“Are you okay? Comfortable enough?” Bo asked. Of course he’d be concerned and treat Lucky like an invalid over a few bruises.
“I’m fine.” Later Lucky might claim otherwise and earn himself some TLC. Bo gave the best TLC.
“I’m surprised the family wasn’t at the house,” Lucky ventured.
“I asked them to leave us alone.” Bo took a deep breath. “You’ve had a rough day and needed to unwind. Besides, I wanted to talk to you today, and I’m not letting some stupid case ruin my plans.”
Lucky’s heart fell to his stomach. After all this time, and two kids, had Bo finally come to his senses and decided Lucky wasn’t worth the effort after all? “That’s not scary in the least.”
“Not meant to be scary.” Bo let out a long exhale, his fingers flexing on Lucky’s. “Look, in the past we’ve talked about getting married, but always for some reason that wouldn’t last. I worried, if we got married based on a temporary situation, once things got better, we might have regrets.”
Oh, this. Bo made perfectly clear on many occasions exactly where he stood on marriage. “Bo, I…”
“Shhh. Hear me out, please.”
Lucky nodded. Why Bo felt the need to once again drive the point home about Lucky not being marriage material, or how they didn’t need public vows, he might never know.
But he’d listen to the arguments one more time.
“Now, we’re not in some hole in the ground in Mexico, we’re not in danger of dying at the moment, that we know of at least, and there’s no other excuse for getting married that some people use and later resent.”
“What are you trying to say?” Did Lucky really want to know?
“I’m trying to say that we have good jobs, a nice house, family and friends who love us. Two great kids. We’re not rich but we’re financially secure. We’re with each other, not because we feel we have to be, but because we want to be.”
“Yes.” So were Bo’s aunt and uncle, and they’d never legally married.
Bo rolled to his side and cupped Lucky’s cheek. “What I’m saying is this: Now that there’s no other reason to marry except that we want to spend the rest of our lives together, will you marry me?”
What. The. Absolute. Fuck.
Lucky slapped his half-hand over Bo’s. “Wait. You say you want to get married?” After all this time of saying no?
“No.”
Lucky’s heart fell. “I thought—”
“I want to marryyou. If you’ll have me.”
If he’d have Bo? Was Bo kidding? “Of course, I’ll have you.” Lucky refrained from adding,“And I intend to. Later tonight.”
Lucky heard the smile and relief in Bo’s voice. “Thank you. I love you.”
Lucky lifted his chin and blinked hard a few times. Heat burned the back of his throat. He wrapped his arms around Bo, gritted his teeth against his various pains, and hugged tighter. Married. They were getting married, fulfilling his deepest wish.
“Happy Birthday, Lucky. I wanted to ask in the restaurant, pull out all the stops. Be romantic. Then it hit me. That’s not you. It’s not me either.” He kissed Lucky again, hard and deep.
He stood and held out his hand. Lucky rose with him, but when he strode toward the bike, Bo pulled him back. “May I have this dance?” He touched a button on his phone.
Achy Breaky Heart played from the speaker.
They returned home to every light blazing from the windows, and at least ten cars in the yard.
Oh, well, the quiet couldn’t last.
“Happy Birthday!”
At least they didn’t try to surprise Lucky this time.
