23.
R OOSTER
"It's been a very eventful few days," Rosie said as she pressed herself against my side.
"That is the understatement of the century," I mumbled as I slipped my arm beneath her pillow so I could pull her even closer. "I feel like we've been invaded, and it's all Ajax's fault."
"It was just a mini invasion," Rosie argued. "Of course, when Aunt Drea showed up with Mom, I knew Tucker would follow soon after. I was shocked that Autumn came, though, especially without Bear. He likes his solitude as long as she's nearby but isn't a big fan of her going too far without him. I'm sure it was his idea to follow with Tucker just because he didn't want to be in his canyon alone."
"I've met a lot of different characters in my life but I have to say that Bear ranks right up there at the top of the list. He's very well-matched with Autumn."
"What about Tucker? The two of you seemed to hit it off."
"Similar histories, I guess," I said before I yawned loudly. "So, tell me about this woman you're named after."
"There are two women, actually. Drea and Carlie are Mom's best friends. Carlie's history is so wild that it would be the perfect storyline. Drea's is a little tamer but would make a good story all the same. Luckily, both of them got their happily-ever-afters with men who adore them, so their stories have already been told."
"Someday, people will think that about us."
"You think so?"
"You can write a book about our love story. You might have to embellish it a little bit to make it . . ."
Rosie scoffed before she interrupted, "I don't think I'd have to embellish anything. It's not as wild as Carlie's story, but we've had our own set of twists."
"Discovering a man I've known for years is actually your uncle was one of the bigger ones."
"Finding out that Aunt Carlie was on the run from the mob for half her life was a plot twist that would be hard for us to beat, that's for sure."
"And Carlie didn't come because her daughter is in the hospital?"
"Yes. Zoey is her daughter. Your friend Tiny is the one who helped her when she was attacked."
"He's more than just a friend. He's a Nomad too."
"Well, he's perfectly matched with Amethyst from what I understand. If you think I've got wild family connections, you should just call your friend Tiny and ask him what his life is like with Amethyst." Rosie laughed softly before she said, "That poor guy is probably feeling a lot like a hostage right about now."
"And I'll get to meet these people at the end of the month?" I asked.
"Amethyst's family? Definitely. But there are a lot more for you to meet too. I can't wait to introduce Mads to some of them."
"I'm going to have to stalk some of those band members to find out where they hang out just so she can get a glimpse. I'm not sure I want her to meet them because if they act like rock star dicks who are too good to mix with the commoners, it will break her heart, but if she gets to see one from a distance, I think that will be safe enough."
"I'm sure we'll figure something out. Oh!" Rosie said as she lifted her head to look at me. "Did I tell you that I found my costume online?"
"Good grief," I mumbled. Over dinner, between bouts of charming the hell out of Rosie's parents and making the rest of us laugh, Kerrigan, Madison, and Rosie had finally chosen the theme of the costumes that they'd be wearing. Of course, my sweet little villain in training was going to be Ursula, and Rosie had chosen Maleficent, but Madison shocked us all when she decided to be Beatrix LeStrange from the Harry Potter franchise instead of choosing a Disney villain. The majority of the laughter around the dinner table this evening was because of Mads insistence that she speak only with a British accent, which she was absolutely horrible at as was Kerrigan. "I'm glad y'all agreed I can be Hades, but I'm still not sure about letting you dye my hair, temporary or not."
"Just roll with it."
"I'm realizing that I'll have to do that a lot when it comes to you."
"You seem to be handling it very well."
"Speaking of handling things, there's something that you and I have both been ignoring that I think we need to address."
"What's that?"
"Birth control . . . or our lack thereof."
Rosie laughed before she said, "We've had unprotected sex how many times in the last few weeks, and you suddenly think it's important to talk about that now? "
"Going without was something we decided to do in the heat of the moment. It might be too late to backtrack now, but I want to make sure you understand that I'm okay with it if you want to start."
"I don't want to," Rosie said firmly. "I have no idea if I can even conceive a child, although I can't see why not. However, there's no time like the present."
"If it's meant to be, it will happen."
"Exactly."
"This might be a little old-fashioned of me, but I want to be married when we have our children."
"Did you propose to someone recently?"
I burst out laughing and then slid my arm out from under her so I could prop myself up on my elbow before I asked, "Who else would I be marrying if you're the one I want to knock up?"
"I don't know, but you haven't proposed to me. If you're going to be archaic about it, I suppose you'll have to ask my dad for my hand first, but . . ."
"I already did that."
"When?"
"The first time I sat and talked to him alone."
"No shit?" Rosie asked with wide eyes.
"No shit."
"And you . . . and he . . . but . . ."
"Rosie Jacobs, light of my life and the Curious to my Strange, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, the mother of my future children, and the evil stepmother villain to the one I've already got?"
"Absolutely," Rosie said as tears filled her eyes.
"And when, may I ask, would be a convenient time for this to take place?"
"Well, considering you try to get me pregnant every chance you get, I would say it should be sooner rather than later."
"How long will it take you to plan a wedding?"
"I guess that depends on a few things."
"Like what?"
"I'll have to see when my favorite flowers are in bloom because I'll want all of them to be fresh. We'll probably have to order them and have them flown in because I sincerely doubt there's a florist in Red River that can handle an order covering seventeen bouquets, seventeen boutonnieres, six flower girls, and . . ." The look on my face must have shown my horror at the thought of a wedding that might include that many attendants, and Rosie started laughing. "Holy shit. The look on your face was priceless."
"So, you don't want a big wedding?"
"Absolutely not, but there is at least one thing I'll require before I'm willing to consider planning a wedding."
"So, you do want a wedding with the poofy dress and all of that?" I asked.
"No, I'll take a Justice of the Peace out in the shade of the yard surrounded by the people we love the most with Cluck Norris and the others in your menagerie making music in the background."
I was so relieved to hear that I didn't even think about it before I blurted, "God, I love you."
Rosie was beaming when she said, "I love you too."
I gave her a lingering kiss, all of the emotion I felt in hearing her say those words back to me apparent in the way I held her against me and then recalled that she had mentioned there was something she wanted before she was willing to marry me.
"So, what do you need before we call the JP?"
"I just got it."
I realized what she meant, so I said it again, "I love you, Rosie Jacobs, soon to be Rosie Mannin. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, sleeping with you in my arms, and raising children with you."
"Let's get started on all of that soon, Strange."
"Let's do it. Marry me tomorrow, Curious."
"How about we wait a month or two? That will give us enough time to get to know each other and see if we're compatible."
"I'll show you how compatible we are," I said as I rolled to my back and pulled her over on top of me.
"Let's get married at Christmas."
"A Christmas wedding it is, then."
Rosie let her legs fall to the sides of my hips and then adjusted until her heat enveloped me. She pushed up with her hands on my chest and said, "Until then, let's work on the baby-making."
"You're the perfect woman for me."
"Damn right I am, and don't you forget it."