Page 34 of Love Without Demands

Picking up one of the tiny snacks, I ate it and had to agree with Cruz. It was barely enough to whet the appetite. My eyes scanned the room, and I had to do a double take when I saw who was walking toward me with a big smile on his face.

“Dwight?”

“Hey, babe,” he said, jogging the last few feet and wrapping me in a hug.

“I’m… what are… oh my god!” He set me down, and I rested my hands on his shoulders and smiled happily at him. We were the same height with my heels on. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were headed to Aspen.”

“I was about to, but I wanted to stop by and—”

Surprise me by telling me you packed me a bag so I can go with you?I thought hopefully.

Dwight was interrupted from finishing when Cruz returned with my drink. “One chardonnay for the lady,” he said before noticing the newcomer and holding out his hand for a friendly shake. “Hey, man. I don’t think I know you. I’m Cruz Estrada.”

“Dwight Jones.”

“Oh, Lehra’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you.”

“And who are you? One of the servers?” Dwight asked, and his snooty tone instantly annoyed me, though Cruz just smiled easily.

“No, I’m Auburn Bouvier’s driver and personal security.”

Embarrassed by Dwight’s arrogance, I said, “Cruz is also a reserve police officer. He works with the Emergency Service Unit.”

“You’re like a paramedic or something?”

Cruz shook his head and took a sip of the brown liquid in his glass. “No, though we are trained in medical and rescue operations. We serve as the city’s SWAT team.”

“Oh,” Dwight said with a fake smile. “I could never do that. I abhor violence.”

Cruz’s smile showed all his teeth before he responded with a curt, “As do I,Dwight. We’re tasked withpreventingviolence, not causing it.”

Oh, eek!The look on Cruz’s face said he might reconsider causing a bit of violence just then, and I broke in. “Dwight surprised me tonight. He was just about to tell me why he’s here.” I linked my arm with his and gave him a warning squeeze.

“I was just about to reveal the big surprise,” he said, taking my glass and handing it to Cruz before leading me to the center of the room.

What is he doing?I wondered, still hoping he planned to invite me on his family’s Christmas trip. My mouth fell open when Dwight dropped to one knee and took my hand.Oh. My. God.

The crowd slowly caught on and spread out, every eye on us as the room was bathed in silence.

“Lehra,” Dwight said with a huge smile on his face and a ring box suddenly in his hand, “you are the bright spot in my life, and I love you more than anything. Please honor me by being my wife.”

I was sure my face was as red as my dress while I processed what he’d just said.He’s proposing? Now?

We’d talked vaguely about marriage a couple times, but I never expected him to do this now. We didn’t even live in the same city.

I loved Dwight, but I wasn’t ready for this.Was I?

“Lehra?” he prompted, his smile faltering a little, and I felt like a million tons of pressure had landed directly on top of my head. Everyone was looking at me expectantly, so I forced out the only words I could say in this situation.

“Yes, of course.”

Everyone clapped as Dwight slid the ring on my finger before standing and wrapping me in his arms. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” I replied, meaning every word, but I was still conflicted about getting engaged without more discussion about our future.

Someone handed us each a glass of champagne, and everyone came up to congratulate us as we sipped. I showed off my ring, which was huge and a little busy for my taste, but I couldn’t deny it was a beautiful piece of jewelry.

The well-wishers finally drifted off, and I squeezed Dwight’s hand. “Can we talk for a second?”

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