Authors Note: My apologies for the delay in this chapter. My muse went walkabout and left me with no words to string into the web of this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone left comments or sent me feedback about previous chapters of this story. Thank you also to Margaret who proofread for me. ~ellie
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Peri and Andie had done some expert shopping that afternoon, and Peri had driven home in a rush, keen to put all of the preparations in place. Andie had had a great idea, but they had bantered back and forth perfecting it to Peri's liking.
Peri looked around at the back deck she was pleased with the effect the decorations had. She went in to continue preparing the meal. She knew, with her nausea, that cooking was not going to be in her immediate future, so she had opted for fresh seafood for the evening. She had sniffed the air at the fishmongers deeply before going ahead with her purchases. The evening she had planned was not going to go well if she was going to be sick from the smell of the food. She had opted for a non-alcoholic cider for herself and beer for Josh rather than their usual wine.
She looked at her watch and went to change. She dressed in a pair of his loose boxers and one of his shirts leaving the top two buttons undone. Andie had suggested some new lingerie, but Peri knew Josh's preference for loose more accessible clothes particularly his shirts and no bra. She was glad and walked comfortably back through the house making sure everything she needed was in place. Then she went to lay on the daybed and read until Josh got home. She dozed off while reading and woke with a start to the sound of the door opening and closing.
"Peri?" Josh called into the dimly lit rear of the house.
"Your home!" she smiled coming to her feet to greet him.
"You should have told me you had something prepared, I wouldn't have been so late," he held a bag of takeaway food. "I thought with your tummy and all I would grab something on the way for us."
"That's so thoughtful, but I have something special planned, will it keep?" she asked nervously.
"It's Chinese food, we can reheat it tomorrow," he dropped it to the bench and pulled her into his arms. "I wouldn't mind if we skipped dinner all together," his voice became husky as his hands travelled down her body.
"At the risk of sounding like a nagging woman, we need to talk first," she laughed and squirmed out of his arms.
"Uh oh, nothing good ever comes with those words," he grumbled following her into the kitchen.
"Here take these out to the deck," she passed him a beer and a small bottle of cider, continuing to laugh. "I have the first course all ready for us." She took the two small plates of natural oysters and followed him out taking a seat and smiling.
"You know you don't have to feed me aphrodisiacs to get into my pants," Josh laughed.
"I know, I'm already in them," she flipped the bottom of the shirt up.
"You always look better in my clothes than me," he laughed with her. "Between the food and your outfit, you better talk quick before I get totally distracted."
"Just eat," she laughed nervously sipping the cider Josh had poured into a glass for her. She had planned it all in her mind, exactly what she would say and how she would do it but now, here in the moment, she was suddenly very nervous. "How was the lunch with everyone?" She asked procrastinating.
"Maryanne wanted to confirm her engagement party dates for May when everyone is home for the gathering, and she is considering November for the wedding, assuming no one has anything else planned," he said warily. "Why don't you just tell me what you wanted to talk about. I'm starting to get worried," he said seriously.
"I'll just grab the next course, and then we'll talk," she said pleased that oysters on the half shell were a quick entrée.
"This cider is new? Is your stomach still giving you problems?" he asked concern heavy in his voice making her feel guilty for the big build up.
"Yeah, it's nice, try some," she said walking back out with a prawn and crab salad. She sat, and they began to eat. "What happens if you couldn't make it in November, I mean if something you couldn't change came up?" She said doing mental calculations in her head and frowning.
"I'd let Maryanne know, but there isn't much that I wouldn't change around for her wedding," Josh said easily. "She's the baby of the family and deserves her day to shine. She's been there for all of our big days so far."
"I guess it would have been hard having eleven older siblings to pick on her," Peri commiserated with her.
"Not really most of them were so much older than her they just gave her what she wanted most of the time. Nik picked on her the most because they had to share a room but boarding school fixed that and Nik had been thrown out of the best ones by the time Maryanne got there," Josh shrugged.
"I would have thought the Donati's would have had tutors and the like rather than boarding school," Peri mused idly.
"We did until we were old enough to board, then it was all about making connections with the right families and so on," he explained. "We had to be socialised to be able to fit into the society our parents were a part of."
"That makes sense I guess," she nodded. "That's how I got my job in the research dungeon, through connections at the university."
"Peri it's nice that you're interested in my family but seriously, tell me what's bothering you because I am starting to get more than a little worried now," Josh said in a pained voice as they were almost finished eating.
"You're right," she said nervously and took a sip of her drink. She stood and walked around to where Josh sat. She knelt down beside him smiling at his stunned expression and lifted a small leather box in her hand. "Joshua Craig Donati, will you marry me?" she asked
"Oh my God," he squealed in a high-pitched feminine voice. "Yes, yes, oh my god yes!" He snatched up the box and opened it, the funny voice and silly demeanour dropping as he took in the ring. The onyx and gold design was spectacular, and he was rendered speechless by the perfect square cut diamond that sat on a bed of Onyx in its setting. "This is amazing," he breathed. "I'll marry you tomorrow if that's what you want," he said pulling her up into his arms and kissing her.
"Maybe not tomorrow but I was hoping in a few weeks," she said softly disentangling herself from his arms and kissing his stunned expression. "Let me sit back down and I will explain," she murmured into the kiss.
"A few weeks," Josh said in confusion. "Why the rush? What aren't you telling me?" Panic and dread combined with his voice making his words sound harsh. His mind immediate went back to everything that had happened to her.
"It's nothing bad," she hastened to reassure him. "At least I hope it's not a bad thing. I'm not dying or anything like that." She saw him relax slightly, but his face still showed his dark emotions. "You see there was a side effect from my injuries," she paused and watched his face. "I'm fine," she reassured him again.
"What side effects?" Josh asked, the sick feeling in his stomach returning as she spoke slowly.
