Give and Take: A Wingmen and Modern Love Stories Crossover Short (Wingmen Short Stories #3)
Page 4
A certainty swells up within me. I didn’t really have a plan for proposing other than asking my grandmother for one of the family rings. I was stunned when she gave me the one Pops proposed with. Over time she upgraded and changed styles, but this is the one he picked out all those years ago when money was tight and their future endless.
The ring is more of a diamond covered band than one of those rings with a big hunk of rock. It’s far from flashy or a big statement. Hailey isn’t that type of woman anyway. She doesn’t even really wear jewelry. Something simple with a story behind it will be perfect. I hope.
What do I know about rings and women? What if she wants a new ring and a big diamond? My heart begins to race. I could seriously blow this whole thing with the wrong ring.
“It’s always magical.” She sighs and opens her eyes. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
I inhale, trying to stuff my rising panic back down. Blowing out a slow, long exhale, I try to give her a confident grin. I feel anything, but confident right now. My palms are damp with sweat. Blood races in my ears. I try to take another breath, but my lungs won’t cooperate. Black spots dot my vision. What is going on?
“Tom?” Hailey rushes over to me. “You’ve gone pale. Are you okay?”
Her voice is far away even though she is only a few inches from my face. Her hands cup my head. I attempt to focus on her eyes, but they keep going all soft and blurry.
“You look like you’re going to pass out.” She gives my head a little shake.
I can’t answer her. Instead, I slump against the truck, sliding down until I’m sitting against the front passenger tire.
“Tom.” Her voice is all muffled and tinny. “Put your head between your knees.”
I do as she suggests, tilting forward to rest my head on my knees. Cold air and snow prickle against my exposed skin covered in a thin layer of sweat. I’m hot, but I shiver at the sensation. I practice breathing like it’s a new thing for me.
“I’ll be right back.” Her boots stomp on the gravel in the direction of the house.
I’ve blown the moment big time. At least I didn’t have the ring out before I almost passed out from nerves like a virgin on prom night. Not that I would know. I wasn’t a virgin at prom.
When the world stops spinning, I lift my head. Snow is sticking to the tarps and the pine trees across the yard. So much for just flurries tonight. I stare up at the falling flakes. They float and drift down on me. It’s quiet and peaceful out here. I don’t know where Hailey’s gone to, but I think I can stand. I push off the ground. Things are still fuzzy, but the dizziness has passed.
Small yippy barks break the silence. It’s not a coyote’s high-pitched howl. It sounds like–
A tiny fur-ball comes careening around the front tire, barking at me. I’m sure he thinks he’s fierce. Immediately he begins tugging on the leg of my jeans. The thing growls and tugs at the denim like he’s going to take me down. It’s like a chipmunk going after a bear.
I bend to pick him up, careful to avoid his mouth. He won’t let go of my jeans, until I put my finger in the jaws of death to get him to release. His incredibly sharp teeth graze my skin a few times like tiny knives.
“Hey, fierce little–“ I turn the pup over. “–Little dude. What’s up with the attack mode? You going to take me down?”
He squirms in my hands, wiggling himself around to chomp on my fingers or sleeve.
“Ouch! Now, you’ve got to stop that.” I suck on my finger where he’s made contact. At least there’s no blood. “Where did you come from? Whose evil puppy are you?”
He’s not wearing a collar or tags. We’re close enough to my sister’s house that he could have escaped from there, but he would’ve had to walk through the woods to get here. I doubt he’d be able to make it.
I tuck him under my arm like a football, so he can’t bite me. I open the door and unlock the glove box to get the ring. The puppy tugs on my coat sleeve. I drop him and the ring box on the floor of the truck. He immediately goes after the box. I’m not worried he can swallow it because it’s bigger than his jaw, but he’s got it in his teeth.
I try to grab the box. He thinks it’s a game, scampering around in the truck. I lean in further to get it, resting on my stomach across the seat to grab him before he gets himself wedged someplace I can’t reach him.
“What are you doing?” Hailey’s finally returned. “I went to get you some water, but then I got distracted because I lost something in the house. Why are you lying face down in the truck?”
“Got you!” I make a final grab for the puppy and wrap my hand around his belly. I shove back off the seat and onto my feet. Holding the tiny dog above my head in triumph, I forget he’s holding the ring box in his teeth.
“Oh! You found Nameless.” She sounds relieved. “What’s that in his mouth?”
Oh, crap.
