Seventeen Days (38 page)

Making my way through security, I put my shoes back on and head straight for the nearest coffee stand. Harrison and my aunt will catch up, I need copious amounts of caffeine and sweets to deal with any more this morning. Maybe a new book or two for the flight as well. One can never have too many books.  

Ordering four coffees—two for myself—one for each of them, along with a few pastries, Harrison finally catches up with me as I’m paying. 

“Nice one, Red. Too bad the guard knew you were kidding and I wasn’t.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Didn’t you see him pull me aside? He asked me for your number. Which I gave him, by the way. You’re welcome.” 

Only doing my civic duty and hooking up my boyfriend, that’s all. Obviously, the guard didn’t pull me aside. But he totally wanted to. Maybe. 

“You’re so full of shit. Another reason why I love you,” he says while grabbing all four coffees. “Four? Honestly? Who’s going to drink all of these? We board in less than twenty minutes, and if you drink these you’ll be up peeing every five minutes. Need I remind you of your hate of using airplane bathrooms?” He’s right, I do. Small spaces and me don’t mix. 

“Two are mine. One is for you. One is for Savannah. And the good thing is, we stop in Atlanta to connect so I can use the restroom there. Easy peasy. No airplane bathroom for me.” At least, I hope not. 

Now, if only I could decide on a book to buy. There’s way too many good ones. Not to mention the hundred sitting on my kindle waiting to be read. New one by Colleen Hoover? Already read it. New one by Samantha Young? Read it. Oh, look a new one by Jay Crownover! It shall be mine! 

“Hand it over, and I’ll buy it for you, babe. Why don’t you take your drinks and go join Savannah?” 

“Thank you, it’d be awesome.” He’s perfect. He loves me and buys me books, I still can’t believe he’s all mine. What more could I ask for? Oh, and I’m not ashamed to admit I pinched his ass before I walked away. It’s a piece of art. 

The day of the storm was one of the worst days of my life. Thinking back on it now makes me feel sick to my stomach. When he went back out on the water barely a week later, I
was
sick. Threw up the whole day until he got back. It’s gotten better over time, but the worry is still there. It never leaves, I’m not entirely sure it’ll ever lessen. It reminds me I’m human and I love with my whole soul, not only my heart.

When I leave for school after the new year, I’ll be even more stressed. The worry will double I’m sure, but knowing Harrison isn’t taking any uncalled for risks puts me at ease. 

A little. 

Maybe.

Already, I can’t wait to graduate and open my business next to Harrison’s. My own little slice of paradise. It's waiting for me; I only have to reach for it. I’ve decided to take an accelerated business course, so I can get my degree faster. Which also means I’ll be able to open my business sooner rather than later. The next chapter of my life is about to begin, and I couldn’t more ecstatic. 

As our plane lands in Paris, I feel nauseous. Incredibly nauseous. 

Not because I’m planning on proposing to Morgan, but because I’m asking Julian for permission. That fucking scares me. 

Scares me as much as the storm back in the summer scared me. That day, I didn’t think I’d live to see
this
day. When I walked into the darkness to face the storm head on, I was scared shitless. Today, I’m a thousand times more scared.
I’ll admit it, I’m a pussy.
Yeah, I’m scared as fuck to ask for her hand in marriage. Julian intimidates me. Plain and simple. 

Asking her doesn’t scare me. Not anymore. It used to because I always thought she’d run, but she wouldn’t have. She won’t. She’s mine and always has been mine. When she faced her fear and thought I had died, she proved how strong she truly is. She’s never admitted to me she thought the worst had happened, but she did. Her actions when I showed up on her doorstep after nearly twenty-four hours at sea showed that to me. The expression of relief on her face was so clear. Her tears were happy tears. If her arms wouldn’t have been holding me up, I would’ve collapsed onto the gravel drive as soon as my eyes took in her face. My heart skipped a beat upon seeing her. 

She lost her ever-loving mind that day. From what I heard, anyway. It’s funny now thinking back on it and hearing the stories. She spent the day damn near naked and passed out from drinking a ton of Jack straight. On an empty stomach. The lush. 

Jacques finished her ring last week and sent me over a few pictures of it. I’m not ashamed to admit I cried when I saw it. I’m positive I’ll cry when I pick it up tomorrow. 

She’s spending the day with Savannah shopping, providing the perfect time for me to ask Julian for her hand. It’s also the perfect time to pick up her ring. Maybe Julian will go with me.  

“Julian was sending a car to pick us up. Why don’t you ladies try and find the driver while I grab our luggage?” I’m positive I’ll need a cart to get it all to the car. These ladies know how to pack. Shit, it’ll only be worse when we leave since Savannah is a shopper. Deep down Red is too. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she enjoys shopping almost as much as her aunt. 

“If you insist, we can do that,” Savannah says. 

“No, I can help you. You shouldn’t have to get all of our things. We can help.” 

“Babe, I know you can help but I want to do this for you. It’s been a long day.” Bending, I place a kiss on her forehead. 

“Yeah, and I mostly slept on the plane. Every time I woke up, you were awake. Watching Sam and Dean kick major demon ass. Why don’t you go find the driver and
we
can grab the luggage?” 

She has a point; she was sleeping while I stayed awake. 

