Page 87 of The Maxwell Brothers
"This is a glorious day. Travis had such a good idea to bring us all here. It's beautiful," she said.
"Yes, it is," Sam agreed, kissing his mom on the cheek. "By the way, I think Tyler arrived. And what the f—Chuck?" His eyes bulged. "Hey, I think he brought a woman."
Tate, Lena, and I all turned at the same time.
"That must be the surprise he mentioned before," I murmured.
The woman on his arm was stunning. Her hair was fiery red, and she was as tall as Tyler in her heels. Her body was slender, and she looked like a supermodel in her short white dress.
Tate chuckled. "And Travis thought he was going to get a present. He’s always overly optimistic."
"Sam," Lena said, sounding uncharacteristically sharp, "don't tease your brother."
Sam slowly turned to his mother. "For what? Coming with a woman?"
"Exactly," Lena said. Her voice was even more stern.
Sam held up his hands as if not comprehending it. "You're joking. He hasn't said one word about dating anyone, and now he's bringing her to the party. You can't expect me to behave."
The corners of Lena's mouth lifted up. She was trying to fight a smile.
"I really can't, can I? I don't know why I was even trying."
"It's good to try, Mom. Sometimes it works," Tate said, but he was on the verge of laughter too.
"I give it ten minutes before everyone circles Tyler to razz him," Sam said.
It turned out they didn't even need half of that time. I was pretty surprised that Tate was staying put, and that surprise turned to suspicion. I glanced at him intently.
"What's this? Trying to prove you're sensible?" I teased him.
"Nah, merciful. Half the family is going to pounce on him."
"And you won't?" I asked skeptically.
"Of course I will, but not right now. I'll save it for later. You know, keep the best for last." He took my hand, strolling with me farther along the edge of the water.
“So, we’re just staying here to bide our time? I can get on board with that,” I said.
"That, and I want to enjoy this moment with you," he said simply, making me swoon. "I'm so happy you're here," he murmured.
"Why? Because you can fondle me anytime you want, even in front of your family?"
He chuckled again. "Sam was bluffing."
"How do you know that?"
"Because he's my brother, and I've seen him do it more times than I can count."
"Okay, that is a good argument. So, back to why you're happy that I'm here. Even if you don't admit it, fondling is a big part of it."
"I won't deny it," he said, stopping in his tracks. "I love sharing my life with you, Lexi." He looked at my mouth before making eye contact. "I love you."
Wow!My heart stopped. Breath whooshed out of me. My knees weakened.
"Tate," I whispered, tugging at his shirt, bringing him closer. "You love me?" I asked, for some reason needing to hear it again.
"Yes, I do. I love you, Lexi."
