Page 100 of The Through Duet

“I’m not sure it’s to impress the masses,” Dalton replied.“After all, the Wilders don’t need to impress anyone.I think this is just one of those things that rich people do.”

I just grinned as Dalton wrapped his arm around the back of my chair, and I appreciated how he always lumped me in with the working class, never mentioning my trust fund and reminding me that I had quite a bit of money of my own.

“Well, it seems like a whole lot of excess for people who are here just for status points,” I drawled out.

“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied easily as we watched Rya and Koen dancing happily in each other’s arms, the entire room taking them in.

“In fact, when the time comes, I’m all for a trip to Vegas,” I told him, and I wasn’t kidding.

At that, Dalton reached out, grabbed my chin between his fingers, then turned my head to face him.“Are you serious?You really want to elope?”

I scrunched my nose as I said, “Well, I’m not sure it’d be considered eloping if we take Rya, Koen, Norman, Cynthia, my dad, and your grandparents, but it sounds like it’d be a lot more fun than trying to plan one of these goddamn things.”

Letting go of my chin, Dalton leaned back in his seat, then said, “I’ll get you a ring tomorrow.”

That got a laugh out of me.“I wasn’t hinting, Dalton.I’m fine waiting until we’re really ready.”

“Baby, I was ready the day that Rya introduced us both, so it seems to me like you’re the only one holding things up here,” he snorted.

“You’re lying, but I appreciate the romantic gesture,” I grinned.

“But I’m not lying,” he said, surprising me.“I’d marry you tomorrow if you were up for it.”

“Are you seriously proposing to me right now?”I asked, feeling a bit flummoxed.

“Uhm, I’m pretty sure that you proposed to me by dropping that not-so-subtle hint about Las Vegas,” he teased.

“I did not propose to you,” I assured him.“I was just saying...you know, in light of all this opulence.”

“Yeah, no,” he said.“You can’t take it back now.”

“Dalton, be serious,” I whispered, no more joking around.

“Iambeing serious,” he replied firmly.“I’m getting a ring tomorrow, and then we’ll let Rya arrange everyone’s schedules, so that we can all make a trip to Vegas.It’ll be great.”

As I looked into those chocolate-colored eyes of his, I couldn’t help but feel so damn blessed to have him in my life.Yeah, I should still be feeling a bit bereft over the state of my relationship with my mother, but I wasn’t.Like me, she had made her choice, but I was lucky enough to have enough people in my life to make up for what she’d done.

“Fine,” I said, calling his bluff.“Get me a ring tomorrow, and then the rest of my life will be yours.”

“It already is, baby,” he chuckled, and all I could do was smile at the man.

The End.