Page 39 of Rex's Honor
She held up her hand, painfully aware that a crowd of golfers had gathered in the distance. “You didn’t wake me to tell me or leave me a note or even bother to text me. Considering our past history, what was I to think?”
“I left a note.” He pinched his nose. “I said I’d be back.”
“It felt like you snuck out. I don’t mind being used, considering everything you’re going through. I mean, I offeredmyself up to you, but you could have done the decent thing and?—”
He cupped her mouth.
She batted it away. “Don’t hush me.” She wasn’t about to be quiet now. He hadn’t really apologized for anything and didn’t even understand why she was upset, and she was going to tell him exactly what was on her mind.
“You’re yelling on a golf course, and people are starting to stare.”
“You brought me here.” She planted her hands on her hips. “And I have a few things I want to say to you.”
“This isn’t going as I planned.” He scratched the side of his face. “Here. These are for you.” He held out the roses, which trembled in his hands. “I also have something I want to say.”
“Why are we here?” She took the roses, lifting them to her nose and inhaling the fresh scent.
“I had this whole thing planned to ask if you remembered our first kiss and the first time we…” He glanced around, and his cheeks flushed red.
She’d never seen him blush before. Ever.
“I remember the first time vividly,” she whispered. Her throat dried up, and she could barely swallow. “I appreciate the gesture, but I’m tired of the?—”
“I gave you roses.”
She nodded.
“Do you remember what I said about roses?”
“Oh my God. You can’t be serious?” She reached out and clutched the nearest tree. “This is all just for show, right? For your mom, right? Give a dying woman her wish? Jesus, Rex. I can’t do this.”
“Tilly, I’m sorry that me leaving last night upset you. Or that you didn’t see my note and that this isn’t going the way I envisioned, but this isn’t for show. If it was, I would have done itin front of my mother.” He lifted her chin with his thumb. “I’m not a flowers kind of guy. I’m certainly not a romantic.”
“No, you most certainly are not. And you have a weird sense of humor.”
“I’m not laughing,” he said. “I love you, Tilly. I always have. I’m sorry that me racing off to get my mother’s ring hurt you?—”
“Ring?” She dropped the flowers. Her muscles felt like jelly. “What ring?”
“My mother’s ring,” he said.
“What do you mean? What ring?”
“Her engagement ring, and she sent it to me years ago. I don’t know why I kept it. I thought about sending it back to her, but never did,” he said. “It was on my boat in Florida and I couldn’t propose without it. That’s why I went back. I had to get it.”
“This isn’t happening,” she whispered, staring into his smoldering eyes.
“Do you love me, Tilly?”
She blew out a puff of air. “I never stopped.”
He lowered himself to one knee.
She clutched her necklace, staring down at him holding out a diamond—a huge diamond ring.
“The second you stepped onto my boat, I couldn’t deny any more how much I missed you. I’m not going to give you any kind of ultimatum. I can be a firefighter anywhere. It doesn’t have to be in Jacksonville and the Aegis Network is constantly expanding. Maybe they would let me?—”
“I can’t let you give up your life’s work for me.”
