And if there were anything that needed her immediate attention, she had her laptop down at her cabin.
“Let’s go,” she told him as they walked out of the office.
The resort was quiet, but that was okay. They were still in the soft opening phase, and this was exactly how it was supposed to be. There were maybe two dozen people in the restaurant, and as they walked through the kitchen, everything smelled so damn good.
“What are we having tonight?” she asked.
“The special tonight is the barbecue platter. Scott told me it’s a big hit with the guests.”
“Not in the restaurant, silly. I meant us. You, me, the kids…”
“Oh. Sorry.” He laughed softly as they stepped outside and went down the stairs. “That’s a surprise. You’ll find out soon enough.”
That was…intriguing.
“Do I get a chance to guess?”
He laughed again. “Not a fan of surprises, huh?”
“That’s hard to say. So far, the only surprises in my life have been really awful ones,” she admitted lightly. “But unless you’re serving liver or a Brussels sprouts casserole, I can’t imagine this being anything but a wonderful surprise.”
“Then prepare to be dazzled,” he confirmed. “No liver and no Brussels sprouts. Although you’re really missing out on that one. I make a killer side dish with Brussels sprouts and bacon.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
When they didn’t take the path toward her cabin, she figured he felt safe enough having everyone back at his, but she didn’t draw attention to it. Ruth came out to wish them goodnight, and they both thanked her for helping in a pinch today before going inside.
Lexi maybe went all of three steps in when she came to a stop. “What…?” she whispered in awe.
The cabin had been transformed into a magical fairyland. Twinkling lights hung from the ceilings, and there were white roses all over the place. Music was playing softly—the song they had danced to at Kelsey and Jayce’s wedding—and Annabeth and Jonah were dressed in their best clothes and each holding a small bouquet for her.
“Look at the two of you,” she said softly as she moved closer to them. “You both look adorable. What’s…?”
“You have to turn around,” Annabeth whispered loudly.
“I have to turn around?”
Both kids nodded, and when she did as they asked, she found Connor down on one knee. Her soft gasp was out before she could stop it. “Oh my goodness…what is happening right now?”
“Lexi Scott, I have waited a lifetime to do this,” he said, his voice gentle and sweet. “I never thought I’d ever be lucky enough to have a second chance with you. I didn’t think I deserved one. But then you showed up here at the resort with your list of rules, with keeping me away at the number one spot, and I thought I could play along. One look at you, even from a distance, and I knew it was impossible.”
Holding out his hand to her, she stepped closer and put her hand in his.
“I love that we took the time to get to know each other and became friends again first. As single parents, it was nice to have someone to talk to every day who understood the struggles that went along with that. And then we became more than friends.”
She nervously looked over at their kids, praying he wasn’t going to say anything too intimate. And he must have read her mind because he shook his head with a laugh.
“Don’t worry. We are rated PG for this,” he assured her. “Suddenly, it was like no time had passed. Everything we did felt right. You, me, and our beautiful children. What we created is everything I always wanted. And I know it’s only going to keep getting better. We’re just getting started.”
She was trembling and felt so completely overwhelmed with emotion, but she didn’t want to miss anything he was saying.
Although he was a bit blurry because she was seriously trying not to cry, her tears were hanging on.
“I love you, and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together,” he went on. “But I also wanted you to know that you deserve more than a casual proposal in the car or…in a hotel room.” Pausing, he winked. “And I couldn’t think of anything better than making this a family proposal, so…”
He motioned for Annabeth and Jonah to come and stand next to him. He nodded to his daughter first.
“Lexi, you are the coolest person I know,” she said shyly. “I love when we read together and go on picnics. I know you’re not my real mom, but…” Pausing, she looked at Connor before she continued. “But you feel more like a real mom than mine. I love you, and I hope you want to marry my dad.”
