Logan was surprised when Rogue insisted on taking the bike. Although he knew she liked riding with him, he had expected the somewhat somber occasion of ring shopping to warrant taking one of the more sedate vehicles. Something with a roof and four tires. And frankly, the thought of having her plastered to his back was already having an effect on him. With a mental wince for the physical hell to come in the next six weeks, Logan shrugged and straddled the bike, determined to keep Rogue happy. That was a husband’s job, wasn’t it? Keep his wife happy and make sure all her needs were met?
Before they even hit the gates leaving the mansion, Logan realized there was something different in the way Rogue was holding on to him. Physically, she wasn’t any closer than she usually was, but whereas before she would loosely wrap her arms around his ribs and fist one hand over his stomach, gripping her forearm with her opposite hand, now she splayed both hands flat against him. It was more like an embrace. And he could feel where her cheek rested contentedly against his shoulder blade. That was new.
Something about it was bothering Logan, and not in the way he had thought it would. The new handhold was much less secure than the old one. And Rogue really should be wearing a helmet. He wondered incredulously why it hadn’t concerned him in the past ten years. She was no longer a mutant and he couldn’t heal her if something happened. Had he really thought that he’d be able to protect her during a wreck? Did he really think he’d be able to flip over mid-air and cradle her safely in his arms while allowing his own body to absorb all the force of the impact? Calling himself an idiotic ass, Logan quickly descended into brooding, hyper-aware of Rogue’s position on the bike, monitoring her for even the most minute slip or loosening of her hands.
So he nearly had a heart attack when she let go with one hand and leaned back away from him. A second later, the hand reappeared near his cheek, pointing to a simple one-story building with a lot of glass up the street. Thousands of glinting bits in the windows caught his attention and he nodded in understanding. He had been planning on heading to one of the jewelry stores in the mall; Rogue’s idea was much better. No screaming kids in a freestanding jewelry store on a Saturday.
When they pulled into the lot, though, he thought they might be dealing with something even worse. There wasn’t a modest vehicle to be seen. All high-end foreign monstrosities costing as much as a small house in the suburbs. The lack of even a moderately less expensive car told him that even the employees were probably snobs.
Taking grim satisfaction in parking the somewhat beat up Harley between two gleaming BMWs, Logan braced the bike and waited for Rogue to climb off. He remained seated and watched her smooth out her hair.
“After today, you’re gonna start wearin’ a helmet whenever we take the bike.”
Rogue paused with her hands still lifted to her hair. “What? Why?” The question spoke of honest confusion.
“It’s safer.”
Rogue blinked at him. “Why should it matter all of a sudden? You’ve been lettin’ me ride without a helmet for the past ten years.”
“And I shouldn’t have,” Logan admitted gruffly. “If somethin’ happened, I might not be able to keep you safe, kid.”
Rogue gave him a small smile. “Thanks for thinkin’ of me, Logan, but I’m a big girl. I can decide for myself.” She shrugged. “I like the way the wind feels in my hair.”
Eyeing her closely, Logan asked, “And you like takin’ risks, too, right?”
With a wink, she said, “Gotta get my thrills in where I can.”
“And when we have a baby, are you still gonna take risks so you can get a few cheap thrills?” Logan’s question removed every bit of humor from her expression.
With her eyes locked on his, Rogue saw the genuine concern mixing with his anger. She slowly shook her head. “No, no risks after we have the baby.”
“And before,” he insisted.
Rogue cocked her head to the side. “Why not?” At Logan’s thunderous expression, she hastily explained, “I’m not arguing, Logan, I’m just wonderin’ why.”
Rising abruptly, Logan stood across from her, the bike between them, and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve asked you to marry me, kid, and in my book that means forever.”
Rogue smiled. “In mine too. But what’s that got to do with not takin’ any risks?”
Logan exhaled sharply. “It’s got everything to do with it. Marriage means you belong to me. And I belong to you. I’m not gonna let you do anything stupid or reckless when the end result could mean you’d be taken away from me forever. You’re mine, kid. Have been from the second you said yes, and I take care of what’s mine.”
While she understood that her joy at such a possessive statement flew in the face of all things feminist, Rogue decided feminists could take a flying leap. They had obviously never met Logan and wouldn’t realize that his declaration was tantamount to a candlelit promise of love and devotion over wine and strawberries. Maybe even flowers and a little slow music for dancing.
With a grin, Rogue nodded and said, “Okay.”
Logan blinked and dropped his arms. “Okay?” He sounded suspicious.
Rogue moved around to his side of the bike and looped her arm through his. “Yup. I asked for a reason and you gave me a good one. So that makes no risk taking a legitimate request.”
