Page 102 of Work It Out

“You invited them all?” Rayah asked.

“It might be more accurate to say they invited themselves. It’s kind of my fault, though. The ring is a family heirloom. I asked Gramps for it, but he had to ask Granny where it was, then—”

“She’s taking too long,” Zandar complained. Loudly. “Looks like he’s trying to talk her into it, but we all know she’s going to say yes, and I’m freezing my nuts off. My planet don’t get this cold, you know.”

Jake rolled his eyes and whispered, “Maybe I spoke too soon about loving this nosy-ass place. We could always—”

“No!” Rayah yelled.

“Did she sayno?” someone (she was pretty sure it was Jean) shrieked.

“I mean,” Rayah sank to her knees in front of him, “I don’t want to live anywhere else. We can visit wherever we need to for as long as we want, we can build whatever life suits us best, but this is the first real family I’ve had. These people may be nuts, but they’re ours. Bigbone will always be home.”

A tentative smile started at the corner of Jake’s mouth. “Does that mean what I think it means? I need to hear it, cupcake. I need to hear you say yes.”

She cupped his scruffy cheek in her right hand and kissed him soundly. Then she wrapped her pinky finger around his. “I’ll love you forever, pinky promise.” She wiggled the fingers of her free hand insistently. “Now gimme.”

Jake laughed, the sound bright and joyous as it bounced off the mountains and into her heart. He slid the ring onto her hand, then pulled her close and kissed the breath out of her.

“Good enough for me,” Glen grumbled. “Where’s the scotch? The old man’s right. It’s colder than a penguin’s pecker.”

“Old man?” Zandar shouted. “Step out into this parking lot, and I’ll show you an old man.”

The rest of the town ignored them and cheered as Jake raised her left hand high in the air. The noise must’ve startled Hogrid. The poor baby came back to her so quickly, she had to wonder about the old saying around pigs and flight.

Jake tucked Hogrid under one arm and stood, then helped Rayah to her feet as the first flakes of snow drifted from the sky. Kissing the top of her head, he pulled her against his other side. They stood there for the longest time, watching the snow fall as their family bickered and laughed and loved.

Rayah squeezed him tight. Their world was loud and chaotic. But no matter how crazy things became, he’d always be her partner, her superhero, her swole mate.

The love doesn’t end here…