Page 111 of Lee

He didn’t much care what she wore, as long as she felt comfortable and confident in it. The only thing he wanted her to wear as much as possible was a smile, because that was what made her truly beautiful. And if she was happy, that meant he was succeeding in their relationship.

Charli had been sending him pictures of all the preparations, plus he’d gotten a text from her while waiting on Rori to say that everyone was there and ready. Excitement thrummed inside Lee as he imagined what lay ahead.

He noticed that Rori had brought out a container when she returned to the car after changing. “What’s that you got there?”

“I know your family always have good desserts, but I thought maybe I should contribute. I made some cookies.”

“Oh really? What kind?”

“I remember you said you liked peanut butter and chocolate, so I found a recipe for a chocolate brownie cookie with peanut butter chips to try.”

“And did you taste test them?” he asked as he turned off Rori’s street.

“I did. I think they taste pretty good. Did you want to test one?”

“Definitely.” And if it tasted like charcoal, he was prepared to lie, even though he knew he shouldn’t. He just hoped that he didn’t need to.

She handed him a cookie, and as he pulled to a stop at a light, he took a bite of it. Not only did the cookie not taste like charcoal, it tasted better than most cookies he’d had.

“Delicious, sweetie,” he told her with a smile. “You did a great job.”

Her eyes shone as she smiled at him. “I hope the others like them, too, even though I did kind of make them mostly for you.”

“I appreciate that, and I plan to make sure they don’t eat them all so I can have more.”

“If you like them, I’ll be sure to make you more.”

Lee liked the sound of that, and he loved that she’d thought of him when she’d decided to make the cookies. It made him feel special, which made him happy. He liked to do things for her, and it seemed like maybe she enjoyed doing things for him, too.

When they reached the house, he was a mess of nerves, hoping that Rori liked what they’d planned for her. He thought she would, but there might be a reason why she hadn’t even acknowledged the day or been upset that no one else had done anything for her.

In a few short minutes, he’d know.

As they walked up the sidewalk to the front door, Lee took Rori’s hand. He prayed that this would be a happy and memorable evening for her.

When they got to the door, he reached out and opened it for her, allowing her to step into the foyer first.

“Surprise!!”

His family was all gathered near the stairs, holding balloons and cheering, some with their phones out, recording the moment.

Rori came to a dead stop in front of him, forcing Lee to step to her side to be able to enter the house and close the door.

“Happy Birthday, Rori!” Layla called out. “We’re having a party for you!”

When Rori didn’t respond, Lee got concerned. Her mouth had dropped open, and her eyes were wide. There was definitely shock on her face, but there was also something… more.

She turned her gaze to him. “This is a party for me? For my birthday?”

“Yes.”

Rori promptly burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. Lee cast a concerned look at Charli.

His sister motioned to the side. “Take her to the living room. We’ll leave you alone.”

Slipping his arm around Rori, he guided her through the arched entrance to the living room. The murmur of his siblings’ voices faded as they presumably returned to the kitchen and dining room.

Once they were alone, he gathered her into his arms, holding her close as she cried. Not knowing what had prompted the emotional response, Lee just held her and prayed for wisdom for himself and peace and comfort for Rori.

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