Part 9: Ice Cream and Proposals
The bakery was completely empty except for us, the morning sun streaming through the clean glass windows where the bullet holes had long since been repaired.
“Grant…” I started, my voice trembling as tears welled up in my eyes.
“Marry me again, Claire,” he pleaded softly, looking up at me with absolute adoration in his gray eyes. “Not to stop a war. Not to protect an empire. Marry me because I am completely, irrevocably in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving that you and Lily are my only home.”
Before I could answer, the back door flew open, and Lily ran out wearing a miniature white flower-girl dress she had insisted on trying on early.
“Say yes, Mommy!” Lily cheered, clapping her hands. “Daddy bought ice cream for breakfast if you say yes!”
A loud, watery laugh escaped my throat, and I wiped a stray tear from my cheek. I looked down at Grant, seeing the man who had torn down his own empire just to earn back my trust.
“You bribed our daughter with ice cream for breakfast?” I teased, shaking my head.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Grant grinned, holding the ring higher. “Well? What do our terms look like, Mrs. Parker-Whitmore?”
May you like
I stepped out from behind the counter, reaching out my hand. “The terms are acceptable, Mr. Whitmore. But you’re still doing the dishes tonight.”
Grant slid the platinum bluebird ring onto my finger, the cold metal warming instantly against my skin. He stood up and scooped me into his arms, spinning me around as Lily cheered and threw handfuls of flour into the air like confetti.
