Bryce picked Saige up just before lunch.

She came down the steps in jeans and a light top, sunglasses pushed into her hair, and opened the passenger door.

“Where are we going?”

“Town.”

“That narrows it down.”

Bryce pulled away from the house.

Saige watched him for a moment.

“You’re being weird.”

“I’m driving.”

“You can do both.”

He smiled and kept his eyes on the track.

They had lunch at the pub, nothing unusual about it. Saige stole chips from his plate after insisting she didn’t want any, talked about school and a mare Elara was considering buying, then caught him watching her.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s twice today.”

Bryce took another drink.

Saige narrowed her eyes.

“You’re definitely being weird.”

After lunch, he drove through town instead of heading home.

Saige looked out the window.

“We need something?”

“Yeah.”

“What?”

Bryce pulled into a parking space.

Saige looked through the windscreen.

Then at the jewellery shop.

Then at Bryce.

“What are we doing?”

He killed the engine.

“Buying you a ring.”

She stared at him.

“What ring?”

Bryce looked at her.

“An engagement ring.”

Saige went very still.

“Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Yeah.”

“In the ute?”

Bryce looked around the cab.

“Apparently.”

Her mouth twitched.

“You’re serious?”

“Very.”

The smile arrived all at once.

“Yes.”

Bryce blinked. “I haven’t actually—”

“Yes.”

She grabbed his shirt and kissed him.

Bryce laughed against her mouth, caught her around the waist and kissed her back.

When she finally let him go, she was grinning.

Bryce glanced towards the jeweller.

“You want to pick one?”

“Absolutely.”

They took longer than Bryce expected.

Saige tried on everything the woman behind the counter suggested, dismissing some almost immediately and holding others out at arm’s length while Bryce tried to work out what expression he was supposed to make.

“This one?”

“If you like it.”

“That’s useless.”

“It looks good.”

“You said that about the last one.”

“It looked good too.”

Saige rolled her eyes.

Eventually she stopped.

The ring was simple. A thin gold band with a modest diamond, enough to catch the light without looking ridiculous on her hand.

She turned it slowly.

Bryce watched her face rather than the ring.

“That one?”

Saige looked at him.

“I think so.”

“You think?”

“I’m trying not to look too excited.”

“You’re doing a terrible job.”

She smiled.

“This is the one.”

Bryce looked at the price.

Then looked again.

Saige noticed.

“We can find something cheaper.”

“No.”

“Bryce.”

“You like it?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll take it.”

He handed over his credit card before he could think too hard about the number.

Outside, Saige stopped on the footpath and held her hand up again.

The diamond flashed in the afternoon sun.

“You sure?”

Bryce looked at her.

“You’ve said yes three times. Bit late now.”

She laughed and threw her arms around him.

“I meant about the ring.”

“I know what you meant.”

She kissed him.

A woman walking past smiled at them.

Saige didn’t notice.

Or didn’t care.

When she pulled back, she looked at the ring again.

“My fiancé.”

Bryce laughed softly.

“That sounds strange.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

⸻

They went back to his place before dinner.

Saige barely waited for the door to close before she kissed him.

Bryce caught her around the waist.

“I thought you wanted to look at your ring.”

“I can multitask.”

Her hands went to his shirt.

Bryce laughed as she dragged him towards the lounge.

“You’re impatient.”

“I got engaged today.”

“Apparently.”

“That deserves celebrating.”

The sofa caught the back of his knees.

Saige pushed.

Bryce sat back and looked up at her.

She held her left hand out between them.

The ring caught the light.

“Still like it?”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles just beneath it.

“I’m going to show you just how much.”

Saige knelt in front of him and kissed his thigh.

Her fingers found his belt, working it loose while Bryce watched her.

“Saige.”

She glanced up.

“What?”

“You don’t have to—”

“I know.”

That stopped him.

She smiled and opened his jeans, freeing him. Her hand closed around his cock and stroked him slowly, her eyes still on his.

Bryce let out a breath.

Saige’s smile widened.

“Still thinking?”

“Trying not to.”

“Good.”

She leaned forward and took him into her mouth.

Bryce’s head fell back against the sofa.

“Fuck.”

Saige made a pleased little sound around him.

She took her time at first, her hand moving with her mouth, learning what made his breathing change and what made his hips shift beneath her. Every time Bryce looked down, the diamond flashed on her finger.

