Chapter 20: Proposal

He came at eight on Friday, on foot, and stood on the front step with a toothbrush in his shirt pocket.

It was a green one. It still had the price sticker on the handle.

"You said not the truck," Floyd said.

"I did."

"I parked at the church and walked."

"That's four blocks."

"I wanted the time."

I stepped back from the door, and he came in.

He stopped in the hall with his hands loose at his sides.

"December is still December," I said. "The key is still the key. This isn't that."

"I know."

"Say what you know."

"The front door is a thing I earn by December second." His voice was low. "Tonight isn't earning anything. It's you, deciding."

"Don't make it sound noble, Stallworth."

"It's not noble." His eyes went over my mouth. "I've thought about nothing else for six days."

I had put Eli down at seven-thirty.

The house was quiet, and the baby monitor sat on the hall table with its little green light.

I had spent an hour deciding what to wear and ended up in the blue sundress.

He looked at the dress for a long time.

"That's my favorite one," he said.

"It's the only clean one."

"Emme."

"Come here."

He crossed the hall in two steps.

His hands came up to my face, and they were shaking.

I turned my head and kissed the heel of his palm, then the split knuckle.

He made a sound I felt in my knees.

"Say it," I said against his skin.

"Say what?"

"Say what you want. Out loud. I'm done guessing at you."

"I want you on the stairs," Floyd said. His voice was ragged.

"I want you on every flat surface in this house."

"I want to take that dress off you with my teeth and find out if you still make that noise."

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