I pulled my ass out of my pit of self-pity with no intention of going back anytime soon. I wasn’t going to let my stupid feelings or headspace get in the way of making sure this moment went as perfect for her as it could because she deserved nothing less.
Lucas had his side of everything set but had one favor to ask from the rest of us—he wanted us to be there.
Callie didn’t have any family.Wewere her family. And Lucas wanted her to have her people there to celebrate the occasion with her before he took her the rest of the night to celebrate by themselves. So Wes, Gabe, and I were going to be hiding whiletaking a video and snapping some photos for them, and Blake was going to be there via video call.
I had my hands in front of me while the woman finished with my nails, and Callie turned to me once hers were done, holding up her hands to show me. “Well?”
I smiled. “They’reperfect.”
Callie chuckled. “Ya know, you’ve been saying that an awful lot lately.”
“Saying what?”
“‘Perfect,’” she said, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “My hair. The clothes I buy. Now my nails. It’s all…perfect.”
“Because they are.Youare.”
“It makes me really nervous when you get sappy on me, Morgan Hayes.”
“Shut up. I’m not beingsappy. I just…happen to be very fond ofyouand your choices as of late.”
Callie giggled. “Whatever you say.”
“What time are they going to be there?” Blake asked from the other side of the screen as he talked to Gabe on a video call. We were huddled in our hiding spot, out of view from where we knew Lucas and Callie would eventually be.
“They were coming from Charleston—they had some big lunch with his grandpa earlier. But he sent Wesa message nearly an hour ago that they were getting on the ferry, so I’d say any minute now.”
“Did you talk to him beforehand? How’d he seem?” Blake chuckled. “Is he shitting his pants?”
“He was fine last night,” I said. “I think he’s more anxious just to do it and have it be official.”
“Right. Because we all know she’s going to say yes,” Gabe said with a grin.
“Well, not to go all doom and gloom, but…do we have a plan here in case things go completely sideways and shedoesn’tsay yes?” I asked.
“Wes!” Blake, Gabe, and Morgan said in collective unison.
“It’s a valid question!” It really wasn’t, but I enjoyed fucking with them. “Because our boy is gonna beinconsolableif that happens, and we should probably have some kind of game plan in place to keep him from going off the rails on the off chance that’s how things play out.”
“You’re such an ass,” Morgan muttered. “She’s not going to say no.”
“I know,” I said with a grin. “But you’re all so easy to rile.”
“So, what…you guys are just going to go down there after he does it, say congrats, and leave?”
“Luke stashed some champagne and glasses away in the lighthouse gallery yesterday,” Morgan answered. “So, we’ll have a glass of that with them, and then they’re going to do whatever?—”
“Each other,” I corrected.
She rolled her eyes. “And we’re going to The Sandbar like any other Saturday night.”
“Here they come,” Gabe said quietly.
My gaze shifted down the shore of the abandoned beachfrom our place in the wooded area off the brush-covered pathway that led to the old lighthouse. Lucas and Callie casually strolled hand-in-hand.
Despite what he was about to do, Lucas showed no trace of being overwrought. That was until they neared the lighthouse, and he placed his hand on her elbow to draw her to a stop. Even from my hidden place, I could see the shift in his expression. But it wasn’t a look of worry.
It wasexcitement.