That nearly undid him by itself.

Saige noticed.

She pulled back just enough to smile.

“You keep looking at it.”

“Hard not to.”

“At the ring?”

Bryce looked at her.

Saige laughed softly.

“Thought so.”

Then her mouth was around him again.

Bryce reached down, brushing her hair away from her face. Saige leaned into his hand without slowing, one hand resting on his thigh while the other worked what she couldn’t comfortably take.

His breathing grew rougher.

“Saige.”

She looked up.

That was enough.

Bryce groaned, his fingers tightening in her hair as he came. Saige stayed with him until the tension finally left his body, then sat back on her heels with a thoroughly satisfied smile.

For a few seconds Bryce simply stared at her.

Saige lifted her left hand and admired the ring again.

“Definitely like it.”

Bryce laughed, still trying to catch his breath.

“You’re trouble.”

“You proposed to me.”

“Apparently.”

She climbed onto the sofa beside him and curled against his chest.

Saige rested her left hand on his chest and turned it slowly, watching the diamond.

“You know Mum’s going to see this immediately.”

“Probably.”

“She notices everything.”

“I know.”

Saige smiled.

“Should we tell them straight away?”

“Up to you.”

“Oh, I’m definitely telling them.”

Bryce laughed.

“I figured.”

She lifted her head.

“Do you think Dad will be weird?”

“Isn’t he always?”

“Good point.”

Bryce kissed her forehead.

“We should probably get dressed.”

Saige looked at the time.

“Shit.”

⸻

The kitchen smelled of coconut, lime and curry when they arrived.

Grant was at the table opening beers while Elara moved between the stove and bench.

“You’re late,” Grant said.

“By six minutes,” Saige replied.

“Late.”

Elara looked over her shoulder.

“You two want rice?”

“Please,” Saige said.

Bryce closed the door behind them.

Saige was smiling.

Too much.

Elara noticed immediately.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Elara narrowed her eyes.

Grant looked between them.

“What have you done?”

“Why does everyone assume I’ve done something?”

“Experience,” Elara said.

Saige laughed and reached for a glass.

Her left hand came into the light.

Elara stopped.

The spoon in her hand stayed suspended over the pot.

Grant followed her gaze.

Nobody said anything for a second.

Then Elara looked at Saige.

“Is that what I think it is?”

Saige’s grin broke wide.

“Yep.”

Grant stared at the ring.

Then at Bryce.

“You proposed?”

Bryce opened his mouth.

Saige answered first.

“He took me ring shopping.”

Grant blinked.

“That was the proposal?”

“Basically.”

Elara laughed.

Saige held her hand out.

“Mum.”

Elara crossed the kitchen immediately and took it.

“Oh, Saige.”

She turned her daughter’s hand under the light, looking at the thin band and diamond.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I picked it.”

“I gathered.”

Bryce smiled.

Grant stood.

“So you said yes?”

Saige looked at him.

“Obviously.”

Grant laughed and pulled her into a hug.

Elara joined them a moment later, and Saige disappeared between her parents, still laughing.

Bryce stayed by the table.

Grant looked over Saige’s shoulder at him.

“You’re standing all the way over there why?”

Bryce stepped closer.

Grant caught him around the shoulder and dragged him into the mess.

⸻

Dinner took longer than usual.

Saige kept stopping to look at her hand.

Grant asked how Bryce had proposed, then laughed all over again when Saige described the jewellery shop.

“You didn’t even get out of the ute?”

“I was going to.”

“He was taking too long,” Saige said.

“I’d said about six words.”

“Plenty.”

Elara smiled across the table.

“It sounds about right.”

Bryce looked at her.

“What does that mean?”

“For the two of you? Completely right.”

Saige leaned against Bryce’s shoulder.

Grant pointed his fork towards the ring.

“When’s the wedding?”

Bryce looked at Saige.

Saige looked straight back.

“We haven’t got that far.”

Grant snorted.

“That might be the first thing you two haven’t rushed.”

“Give us until dessert,” Saige said.

Elara laughed.

“Please don’t organise a wedding before I’ve finished the curry.”

“No promises.”

Bryce shook his head.

Saige slipped her hand into his beneath the table.

The ring pressed cool against his fingers.

Grant started another story.

Elara told him he was telling it wrong.

Saige joined in.

Bryce sat between them and listened.