Page 129 of Cannon
I nodded, suddenly desperate to escape the antiseptic smell and fluorescent lights. “I’ll text you if anything changes,” Nori promised, settling back into her chair with her phone.
Outside, the late afternoon sun felt surreal after hours in the windowless waiting room. I took a deep breath, letting the crisp autumn air fill my lungs as Cannon guided me to a bench in the small courtyard beside the emergency entrance.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered, staring at my hands. Though I’d scrubbed them raw in the hospital bathroom,I swore I could still see ZaZa’s blood in the creases of my palms. “My baby could have died because of something I did thirty years ago.”
Cannon pulled me close, his warmth anchoring me. “This wasn’t your fault, Queen. You were protecting your mother. You were a child.”
“But ZaZa?—”
“Is going to pull through,” he finished firmly. “The doctor said she’s stable.”
I leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid presence. “I’m so sorry about the boys,” I said after a moment of silence. “After everything you’ve done for them…”
He tensed briefly, then sighed, his breath warm against my hair. “It is what it is. I’ll still be in their lives, just… differently than I planned.” His voice was steady, but I could hear the pain underneath.
“It’s not fair,” I said, anger flaring on his behalf. “After all you’ve been through, to lose them too?—”
“Life ain’t fair,” he cut me off gently. “But I’m learning that sometimes when one door closes, another one opens.” He shifted, turning to face me fully. “Queen, these last few days have been hell for both of us. But they’ve shown me what matters.”
I met his gaze, those blue-green eyes intense as they searched mine. “And what’s that?”
“You,” he said simply. “Us. Building something real together.” He took my hands in his. “I know this is crazy timing, but after losing Reese, nearly losing ZaZa… life’s too short to wait for the perfect moment.”
I felt my heart stop as Cannon suddenly dropped to one knee right there in the hospital courtyard. A few nurses passing by slowed their steps, watching us with curious eyes.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, though I knew exactly what was happening.
“Queen Marie Davenport,” Cannon said, his deep voice steady despite everything we’d been through. “I don’t have a ring yet. We can pick one out together once ZaZa’s better. I just couldn’t wait another day to ask you to be my wife.”
The world around us seemed to fade away. There was only Cannon, looking up at me with those piercing eyes that saw right through all my walls.
“I want to build that bed and breakfast for you. I want to wake up beside you every morning. I want to be a buffer for everything the world throws at you.” His grip on my hands tightened. “We’re getting married.”
“Wait… that is not a proposal. You didn’t even ask me,” I laughed.
“Nah, I’m straight up telling you. We’re getting married.”
I laughed despite everything, a bubble of unexpected joy rising through all the grief and fear. This man… this beautiful, damaged, fiercely protective man was telling me we were getting married, not even bothering to phrase it as a question. Like it was just a fact, as inevitable as the sun rising.
“Yes,” I said, pulling him to his feet and into my arms. “Yes, we’re getting married.”
His mouth claimed mine in a kiss so deep and possessive it made my knees weak. His hands cupped my face like I was something precious, something worth protecting. For a woman who had spent her life building walls against love, the feeling of being cherished like this was almost too much to bear. When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing hard, his forehead rested against mine.
“I love you,” I whispered, the words coming easier now than I ever thought possible.
“I love you too,” he murmured back, his thumb brushing across my bottom lip. “More than you’ll ever know.”
His mouth found mine again, this kiss deeper, hungrier than before. His tongue slid against mine, tasting me, claiming me. My hands gripped his broad shoulders, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt. My body pressed against his, craving his touch, his strength, his certainty.
“We should get back upstairs,” he murmured against my lips, his voice husky with desire.
I held Cannon’s gaze, my heart steady for the first time in days. Whatever storms were still coming, I knew we would face them together, and for the first time in a long time, tomorrow actually felt like it could be brighter.
Chapter 49
Queen
I stood on the sprawling front porch of the Victorian mansion, my eyes taking in the ten acres of rolling hills that stretched out before us. Virginia in the springtime was nothing like Harlem. No concrete jungle, no sirens wailing day and night, no memories haunting every corner. Just peace. Just possibility.
