33.4

C H A P T E R - - - - T H I R T Y - - - - T H R E E

Even though dinner was finished, the party—and hence the drinking—was not.

I was seated next to Ryan but listening to Mrs. Bartolome and Erma, who were both wonderfully inebriated, as they told Ramona, their other audience member, tales of Dad and Melinda's previous anniversaries.

My head twisted when Ryan suddenly seized my hand, and I looked to his face to find that he was looking across the room.

My heart warmed as I followed his with my gaze. Melinda, who was holding Mic's hand by the fingers, was standing next to Mic as they both looked at the diamond ring Ryan had put on earlier that night when he had proposed to her.

The reason they were late.

“Lingerie parties, darlin’,” I heard Ryan whisper in my ear, I smiled and turned to face him. “You promised,” he finished when he caught my eyes.

I squeezed his hand and whispered back, “You happy?”

“She is, so, yeah,” Ryan answered.

That was a great freaking answer.