“Nameless?” I tuck him under my arm again and attempt to extract the cream velvet box before she can figure out what it is. Nameless growls and squirms, but unless I want to get bit again, he’s not giving up his new toy.
“I, um, he’s …” She stumbles over her words. Smiling she shouts, “Merry Christmas! I got you a puppy.”
I stare at her in disbelief. “You got me a poodle puppy?”
Her smile is warm, but a little nervous. “I did. He’s a Labradoodle.”
“You got me a dog.” I take a few steps closer. Now we’re inches apart. “You got us a dog.”
She nods, her expression soft and full of love. “I did. You can name him, though. That’s why I’ve been calling him Nameless.”
I kiss her because I don’t know what to say. I kiss her because I love her.
Nameless uses my distraction to bite my arm again.
I jerk back from Hailey, nearly dropping the puppy. I fumble, but save him from falling.
The box drops onto the ground.
I’m pretty sure my hand is bleeding.
She bends down to pick up the box. The velvet is soaked in puppy saliva. So gross. She holds it between two fingers. “What’s this?”
My breath goes shallow again. Her own expression holds an edge of panic.
This is one of those fork in the road life moments.
I can toss the puppy at her, hoping she’ll drop the box to save him, and then I can stuff the box in my pocket, and deny everything.
Or I can man up, and do what I know I want.
I take the box and hand her the puppy. He stops squirming and settles into the crook of her arm. I swear he even gives me a smug look like he belongs there. If anyone is going to snuggle Hailey, it’s going to be me. He’s going to sleep on a dog bed. Downstairs.
My pulse races again, but I take a deep breath, calming myself.
I bend down on one knee, and look up at her. Her eyes are shining with tears. I say a silent prayer that they’re happy tears before speaking.
“Hailey King, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I open the box on the second try and present the ring to her.
She’s nodding, but hasn’t said yes. Snow swirls around and sticks to her hair, even her lashes have a few flakes that slowly melt into the tears now running down her face.
The ground is cold so I stand up still holding the ring and its box. “Is that a yes?”
She nods again before kissing me. The memory of the cold snow and her warm mouth will stay with me always. I don’t need a verbal yes. Her kiss tells me she’s mine.
I slip the ring onto her finger and enclose her in my arms.
She’s my world.
My love.
My future.
The puppy bites my arm. Again.
I think about building him a heated doghouse as I carry them both inside the house.
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Thanks for reading!
Want more John and Tom? Grab the Wingmen box set today. Wingmen contains two full length novels and another short story featuring both John and Tom.
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About Daisy Prescott
Daisy Prescott is the USA Today bestselling author of the Modern Love Stories series, which features thirty-somethings and forty-somethings falling in love and the all male POV Wingmen series.
Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy currently lives in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with her husband, their dog Mulder, and an indeterminate number of imaginary house goats. When not writing, she can be found in the garden or kitchen, or on social media, usually talking about hot, bearded men.
Her work has been translated into multiple languages and she’s appeared on the USA Today Best Seller’s list several times.
To keep updated on new releases, sales and upcoming events, sign up for Daisy’s mailing list here.
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A Note from Daisy Prescott
Thank you for reading!
I hope you enjoyed this future glimpse into the lives of the characters from both my Modern Love Stories and Wingmen series.
If you enjoyed Give and Take, please check out the other novels and shorts in the series. For more of my writing, there’s a reading order at the end of this book.
If you’re already a Wingmen lover, look for Better Love coming in October 2016.
If you’re already a Modern Love Stories fan, Happily Ever Now will release in Winter 2017.
To keep up with my latest news and upcoming releases, sign up for my mailing list: www.subscribepage.com/daisymailinglist
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Also by Daisy Prescott
Modern Love Stories:
We Were Here (prequel to Geoducks)
Geoducks Are for Lovers
Missionary Position
Happily Ever Now (coming Winter 2017)
Next to You
A sports Rom-Com standalone
Wingmen:
Ready to Fall
Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat
Wingmen
(a boxed set of Ready to Fall & Confessions of a Reformed Tom Cat)
Anything but Love
Better Love (coming Fall 2016)
Short Stories:
Take Two (Maggie and Gil)
Take the Cake and Run (John and Diane)
Take for Granted (Jo and Ben)
Take it Easy (Tom and Hailey plus John and Diane)
Give and Take (a crossover between Modern Love Stories and Wingmen)
Two Wingmen and a Baby (John with Tom and Hailey)
Bewitched
A magical Halloween novelette set in Salem, Massachusetts
Spellbound
A continuation of Bewitched (releasing 9/29/16)