“Does it count if it was the same episode on repeat? Because it was. I had to keep restarting it because I’d get sidetracked by staring at you sleeping and miss what was going on. Every single time. Basically what I’m saying is, I still need to watch the episode.” 

Laughing, she gently smacks my ass. “Go grab the bags. We’ll go find the driver.” 

She’s got a thing for my ass.
Not that I can blame her, it’s a stellar ass.  

“What would you like to do today, Harrison? We’re supposed to spend the day exploring, correct? Do you still have Christmas gifts to buy?” Julian asks me over coffee the following morning. 

“Funny you should ask.” Clasping my hands together and taking a deep breath, I continue, “Um, I uh … have something to ask you. And if it’s okay, I have somewhere I’d like you to go with me afterwards. But other than the one place, we can do whatever. You can show me more of your beautiful city.” 

Fuck, I’m nervous, and I haven’t even asked him yet.
Man up, Harrison.
 

“Well, what do you have to ask, son? Surely, I can take you wherever it is you’d like to go. Morgan will be back around dinner time, yes? Savannah is joining us tonight unless I’m mistaken?” 

“Y-Yes. To most of those questions. Shit. I’m nervous, Julian, I apologize ahead of time. What I want to ask you is important. It’s a question I hope to ask only once in my life, which is why I’m so nervous.” Great, now I’m rambling. He probably thinks I’m a giant jackass on top of whatever else he thinks of me. 

“Ask it already, son. It’s easier if you spit it out, trust me.” Is he laughing at me? He’s laughing at me. It’s amusement I see in his eyes. Eyes the exact shade of Morgan’s.  

“I’d love for nothing more than to have your blessing in asking for Morgan’s hand in marriage.” There I did it. Spit it out like he said to do. No taking it back now.
Fuck me.
What if he tells me no, how would I deal with that? Could I live with asking for her hand knowing I’d be doing so without her father’s blessing? 

“Yes, you may marry my daughter. I’ve known since the moment I met you, you’d eventually work up the nerve to ask me for her hand. I could see how much you loved her months ago, and you only knew her for days at the time. You’re like two stars colliding. The air is combustible when the two of you are together in the same room. I’ve only had to witness it myself for a moment to know you’re meant to be. Fate has brought you two together. My answer is, yes.”

Did I hear him correctly? He said yes, right? 

“Come again? I’m almost positive you said yes, but I’m also positive I’m still in bed dreaming. I’d pinch myself but already tried.” Twice, but he doesn’t need to know that. Hurt like a bitch, too. 

“Yes, son. My answer was and shall remain one-hundred-percent yes.”  

I guess I did hear him right the first time. And to think I was nervous to ask him. turns out I was nervous for nothing.
So maybe I shouldn’t have spiked my coffee?
 

“Phew. Now, one more thing, will you go with me to pick up her ring?” 

Taking another drink of my whiskey, err … coffee, I nearly spit it out when he all but shouts, “You haven’t gotten her a ring yet, but you asked me for her hand?”

 Hold up, never said I didn’t have a ring.  We only need to go pick it up. 

“Oh, I have a ring for her. It’s been commissioned for months. The designer finished it last week. He’s here in Paris. Last time we were here, I hired him. He flew to Alabama to meet with me and go over final designs, I put down a payment and now it’s ready to be picked up.” It’s fucking perfect too. Exactly like I dreamt it would be. “Wait till you see it. It’s stunning. Nothing less should be put upon her finger. My mother’s ring is attached to it, and it weaves into the band itself. It’s absolutely perfect, Julian.” 

“Come on, son, finish your cup of whiskey and let’s go get this perfect ring.” 

Shit, maybe I wasn’t hiding the fact my coffee was spiked as well as I thought I was. 

Julian cried when he saw her ring, too. We looked like two emotional idiots in Jacques shop but we didn’t give a shit. The ring is exquisite. It’s nothing short of perfection. Only the best for my woman. 

Now it’s burning a hole in my pocket. 

I’m not sure if I can wait to ask her until tomorrow. Julian says I should ask her at dinner tonight, since we’re all going to be together. He does have a valid point. Otherwise, I may blurt it out in bed tonight, like I did the day in the grocery store. And she’ll think it’s a joke and I’m not serious. 

After a couple of months, people stopped asking when we were due. They must’ve figured out Jess was full of shit and Morgan wasn’t pregnant. Not like we would’ve cared if she was.
Can you imagine little red-headed princesses running around chasing Dog?

When I paid Jacques, Julian about had a heart attack, I’m not kidding. He was hyperventilating. He told me he paid less than seven-hundred dollars for Savannah’s ring, and I told him it was probably the real reason why she divorced him. He didn’t laugh. Tough crowd. This coming from the guy who paid what I’m sure to be a solid six figures for his car. My paying close to that on a ring for his daughter shouldn’t surprise him. She’s worth it. She’s worth the world to me. 

“Did you make reservations for dinner tonight or are we staying in?” I ask as we exit Jacques shop. If he didn’t make plans, maybe I will. Although, asking Morgan in public probably isn’t such a good idea. Originally I planned on asking her in the morning when Savannah joined us for breakfast. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve so it would give us all the more reason to celebrate if I did stick to my original plans.