All on the menu.
In our own restaurant.
I can’t form words.
She looks up from reading, this perfect woman who chose me, nervous at my silence. Lexi drops the menu back to the table.
“I know it’s not a fancy restaurant, but I think people will be excited to try your ideas, Chef.”
One arm flies out, sliding around her hips and yanking her into my lap without warning. She plops down with a squeal, but I steady her.
“Is it your turn to be speechless?” she asks, staring into my eyes. The way the light hits through the plate glass windows, flecks of green and yellow stare back at me in that sea of my favorite chocolate brown.
“You’re perfect,” I tell her, hands roaming, as I try to remember every detail of this moment.
She laughs, pushing my hands away and trying to stand up, but her smile is warm.
“We have to go,” she tells me, tugging on my hand, but I don’t move.
“Thank you for this,” I say, eyes flashing to the menu.
“Thank you for saving Heights Bites,” she says back.
“I didn’t save Heights Bites.” My head shakes in denial.
“You saved my ass,” she insists.
“It’s too good of an ass not to keep around. I just did what I could to help,” I tell her, launching from the seat to try to get my hands on said ass.
Lexi darts between tables, laughing louder than I ever remember hearing her, until her face goes serious, eyes heavy on mine. I slow to a stalk, closing the distance so I can capture her hands in mine, holding her close.
“You know that I love you, right?” she asks, voice uncertain.
“You’d better love me,” I purr at her, chest rattling. She freezes, not sure where I’m going, so I put her mind at ease. “Otherwise I’m fucked, with how much I love you.”
Her grin breaks out, lighting up my whole world.
This woman was worth every single thing it took me to get here and find her. My early mistakes, the dark years, my time in prison, it all led me to cooking, to Heights Bites, and to Alexis.
Keeping her as mine is going to be the thing I’m proudest of in this life.
Lexi places a delicate kiss to my lips, and pulls back before I can deepen it, tugging on my hand again. “Then let’s go see what Rory has planned next.”
I lose track of how many other locals greet us as we walk to Rory’s office. They stop us, and Lexi chats with them for minutes at a time, unhurried, and unbothered. Most gush about the restaurant, but Lexi asks about their kids, families, and careers for just as long.
A whole flock of elderly residents are piled up at either end of Main Street, one group by the drug store, the other at the hardware store. Like rival gangs with their territories. We wave to them both, exchanging distant greetings, until we’re finally able to slip inside the New Heights office.
Rory, Wyatt, Amelia, and Weston are already here. Four faces look up as the bell tinkles with the door opening.
“You guys made it,” Rory says.
“Duh.” Lexi sticks her tongue out at Rory, and both sisters smirk.
“We already finished packing up the commission,” Weston says, hip leaning on the nearest wall, arm behind his head.
“Sorry we missed it,” Lexi lies.
Amelia jumps in, shaking her head. “There wasn’t much. Rory had it all organized for us already. I think it took two trips to the truck.”