“No arguments?”
“Nope. None.”
“No conditions?” They were walking toward the entrance now.
“Nope. None.”
“No quid pro quo?”
Rogue snickered. “I don’t think that really applies here. You heal, I don’t.”
Logan glanced down at her as he pulled the door open. “You really don’t have any requests?”
Rogue’s brow furrowed in a delicate frown. “Maybe one.”
“Name it, kid.”
“Just…don’t go off on your own during missions, okay? I know they’re few and far between now, mostly pick-ups, but when you have to go into a compound – especially a lab – don’t go off by yourself, okay?”
Hearing the fear in her voice, Logan pulled her to a stop just inside the jewelry store. “Marie, you know there’s a reason I do that.”
“I know,” she admitted. “You figure you can survive whatever or whoever’s waiting while the others might not. But what if they take you again, Logan?”
Sudden understanding flooded him and he smiled. “You’d get me back.”
“What could I do, Logan? I don’t have powers anymore. I’m good at hand-to-hand, but I have no weapons training and can’t track worth a damn. I’d just be in the way in any rescue attempt, so I’d end up stayin’ behind at the mansion twiddlin’ my damn thumbs and hopin’ that Kurt and the others bring you back to me.”
“I understand what you’re sayin’, kid,” he soothed, rubbing his hand comfortingly along her arm, “but if doin’ what I do keeps everybody else safe, then I’m gonna keep doin’ it.”
“Logan,” Rogue said earnestly, “I never said you couldn’t go in first, just don’t go in alone.”
“Gotcha,” Logan said with a grin and a wink. At Rogue’s answering smile of relief and happiness, Logan felt that curious warmth spreading through his chest again.
A throat cleared behind them. “Can I help you?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Logan sized up the diminutive male quickly. Shiny shoes, shiny hair. Thousand watt smile that looked a little strained at the edges. And he was doing his own once-over and was obviously finding Logan lacking. His lip actually lifted in a sneer at Logan’s beat up leather jacket and worn boots. Not that Logan cared.
Until the little shit turned his attention on Rogue and the sneer remained in place.
Logan growled a little, catching the man’s attention again. “Yeah, bub. You can help us by getting that nasty little look off your face. And while you’re at it, show us some engagement rings.” Rogue looked at him curiously, obviously having missed the sneer.
The man visibly stiffened and his tone turned icy. “Certainly.” He led them over to one side of the large room and slid behind the display case there. Pulling a set of keys on a retractable cable forward from his belt loop, he selected one of the keys and inserted it smoothly in the lock. He reached carefully into the case and pulled a tray out and plunked it on the counter in front of Logan and Rogue. A dozen rings glinted dully against the grey felt lining.
Rogue was bending forward to peer at them, a slight frown on her face, when Logan grabbed her shoulder to hold her back. She looked up at him.
“They’re all kinda dirty lookin’, aren’t they?” At the disappointment in her voice, Logan felt a tight knot of fury in his stomach.
“That’s ‘cause this little idiot didn’t ask us what kind of rings we wanted to see.”
“I beg your pardon?” The salesman was offended, and loud, catching the attention of a tall, thin woman a few cases down. The woman waved over another salesperson and excused herself from the couple she had been working with. She strode quickly and silently over to them.
“Is there a problem here, Stanley?” Her voice was low and smooth, but Logan detected an undercurrent of roughness, like whiskey and smoke. He decided from her voice alone that he liked her.
“No, ma’am, not really. I just let this…gentleman’s rudeness get to me.”
Logan snorted and the woman glanced over at him. She lifted an eyebrow in question. From the corner of his eye, he caught Rogue’s slight smile at the gesture.
“He was rude first. Ma’am,” Logan explained.
“Oh?” she asked, sweeping her gaze over Logan and Rogue quickly and then turning again to Stanley. “Is this true, Stanley?”
“I…no, ma’am. He asked to see engagement rings, so I showed them this tray. The woman insulted the product and then the man called me an idiot.”
“I didn’t insult your rings!” Rogue denied. Then she flushed. “Well, maybe I did, but I didn’t mean to.” She looked between Logan and the woman and shrugged. “But they do look kinda dirty.”
The woman smiled warmly. “That’s because you have a good eye for quality, my dear. What Stanley showed you are our lower end rings. And I think the gentleman,” she nodded at Logan, “realized this and took offense.”
“Ma’am,” Stanley began, but she cut him off with a shake of her head.
“I think it might be best if you go home for the day, Stanley. I’ve warned you repeatedly about making snap judgments about our customers’ needs and wants. You didn’t bother to ask them what, exactly, they were looking for, did you?”
