Page 61 of Finding Love on the Slopes

“That will have to be a concession. I’m not giving up my Egyptian cotton sheets. I can’t sleep if the fabric is rough on my skin.”

Leigh turned and quickly kissed his lips, “I will gladly concede on this one. They feel like heaven on earth. What does the double L embroidered on all the cushions stand for?”

“Did you not see the name on the back when we arrived?” he asked a little annoyed his surprise was ruined.

“No, I was too busy trying to figure out why you were paddling out, not in. Then what this huge boat was doing so close to my reef? Then I was a little put out that you had a boat anchored out here, and then, I was climbing up the steps. I had a lot on my mind. Why? What’s the name?”

Enrique scooped her into his arms and marched back to the rear of the boat. Leigh thought he was going to set her down so she could look over the side, but the closer he got to the platform at the back, the more she worried he was just going to toss herin for not paying attention. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

The next thing she knew, she was plunging towards the cool water, still cradled in her future husband’s arms. She smiled just before her head went under the water.

Kicking towards the surface and gasping for air she started laughing, then turned to read the name, “My Leeward Lady. What does that mean? I’m a scientist, not a sailor,” she said as Enrique treaded water beside her.

“The Leeward side is the side away from the wind, the calm side. You are going to be my calm side. See, you are already changing me, helping me make better choices. I almost threw you overboard and made you swim to the back, but I decided that would not be the loving, gentlemanly thing to do. I compromised and went in with you so we could look together. I told you I would work hard to be better for you.”

His smile was that of a little boy who just shared half his cookie with a little girl with cooties but kept the larger half for himself and still wanted praise. The image made her burst into giggles. His expression faltered, so she wrapped her legs around his waist, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and started treading water harder to keep the extra weight afloat.

“I love you,” Leigh whispered, kissing him once more.

“I love you too, baby, but if we keep this up, we’ll drown. I can’t kick and kiss at the same time.”

Leigh laughed once more, then swam over to the steps and boarded the yacht again. As they walked through the great room, Lorenzo called, “Should I hold dinner, or do you think you can stay on board long enough to eat it?”

“We’ll be here. How long?” Enrique asked as they continued down the hallway.

“Fifteen minutes unless you need longer,” Lorenzo called back.

“That works. I clean up fast,” Leigh called.

Enrique showed her to the owner’s stateroom, and this time, the tour made it all the way to the bathroom. She showered and dressed in clean clothes that had been laid out on the bed for her, then met him at the table on deck with Mrs. Ellis’s assistance. Lorenzo was already serving the food, a wonderful seafood alfredo with fresh garlic bread and a crisp salad.

Leighann had just picked up her fork when Enrique placed his fingers over hers. “How does an April wedding sound?”

“Fast, but fine. I want it simple anyway. We can stop by the courthouse and get the license and marry the same day, or maybe there’s a three-day wait period in Florida. Either way, April works.”

“We’re not doing that, but we will keep it simple.” He came around the table and got down on one knee in front of her. This time, he took the ring out of his pocket and held it up for her to see. When she didn’t balk, he knew this time he had done well. “Leighann Grace Parker. You are the love of my life. The woman I dream about at night and whose face distracts me allday. I can’t be away from you any longer. I need you in my life, by my side. Will you please marry me in April on the beach with this ring on your finger?”

“Yes, yes, and yes. I love it! It’s perfect!” Leighann gasped as she peered at the gorgeous ring, which made her insides warm, unlike the other, which had terrified her that she might have her hand cut off.

This time, she allowed him to slip the one-carat blue diamond with a halo of tiny white diamonds onto her finger. It was much smaller than he had ever imagined giving his woman, but it suited her. The center stone was the same Caribbean blue as her eyes, and he had spent hours sorting through stones to find the perfect one.

Every time he saw that ring on her finger, he would remember that effort mattered more than money to her. It was a pittance compared to what he would have paid, but each stone was selected with love by him, not a clerk out for a commission. She was bringing out the best in him, and he couldn’t wait for their future to begin.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Enrique flew back to Florida a week later to finalize the purchase of their new home. He had originally planned to surprise her on their wedding day, but Hannah had informed him that was the worst idea he had ever had. So, here he was, four days after his second proposal, feeling a little jet-lagged but excited for her to see their home.

It was Friday, and he had asked her to take the day off to spend with him. She readily agreed. He picked her up at eight and took her to breakfast. Their first stop after that was to pick out flowers. She said a premade artificial bouquet was sufficient, but he disagreed, arguing that they were still having pictures taken and he wanted the wedding to look small and intimate, not cheap. That hurt her feelings a little, but they moved past it quickly.

Then, they were off to the bakery. She had selected a two-tier naked cake with a sage green ribbon tied around the middleand simple vanilla frosting. He asked for a compromise and suggested a larger three-tier cake so they could each have their favorite filling. He wanted a waterfall of peach-colored roses and eucalyptus-type light green foliage to add some color. She agreed and selected strawberry filling, and he preferred the pineapple. They kept the vanilla filling on top.

“Keeping the top layer for the first anniversary is silly. It is gross by that point, and… this is Florida. Do you know how many times the power is going to go out in the next year? We are in the Keys; this place is a magnet for hurricanes. It will be bad, trust me. We should go with two tiers and not waste money on the extra one that will be trashed.”

“The bakery needs all the assistance they can get. It looks like they are holding on by a thread. Let the poor woman make the cake.”

“Fine,” Leigh grumbled. “Are we done now? I need a quiet walk on the beach. This wedding stuff is stressful.”

“Not quite. Two more stops. First, the caterer.”

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