“Good thing”—she shoots back with a sly look in her eye—“because there isn’tone.”
A familiar song plays overhead—“The Piña Colada Song”—and I pull back and lift a brow at Lex. “Does this remind you ofanything?”
Lex’s mouth falls open, and she gasps. “The Black Bear! That first day we met and you accosted me with French fries and threatened to feed me to a bear in thewoods.”
I frown slightly at her version of the truth. “I did not threaten to feed you to a bear. For your information, had the opportunity risen, I would have formally introducedyou.”
“As a tasty piece ofa—”
I cut her off with a laugh and save her from having to finish the colorful word. “As I was about to say”—I wince because for the life of me I wish there was a better segue to what I’m about to do—“I spoke with Marlintoday.”
Her eyes pop wide. “As in mybrotherMarlin?” She gives me a quick once-over. “Clearly you have all your limbs, so you managed to live to tell aboutit.”
“Correct.” I grimace. “But you haven’t seen your brother, now haveyou?”
“Ha-ha.” She pinches my ribs. “Go on. You’ve got my attention,Collins.”
I bear into Lex Maxfield’s beautiful eyes. “I wanted to askhis—”
She slaps her fingers over her lips. “Blessing for my hand inmarriage?”
And there you have it. This woman cannot handle a single surprise. I give a dull laugh. “His assistance in bringing peace back to yourneighborhood.”
“What?” She slaps me hard over the arm. “Are you the reason there wasn’t a single protester in front of my house to greet me thismorning?”
“And The Pelican.” I tip my forehead to hers. “But as much as I’d like to take all the credit, it was Marlin who put the official kibosh on the operation. It turns out the ringleader was wanted for parking violations. Rumor has it, she both ceased and desisted faster than you can say Stumpy gohome.”
“Stumpy.” Lex bites down over her bottom lip as her eyes sparkle with tears. “You did that forme?”
I give a slight nod. “Were you hoping I had asked Marlin for your hand inmarriage?”
Those full hot pink lips twist in a knot, and I’m dying to take a bite out of them myself. “Sort of—but only because I’m old-fashioned that way.” She makes aface.
“Good. Because I’m old-fashioned that way, too.” I tip my head as I soak in her beauty. “That’s why I didit.”
“Did what?” Her eyes are back to widening in disbelief, twin expansive emeralds. Lex has never appreciated a good surprise, and for that alone I’m walking oneggshells.
“Asked Marlin for your hand inmarriage.”
Her mouth opens wide in a perfectO, and about a dozen perverse thoughts run through my mind—and then one pathetic one. I still haven’tproposed.
“So what do you say?” My muscles tense, my body breaks out into hot bites of sweat. “You—me? A tuxedo and a weddinggown?”
Her left eye comes shy of winking. I can tell she’s eating this up. “Is this a proposal or a costume rollcall?”
I casually move us back toward the arch dripping with baby pink roses and pretend to trip, landing carefully on one knee. I look up at Lex, the roses enwreathing her from above, and for a moment I’m speechless. And then I remember my purpose in life and pull that ring out of my pocket that I’ve been saving for six longyears.
“I believe this belongs to you.” I hold it between us. “Alexa Ximena Maxfield—I would be honored to spend my life with you. I will love you more than any man could ever imagine. I promise to worship you and be the best father to our children. Would you do me the honor of becoming mywife?”
Lex takes in a never-ending breath, her fingers lightly covering hermouth.
“Oh my God!” a shrill female voice screams from our left, and we look over to see both Low and Levi standing there, stunned, with a photographer positioned behind them snapping a picture of us of all people. “Well?” Low jumps over and smacks Lex with her bouquet, and it rains pink petals all over Lex’s beautiful feet. “Get to it,sister!”
Lex looks back to me and gives a circular nod, tears glossing her eyes. “Yes!”
“Yes?” My heart thumps back to life, and I rise to my feet to meether.
“Hellyes.” She wraps her arms around me so tight it feels as if she’s about to slip right throughme.