Stanley flushed an ugly red and shot a glare at Logan. “No, ma’am,” he muttered.
She nodded. “Go home, Stanley. I will see you tomorrow morning at 8 am in my office.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He unclipped the keychain from his belt and handed it to the woman. He didn’t say another word as he brushed past Logan and left the store.
“I do apologize for that,” the woman said to Logan and Rogue as she put the tray of rings back in the case and locked the door. She straightened up and looked each of them in the eye. “My name is Estelle. I’m the manager here, and it will be my great pleasure to help you find the perfect ring today.”
Logan grinned toothily.
Rogue smiled tentatively at Estelle. “I didn’t mean to get Stanley in trouble,” she said, “and I’m sorry for insulting your rings.”
The other woman chuckled. “Stanley got himself in trouble. Now, first things first. What are your names?” she asked, smiling warmly.
“I’m Logan, and this is R–”
“Marie,” Rogue cut in, glancing at Logan.
He quickly hid his surprise and nodded firmly. “Logan and Marie.”
“And when is the wedding?”
“Six weeks.”
Estelle’s eyebrow lifted again. “That doesn’t leave much time for any resizing or adjustments that might need to be made. Do you know what size ring you wear, Marie?”
Rogue shook her head.
“Well, let’s find out then, and while we do that, tell me what type of ring you’re looking for.” Estelle pulled something from her own keychain, and at first Logan actually thought it was a set of brass knuckles. When she reached for Rogue’s left hand, though, he realized that it was some sort of sizing tool. She started with a hole in the middle, frowning when it was obviously much too big for Rogue. Pulling the object from Rogue’s finger, Estelle glanced up at Logan. “Did you have a particular price range in mind?”
Logan shook his head. “No, whatever Marie wants is fine.”
Estelle hesitated for a split second as she slipped Rogue’s ring finger into another hole. “Some of our rings are upward of $12,000.”
He shrugged. “That’s fine.”
Rogue’s head whipped around. “Logan! That’s way too much for a ring!” She looked at Estelle guiltily. “No offense.”
Estelle chuckled. “None taken. It looks like you’re a size 5, Marie. That’s a rather dainty finger you have there, so that already limits your choices today. Of course, we can always put a rush on any necessary resizing, but that costs quite a bit. Should I leave you two for a moment so you can discuss what type of ring you want?”
“No need,” Logan said, shaking his head at Rogue when she opened her mouth to protest. “Can we see what you have available in Marie’s size?”
“Of course,” Estelle said. “Just give me a moment to gather them.” She pulled an empty ring tray from beneath the display case and started moving along the counter, pausing every now and then to unlock a case and slip a ring into the tray.
“Logan,” Rogue said, grabbing his arm, “I don’t want anything obnoxiously expensive.”
With a wry smile, Logan grabbed her hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. “You can have anything you want, Marie.”
“If you’re hell bent on dropping $12,000, I’d rather have a car!” she exclaimed loudly.
A female customer a few feet to their right looked over with an envious pout. The man with her shot a panicked glare at Logan. Estelle glanced up with an indulgent smile.
“Listen, kid, I don’t care about the price. It’s not like I ever spend my salary on anything, so I have plenty of money saved up. You should know that since you never spend yours either.”
Rogue lowered her voice as Estelle walked back toward them. “It’s just that it seems wasteful to spend that much on a ring.”
Logan shook his head. “I’m probably gonna botch this explanation, so listen carefully, kid.” He absently noted Estelle’s raised eyebrow at the endearment, and also the way she slowed her steps, giving them a few more moments of relative privacy. “I know I didn’t give it any thought before today, but this isn’t just a ring, Marie. It’s my promise to you. I’m promising you everything that I am. Forever. And even though I might not be worth much, my promise is. I promise to always be here for you, to make sure you have everything you need, and to make sure you’re happy. So your ring should be exactly what you want, regardless of the price.”
Rogue blinked away sudden tears. She exhaled a shaky breath and glanced over at Estelle. “Okay,” she agreed in a small voice.
Estelle cleared her throat delicately. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but what you just said would make an excellent wedding vow, Logan. Assuming you haven’t already decided on your vows.”
Logan snorted at Rogue’s hopeful look. “Forget it, kid. I may be willing to be all sappy for you, but nobody else gets to hear it.”
Rogue gave an answering snort. “They wouldn’t believe it anyway. Nobody even knows we’re engaged yet.”
“They’ll know after today,” he said, “once we get you some serious bling.”
Rogue burst out laughing and turned her attention to the tray Estelle had placed in front of them, a happy smile on her face.
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