She buried her face in my chest, holding me tight. “You’re … passable,” she whispered with a wicked grin, slowly lifting her head and looking up at me.
I could see so much in her eyes. How much she cared for me. I paused, the world around me fading into the background, wanting to talk to Lexi about us and our future, when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll be right back,” Lexi said, letting go of me to greet Anne, the nanny who had just arrived.
I turned to Sasha who was wearing a distinctly grumpy expression, and I realized how abruptly I’d left our conversation.
I walked over to Sasha while Lexi gave Anne instructions about Evie.
“Sasha, if I have the slightest hint that Lexi is unhappy with our relationship, if I ever feel like she’s settling for less just to be with me, I’ll be the one to walk away. Because God knows she’s shouldered enough in the past twenty-four years, and I’m not adding to that.”
I met Sasha’s eyes fully then.
“Not because she doesn’t mean everything to me, but because she does.”
Lexi’s breath hitched behind me, and Sasha softened.
“Well,” Sasha said, blinking, “I guess you’re not quite what I expected.”
“No,” I said, “I’m not.”
I reached for Lexi’s hand. “Ready?” I asked.
She nodded wordlessly. And hugging Evie goodnight, we walked out together.
Once we were outside, I turned and kissed Lexi deeply.
When she pulled away, she looked thoughtful. “Everyone around us will only see the age gap,” she said, sounding rueful. “Why can’t they see how much I care about you?”
I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and tilted her chin up gently.
“They don’t need to,” I said. “They will eventually. But until then … I see it. I feel it. And that’s enough for me.”
She gave me a shaky smile, one that was both brave and afraid, and she didn’t let go of my hand.
“Ready to meet my dad?” I asked, and she nodded.
51
LEXI
We arrived at the North Cove Marina, and I could see the yacht waiting at the dock, illuminated against the night sky. The yacht was stunning, with polished white fiberglass and gleaming dark teak, on grey-blue water. I never thought I’d step foot on something like this in my life.
As I walked across the deck, my white dress swaying around my legs, I noticed other men glancing my way. Then I felt Jonah’s arm wrap around my slender frame, pulling me closer to him. There was something possessive in the gesture, a silent message to the other men watching.
Despite the earlier tension I’d sensed from Jonah, I felt him relax a little as he introduced me to some of the people he knew. There was something nice about being here with him, seeing how the people he knew responded to me. I enjoyed the way he took my hand in his while people watched, which was different from how we had to hide in public usually.
In the distance, I noticed an older man turn from his conversation with a friend, his attention caught by something behind me.
The man’s face lit up with happiness when he spotted Jonah, and he beckoned him closer with a warm gesture. “Jonah,” his man said, extending his arms as he clasped Jonah’s hands. “I’m glad to see you here.”
“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lexi Haley,” Jonah said, pulling me closer. “She’s someone very special to me,” Jonah held my gaze as he spoke, the warmth in them undeniable. “Lexi, this is Ed Walkers.”
His father smiled at me, his gray eyes resting on me briefly. He gave me a curious look, possibly wondering if he should recognize me from somewhere. But he seemed to decide against it because he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexi. Do we have you to thank for getting Jonah out to meet us?”
I smiled. “I think the credit is completely his,” I said.
His dad laughed. “Well, perhaps Jonah is finally interested in his old dad after all,” he said.
