Page 118 of Forbidden Forward

For what I have planned, I needed some wingwomen, and that’s where Peggy and Lins come in. They prepared the boat for me. That asshole Sean is with them too. Whatever. Having Lins here to help me scheme is worth putting up with that douche canoe. I haven’t met him yet, never even talked to the guy, but he’s definitely a douche canoe.

At the Gail, everything is set for tomorrow. My co-conspirators sent me pictures, and it’s perfect. Now if I can get Jackie out of here, get us a few hours of sleep at home, and get her down there at a decent hour, everything should go off the way I laid it out. We’ve got to get there by noon, though—before everything spoils.

I watch my girl from across the cavernous great room. She’s having a hella good time with Terra, Angie, and the other WAGs. The sight lights me up inside. I love watching her relax and have fun, and I love that she fits right in. She’s like the sun or the moon or something celestial and glowing, and I plan to tell her so. Tomorrow. In Beaufort. But damn, the clock’s already headed toward 2:00 a.m.

An idea strikes, and I glance at the patio outside, strung with dozens and dozens of twinkling party lights. Jackie loves those. Is it too cold for what I’m cooking up? Nah. The Blues have one of those firepits going, along with some outdoor gas heaters. It’s kind of cozy. Besides, we won’t be out there long, and it’s private. The more I think about it, the more I convince myself the setting is perfect.

Jackie says I’m patient, but she’s wrong. When I really want something, patience is nowhere in sight. And I want her. Bad.

Urgency propels me, and before I can talk myself out of what might be a horrible idea, I grab our coats and head toward her and a few wives clustered together. The instant Jackie sees me, her face lights up. She sways over to me seductively, and I catch her by surprise, spinning her and wrapping her in her coat. I give her shoulders a squeeze, and it steadies my shaking hands. “Let’s go outside,” I whisper in her ear.

She cranes her neck and gives me a worried look. “Are you all right?”

“I will be. C’mon. This won’t take long,” I coax.

My hand at the small of her back, I nudge her through the French doors and toward a dark corner of the patio. She continually throws glances my way, that puzzled look wearing grooves in her features.

Outside, I pull her coat lapels together, tuck them under her chin, and set her apart from me at arm’s length. I inhale. Twice. She tilts her head, and her look transforms from confused to downright worried.

“I, uh, had something planned for tomorrow, but I don’t know what time we’ll get out of here or how soon we’ll reach Beaufort and whether everything’s going to work out like I planned, so I thought I’d just talk to you here,” I babble like a lunatic, not slowing long enough to take in more air.

Her eyes and mouth go round. “Are you breaking up with me?”

It’s my turn to go wide-eyed. “What? No!”

Her entire body crumples in relief. “Oh, thank God.” She jacknifes upright. “Because there’s this puppy at the rescue where Angie works—I’ve been helping her there lately when you’re on the road—and, um, I w-was hoping we could bring her home.”

“Angie or the puppy?” This is a serious question.

Jackie rolls her eyes, but her smile tells me she thinks I’m funny. “Duh. The puppy.”

“Wait. So the only reason you’re glad we’re not breaking up is because you want a puppy?”

She rushes on with a string of sentences describing this dog she’s fallen for. It’s a real sales job, but her words don’t register because they can’t compete with the thoughts swirling through my head.

Jackie stops talking. “What’s with you? You’ve been acting off since the game. Did they check you for a concussion?” Her eyes drill into mine like she’s looking for damage.

“I brought you out here to ask you to marry me,” I blurt out.

Her mouth falls open, and her eyes blow even wider.

Oh shit. Aren’t I supposed to get down on one knee? I drop and groan when my knee hits the concrete. Breathing through the pain, I take her small hand in mine.

“I’m totally blowing my plan.”

“Y-you had a plan?” she stammers.

Suddenly, I start laughing, and I can’t stop. “I-I d-did.” She looks down at me like I need to be committed. I whoosh a few breaths in and out and clear my throat. “There’s champagne and flowers waiting for us on the Gail, and I was hoping to get there tonight or early tomorrow, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.” I pause for breath. “Oh, and a ring! A big ring Lindsey said you’d like.” Why the hell did I send the ring with Lindsey? “If you don’t like it, it’s her fault, not mine. I was supposed to surprise you with all that tomorrow … today, later, when we get there. Peggy and Lindsey set it all up. ’Course, I told them what to do. It was my idea. They just … implemented the plan.” I stop and shake my head. “Fuck, I really, really suck at this.”

“Good thing you’re only doing it once.” Jackie starts snickering, and she can’t stop.

My heart lifts off, though it might be getting ahead of itself. “Does that mean you will?” She’s too busy snort-laughing and covering her mouth with her free hand to answer. Tears roll down her cheeks—from laughter, I think, not joy. For good measure, I throw in, “You can have the puppy!” My brain isn’t completely gone, and I think to ask, “Do dogs sail?” She nods through her hysterics, and I calmly say, “I’m down with the dog if you’ll have me.”

She quiets and brushes her fingertips along my jaw. “Of course I’ll have you, you nutjob.”

“Thank fuck,” I chuff in relief.

She giggles. “Are we romantic, or what?” Her expression shifts, and her brows draw together. “Why did you decide to do this here and not on the boat?”