Checkmate: This is Effortless (Drew & Courtney, #2)

I’m a good girl who dates guys that are sweet in the streets and bad in the sheets.

No matter how much time we spend together, it never feels like enough. I want him—all day and night—all the time. I can confidently say I’m marrying my best friend, and I know it’s only going to get better from here.

It’s not until she lifts it and takes it in her hand does she see the engagement ring sitting on top. “Oh my God.” Her body stills and we all wait in silence as she finally turns around and sees I’m down on one knee. “What are you doing?” she asks as tears surface in her eyes.
“Sweetheart...there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for putting you in my life at a time when I needed it the most—even when I didn’t realize it—you were always the one. You know me better than anyone, you’re my best friend, and the love of my life. I’ll even go as far as saying my soul mate. This past year hasn’t been easy for us, but one thing always remained. Loving you has and will always be effortless. I can’t see my life without you in it—nor would I ever want to—and there’s nothing in the world that’d make me happier than you becoming my wife.”
“Oh my God,” she cries out, covering her mouth with her hands. I can tell she’s smiling by the way her cheeks lift to her eyes.
“Courtney Rose-Marie Bishop, will you marry me and make all my dreams come true?”
She nods her head furiously before any words come out. I stand up and wrap my arms around her before she finally says the word just loud enough for me to hear—yes. I cup her cheeks and bring her mouth to mine, kissing her fiercely as tears of joy fall down her cheeks.
“You’ve just made me the fucking happiest man alive,” I whisper against her lips. “I love you so much.”
She swiftly wipes under her eyes and whispers back against my lips, “I love you, too. I can’t believe we’re engaged!”
“Oh, wait.” I pull away briefly, grabbing the muffin from her hand and pulling the ring out. “We have to make it official,” I say with a grin. I brush the excess muffin off the band and grab her hand to slide it on her ring finger.
“Wrong hand,” she whispers.
“Huh?”
She quickly swaps her hands out and places the left one in my palm. Viola and Kayla chuckle softly behind us and I play it off as I totally did that on purpose. I watch as she smiles and I slide the ring onto her beautiful ring finger. I hold her hand in mine and place a kiss against her knuckles. I flash a wink at her before holding our arms up in the air and turning us around to face everyone watching.
“She said yes!” I scream and everyone erupts into applause and cheers. “The future Mrs. Fisher.” I wrap my arms back around her and kiss the hell out of her. “I love you, sweetheart. More than I ever thought was possible.”

With Buddy at our feet, Drew wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to his chest. I can hear his heartbeat as he speaks. “I imagine this is what it’s going to be like when we have kids. We’ll have to figure out a way to still enjoy each other.”
It’s the first time he’s ever mentioned anything like that to me. I sit up and search his face then press my lips against his. “You want to have a family with me?”
My heart is so full of happiness that I can’t hide the smile that covers my face.
He nods his head and returns his lips to mine. “The truth is I couldn’t imagine a family without you.”

He says all the right things all the time and I realize how much I need him. I need him physically and emotionally.

As if he reads my mind, he speaks, and it pulls me back to my reality. “I love you, Court.”
“I love you too. Today I tried to imagine my life without you and it was impossible. I can’t even remember life before you,” I admit. “And now you’ve gone and got me a dog.”
“You’re the love of my life, sweetheart. I’d get you five dogs if it’d make you happy and help you feel safe.”

“Court, you should totally get a dog. You’ve got the perfect fenced in backyard and you could use the company for when Drew’s working. Plus—”
“Don’t you even. Travis got Viola a puppy and the next thing we knew, she was popping out babies like Easter eggs. I’m not ready for all that yet!”

Every day I’m so thankful Viola is my best friend. There are times that I don’t know how I could get on without her. I always wished for a sister, and though we may not be blood related, she’s the closest thing I have to one. And right now, I need her more than ever.

“Thank you,” I say and reposition myself under the blankets as the adrenaline rush begins to fade.
He removes his belt and unbuttons his shirt. The warm glow from the lamp covers his body that I can’t help but admire. “For what?”
“For caring about me.”
Drew crawls under the blankets and pulls me into his arms. “It’s way past care at this point, Court. I don’t think I can live without you.”

“Drew Fisher, I knew you and all your quirks long before I fell in love with you.”
I immediately smile at her words, and then just to mess with her, I say, “I fell in love with you despite all your weird hillbilly quirks.”