasel to get home because she had to talk to him, had to get this emotion of worry and uncertainty of the future off her chest.

Weasel’s house was spaced out to where they had some privacy, but she could still see a few neighbors in the distance. They probably thought something was wrong with her for just sitting here staring, but her mind was full and her thoughts were racing.

She took a long drink from the wine glass and held the liquid in her mouth, just savoring the flavor. Weasel was due home any minute, and she wanted to talk to him about her worries, to try to made sense of them. She wanted to see if he thought the same way, if he had anything he wanted to get off his chest too.

It wasn’t the girls’ fault, and they hadn’t put anything in her head. Deep down she’d wondered about all this anyway, about if he wanted to see other women, if he wanted to be with them. God, just thinking about that made her sick. Weasel was it for her, would only ever be the man she wanted.

Getting involved with the biker wasn’t as easy and cut and dry as maybe a “normal” relationship would’ve been. They were alpha man, hardened to the core. They were like no other men out there. And because of that the female population also wanted them. They also had desires, more primal needs that were raw, roughened.

She trusted Weasel, had loved him for longer than she wanted to even admit. And although he asked her to marry him, said he loved her as well, was he really ready to settle down with her?

Would he really want an old lady attached to his hip?

She didn’t want to drag anybody down, and she certainly didn’t want to get involved in another relationship disaster.

She heard a rumble of his motorcycle before she saw him turn the corner and head down the street toward the house. Renee took another long drink from the wine, knowing that she needed to bring this up before things moved forward.

Although she trusted him with her life, trusted him with fidelity, telling him her worries was part of being in a relationship. She didn’t want to keep anything from him, didn’t want her emotions to be bottled up because she was afraid of saying anything.

And hell, maybe he had the same worries about her?

He pulled his motorcycle into the driveway and cut the engine. He removed his helmet and climbed off his bike, his focus trained on her. She saw the emotion on his face, his expression showing his love.

She smiled, feeling her heart beat faster the closer he got. Before she could even stand up, he had her pulled into his arms. Thank goodness she’d set the wine glass down beforehand.

She heard him inhale by her hair and knew he was taking in her scent.

“I missed you, baby.” He pulled back and cupped her cheeks before leaning down and kissing her on the mouth. His lips were firm, strong, and she melted into him.

“I missed you too,” she said against his mouth. He pulled away and smiled down at her. She wanted to ask him how he felt about all of this, if he was sure that was what he wanted to do.

Renee wanted to make sure that he’d have no regrets. Marriage was a big commitment, and as much as she wanted to do it with everything inside of her, she also wanted to make sure he felt the same way.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, maybe seeing by the expression on her face that she had something on her mind.

“Nothing,” she said and pulled away, but now was the time to speak with him. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about getting married and some other things. I want to be open and honest and I don’t want to keep anything hidden.”

“Okay,” he said, the concern on his face clear.

It was now or never, no waiting until the time was right, no wondering for the rest of her life if she kept her mouth shut. They needed to talk about this and she needed to do it now. She loved Weasel and there was nothing more in the world she wanted than to be by his side for the rest of her life.

But if she didn’t bring this up now she’d always wonder. And all that would do was drive a wedge between them.