Page 163 of Say You Love Me

I’m looking forward to it.

“Why are there so many of you?” Sheriff Sloan says, approaching our lane. Brooke hugs him, and I shake his hand.

“You’re not playing today?” I ask, taking in his uniform.

He shakes his head. “I just wanted to say hi to everyone.”

A collective group ofhi’shit him, and he chuckles before waving goodbye.

I watch him pause and nod to my mother as she walks in. Her smile is polite, but I know the two of them have a long way to go. Do they dislike each other? No, but it's still weird for them.

I get it.

The moment my mother spots all of us, her smile becomes brighter than ever before.

She filed for divorce the day after Grace took over the lodge.

She came clean to all of us that she was waiting until she knew for sure he was going to pass the lodge on to one of us. Like the rest of us, she was completely unaware of the scam my father was trying to pull, but luckily, Preston had our back.

When my mom started bowling with us, we put her on Linc’s team, and they have been winning ever since.

My attention drifts back to Brooke and I can’t help but smile.

We moved Brooke in a week after things blew up with Henry. I see her every single day, and yet, when I set my eyes on her, I can't help but think how lucky I am.

People say don’t rush falling in love, take your time to enjoy it, but I say, fuck that. I want our future to start now, and I don’t want to wait to make her my wife.

I’m proposing tonight.

“Hey,” Brooke says as she walks toward me. I reach out and take her hand, pulling her until she takes a seat on my lap. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“Nothing,” I tell her and turn her face so I can press my lips to hers. I intend for it to be soft and gentle, but it quickly turns passionate, my tongue halfway down her throat.

She pulls back.

“Nothing, huh? That kiss didn’t feel like nothing.”

She leans in to kiss me again, but Linc’s voice stops us.

“Okay, lovebirds, you’re up.”

I stand, grab my ball, and look over my shoulder at Brooke.

“This one is for you, baby.”

“Then get a strike,” she teases.

I chuckle.

“If I don’t, just pretend I did.”

“Oh, come on, Dutton, haven’t you learned by now? I don’t fake anything.”

She leans back, a smirk on her face as she winks at me.

“Oh, I know it,” I say and then let the ball go.

It’s a strike.

Brooke cheers loudly from behind me and when I turn, she’s there to kiss me.

As I said, I’m a lucky,luckyman.